Gary Sheffield facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gary Sheffield
Sheffield with the New York Yankees in 2005
Outfielder / Third baseman
Born: (1968-11-18) November 18, 1968 (age 56) Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
September 15, 1988, for the Milwaukee Brewers
Last appearance
September 30, 2009, for the New York Mets
MLB statistics
Batting average	.292
Hits	2,689
Home runs	509
Runs batted in	1,676
Teams
Milwaukee Brewers (1988–1991) San Diego Padres (1992–1993) Florida Marlins (1993–1998) Los Angeles Dodgers (1998–2001) Atlanta Braves (2002–2003) New York Yankees (2004–2006) Detroit Tigers (2007–2008) New York Mets (2009)
Career highlights and awards
9× All-Star (1992, 1993, 1996, 1998–2000, 2003–2005) World Series champion (1997) 5× Silver Slugger Award (1992, 1996, 2003–2005) NL batting champion (1992)

Gary Antonian Sheffield (born November 18, 1968) is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He played as an outfielder for eight different teams in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1988 to 2009.

Gary Sheffield mostly played right field during his career. He also played left field, third base, shortstop, and a few games at first base. He played for teams like the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, and the New York Mets. The Brewers picked him sixth overall in the 1986 draft after he had a great high school career. He batted and threw with his right hand.

Sheffield hit his 500th home run on April 17, 2009. By the end of his career, he was one of the top players in many categories. He was known for his powerful swing and his ability to get many walks. He is the only player in history to have 100 RBIs in a season for five different teams. Gary Sheffield is the nephew of famous baseball pitcher Dwight Gooden.

Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

Gary Sheffield was born in Tampa, Florida. He grew up in a neighborhood called Belmont Heights. He lived with his uncle, Dwight Gooden, who later became a star pitcher for the New York Mets. Gary and Dwight played baseball often, and Gary learned how to hit a fastball from his uncle.

Sheffield was a very good hitter in Little League. When he was eleven, he was chosen for the Belmont Heights Little League All-Stars. This team included other future MLB players like Ty Griffin and Derek Bell. The team reached the finals of the 1980 Little League World Series but lost to Taiwan.

High School Baseball Star

In 1983, Gary Sheffield joined the varsity baseball team at Hillsborough High School. By his junior year, he was a strong player, pitching and playing third baseman. In his senior year, his fastball was very fast, and he hit many home runs. He batted .500 and hit 15 home runs in 62 times at bat. Because of his amazing performance, he was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year.

Professional Baseball Journey

Starting in the Minor Leagues

After high school, the Milwaukee Brewers chose Sheffield as the sixth pick in the first round of the 1986 MLB draft. He played for the Helena Brewers in the Pioneer League. He had a great batting average of .365 and 71 RBIs in just 57 games.

At first, he played shortstop, but he had some trouble with his defense. In 1987, he moved to Stockton in the Class-A California League. His defense got better, and he continued to hit well. He led the league in RBIs with 103. By his third season, he moved from Double-A all the way to the major leagues.

Time with the Milwaukee Brewers

Sheffield in 1988

Sheffield was called up to the major leagues in September 1988. He was still a teenager when he made his debut on September 3, 1988. He started strong, hitting his first career home run off Mark Langston. He finished that season with a .238 batting average and four home runs in 24 games.

After some injuries, Sheffield was moved to third base in 1989. In 1990, he worked with Don Baylor, who was the team's hitting coach. Sheffield finished that season batting .294 with 10 home runs. In his last season with the Brewers, he played in only 50 games due to injuries to his wrist, thumb, and shoulder.

Playing for the San Diego Padres

After four seasons with Milwaukee, Sheffield was traded to the San Diego Padres in March 1992. On May 12, 1992, he played against his uncle Dwight Gooden for the first time in a Major League game.

In his first year with the Padres, Sheffield had an amazing season and was chosen for the All-Star team. He almost won the Triple Crown, which means leading the league in batting average, home runs, and RBIs. He won the National League batting title with a .330 average. He started the 1993 season well, hitting 10 home runs and batting .295 with the Padres.

Winning a World Series with the Florida Marlins

On June 24, 1993, Sheffield was traded to the Florida Marlins. He finished the season hitting 10 home runs and batting .292 with the Marlins. He was also the starting third baseman for the National League in the All-Star Game. After that season, Sheffield signed a big contract with the Marlins.

In 1994, the Marlins moved him from third base to right field, where he played for the rest of his career. Sheffield hit 112 home runs with the Marlins between 1994 and 1998. This included 42 home runs in 1996, and he was an All-Star again that year. He helped lead Florida to win the 1997 World Series against the Cleveland Indians. On July 13, 1997, Sheffield became the first Marlins player to hit two home runs in one inning. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998.

