Gary Sheffield
Born: 11/18/1968 in Tampa, FL, USA
MLB Debut: 1988-09-03 | Final Game: 2009-09-30
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 190 lbs
Full name: Gary Antonian Sheffield
Biography
Gary Sheffield was a prominent professional baseball player, born in 1968, who enjoyed a prolific career spanning from 1988 to 2009. Known for his powerful hitting and unique batting stance, Sheffield became one of the most feared sluggers of his era. Over the course of 2,576 games, he recorded 2,689 hits, 509 home runs, and 1,676 runs batted in, finishing his career with a commendable batting average of .292. In addition to his offensive prowess, Sheffield demonstrated speed on the bases, amassing 253 stolen bases, which added another dimension to his game.
Sheffield was selected as an All-Star nine times, marking his status as one of the elite players during a period characterized by high offensive output and the increasing prevalence of home runs in the game. His impact extended beyond statistics; he played a significant role in the teams he represented, contributing to both the success and culture of the franchises. Sheffield’s legacy is not only defined by his impressive career numbers but also by his influence on future generations of hitters, blending power and finesse in a way that redefined the role of the position player in Major League Baseball.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2576 | 9217 | 1636 | 2689 | 467 | 27 | 509 | 1676 | 253 | 1475 | 1171 | 0.292 | 0.393 | 0.514 | 0.907 | 43849.7 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | ATL | AL | 24 | 80 | 12 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0.237 | -9.5 |
| 1989 | ATL | AL | 95 | 368 | 34 | 91 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 32 | 10 | 27 | 33 | 0.247 | -517.1 |
| 1990 | ATL | AL | 125 | 487 | 67 | 143 | 30 | 1 | 10 | 67 | 25 | 44 | 41 | 0.294 | 771.9 |
| 1991 | ATL | AL | 50 | 175 | 25 | 34 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 5 | 19 | 15 | 0.194 | -521.6 |
| 1992 | SDP | NL | 146 | 557 | 87 | 184 | 34 | 3 | 33 | 100 | 5 | 48 | 40 | 0.330 | 4004.5 |
| 1993 | MIA | NL | 72 | 236 | 33 | 69 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 37 | 12 | 29 | 34 | 0.292 | 762.0 |
| 1993 | SDP | NL | 68 | 258 | 34 | 76 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 36 | 5 | 18 | 30 | 0.295 | 762.0 |
| 1994 | MIA | NL | 87 | 322 | 61 | 89 | 16 | 1 | 27 | 78 | 12 | 51 | 50 | 0.276 | 1682.3 |
| 1995 | MIA | NL | 63 | 213 | 46 | 69 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 46 | 19 | 55 | 45 | 0.324 | 1855.5 |
| 1996 | MIA | NL | 161 | 519 | 118 | 163 | 33 | 1 | 42 | 120 | 16 | 142 | 66 | 0.314 | 5525.9 |
| 1997 | MIA | NL | 135 | 444 | 86 | 111 | 22 | 1 | 21 | 71 | 11 | 121 | 79 | 0.250 | 2107.2 |
| 1998 | MIA | NL | 40 | 136 | 21 | 37 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 28 | 4 | 26 | 16 | 0.272 | 487.4 |
| 1998 | LAD | NL | 90 | 301 | 52 | 95 | 16 | 1 | 16 | 57 | 18 | 69 | 30 | 0.316 | 487.4 |
| 1999 | LAD | NL | 152 | 549 | 103 | 165 | 20 | 0 | 34 | 101 | 11 | 101 | 64 | 0.301 | 2621.9 |
| 2000 | LAD | NL | 141 | 501 | 105 | 163 | 24 | 3 | 43 | 109 | 4 | 101 | 71 | 0.325 | 4409.3 |
| 2001 | LAD | NL | 143 | 515 | 98 | 160 | 28 | 2 | 36 | 100 | 10 | 94 | 67 | 0.311 | 3732.3 |
| 2002 | ATL | NL | 135 | 492 | 82 | 151 | 26 | 0 | 25 | 84 | 12 | 72 | 53 | 0.307 | 2553.4 |
| 2003 | ATL | NL | 155 | 576 | 126 | 190 | 37 | 2 | 39 | 132 | 18 | 86 | 55 | 0.330 | 4552.2 |
| 2004 | NYY | AL | 154 | 573 | 117 | 166 | 30 | 1 | 36 | 121 | 5 | 92 | 83 | 0.290 | 2883.7 |
| 2005 | NYY | AL | 154 | 584 | 104 | 170 | 27 | 0 | 34 | 123 | 10 | 78 | 76 | 0.291 | 2520.5 |
| 2006 | NYY | AL | 39 | 151 | 22 | 45 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 25 | 5 | 13 | 16 | 0.298 | 150.3 |
| 2007 | DET | AL | 133 | 494 | 107 | 131 | 20 | 1 | 25 | 75 | 22 | 84 | 71 | 0.265 | 1344.4 |
| 2008 | DET | AL | 114 | 418 | 52 | 94 | 16 | 0 | 19 | 57 | 9 | 58 | 83 | 0.225 | -167.8 |
| 2009 | NYN | NL | 100 | 268 | 44 | 74 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 43 | 2 | 40 | 46 | 0.276 | 591.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 161 | 27 | 40 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 19 | 39 | 26 | 0.248 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | ALDS1 | NYA | 3 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0.083 |
| 2005 | ALDS2 | NYA | 5 | 21 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0.286 |
| 2004 | ALCS | NYA | 7 | 30 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 0.333 |
| 2004 | ALDS2 | NYA | 4 | 18 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0.222 |
| 2003 | NLDS2 | ATL | 4 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.143 |
| 2002 | NLDS1 | ATL | 5 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 0.062 |
| 1997 | NLCS | FLO | 6 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 0.235 |
| 1997 | NLDS1 | FLO | 3 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0.556 |
| 1997 | WS | FLO | 7 | 24 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 0.292 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 9 | 9 | 56 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 3B | 468 | 466 | 320 | 887 | 88 | 67 |
| OF | 1641 | 1637 | 2775 | 108 | 67 | 15 |
| SS | 94 | 93 | 124 | 242 | 15 | 49 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | ML4 | SS | 24 | 23 | 39 | 48 | 3 | 9 |
| 1989 | ML4 | 3B | 21 | 21 | 15 | 44 | 4 | 4 |
| 1989 | ML4 | SS | 70 | 70 | 85 | 194 | 12 | 40 |
| 1990 | ML4 | 3B | 125 | 125 | 98 | 254 | 25 | 16 |
| 1991 | ML4 | 3B | 43 | 43 | 29 | 65 | 8 | 7 |
| 1992 | SDN | 3B | 144 | 144 | 99 | 299 | 16 | 25 |
| 1993 | FLO | 3B | 66 | 66 | 38 | 123 | 19 | 4 |
| 1993 | SDN | 3B | 67 