Time with the Los Angeles Dodgers

On May 14, 1998, Sheffield was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He finished that season with the Dodgers batting .316, hitting 16 home runs, and driving in 57 runs. In 3½ seasons with the Dodgers, he hit 129 home runs and had 367 RBIs. He was chosen for three All-Star games while playing for the Dodgers and became one of the best hitting outfielders in baseball.

Playing for the Atlanta Braves

On January 15, 2002, the Dodgers traded Sheffield to the Atlanta Braves. He played two seasons with the Braves, hitting 64 home runs and getting 216 RBIs. In 2003, he had 132 RBIs, which was a great season for him. After two seasons with the Braves, he became a free agent.

Joining the New York Yankees

On December 19, 2003, Sheffield signed a contract with the New York Yankees. He joined a powerful lineup that included stars like Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. In his first season with the Yankees, Sheffield hit 36 home runs, had 121 RBIs, and batted .290. He finished second in the voting for the MVP award. On July 27, he hit his 400th career home run.

In 2005, he continued to play well, hitting 34 home runs and driving in 123 runs. On April 14, 2005, during a game against the Boston Red Sox, a fan reached over the railing and bothered Sheffield as he was trying to catch a ball. Sheffield reacted to the fan, and there was a brief argument.

Sheffield started the 2006 season well, but he got injured on April 29 when he collided with another player. He needed wrist surgery and did not return until late September. When he came back, he played first base for the first time in his MLB career. After the 2006 season, the Yankees traded him to the Detroit Tigers.

With the Detroit Tigers

Sheffield (right) with the Tigers in 2007.

On November 10, 2006, the Yankees traded Sheffield to the Detroit Tigers. He signed a two-year contract extension with the Tigers. In his first season with the team, he hit 25 home runs and had 75 RBIs. He also stole 20 bases, which he had not done since 1990.

On September 8, 2008, Sheffield hit the 250,000th regular season home run in MLB history. This home run was a grand slam. He ended the 2008 season with 499 career home runs.

On September 19, 2008, Sheffield was hit by a pitch from Cleveland Indians pitcher Roberto Hernández. Words were exchanged, and Sheffield charged the pitcher, leading to a bench-clearing brawl. Both Sheffield and Hernández were ejected from the game. On March 31, 2009, the Tigers released Sheffield from his contract.

Final Season with the New York Mets

Sheffield with the New York Mets in 2009

On April 3, 2009, Sheffield signed with the New York Mets.

On April 17, Sheffield hit his 500th home run, becoming the 25th player in MLB history to reach this big milestone. He was the first player to hit his 500th home run as a pinch-hitter, and the first to do it with the Mets. Sheffield was also one of only a few players in major league history to hit a home run before age 20 and after age 40.

Retirement from Baseball

Gary Sheffield did not play in 2010. He officially announced his retirement from baseball at the beginning of 2011 spring training.

Career Highlights and Achievements

Gary Sheffield had a remarkable career with many achievements.

Other Notable Achievements

• He was the second Padres hitter to win a batting title, after Tony Gwynn.
• He holds the Los Angeles Dodgers record for at-bats per home run in a single season (11.7 in 2000).
• His Tampa team finished second in the 1980 Little League World Series.
• He is the first player to represent five different teams in the All-Star Game.
• He tied Paul O'Neill as the oldest player (at age 38 in 2007) to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a season.
• He was the first player to hit at least 25 home runs for 6 different teams.
• He was the 25th player in MLB history to reach 500 home runs.
• He had 8 seasons with 30 or more home runs.
• He holds the record for playing in the most MLB ballparks (51).
• He is one of only two players in MLB history, along with Fred McGriff, to hit 30 or more home runs in one season for 5 different teams.

Statistical Leader

• He led the National League in batting average (.330) and total bases (323) in 1992.
• He led the National League in on-base percentage (.465) and OPS (1.090) in 1996.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Consideration

Gary Sheffield first appeared on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. He received 11.7% of the votes, which was enough to stay on the ballot for future years. In 2024, his tenth and final year on the ballot, he received 63.9% of the votes, which was close but not enough for election (75% is needed).

Personal Life

Gary Sheffield and his wife, Deleon, live in Tampa, Florida. They have three sons: Jaden, Noah, and Christian. Gary also has five other children from previous relationships. Deleon is a gospel singer and has sung the National Anthem at Yankee Stadium.

Sheffield's cousin, Derrick Pedro, played outfield in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. His other cousin, Tim Carter, played professional football as a wide receiver.

See also

In Spanish: Gary Sheffield para niños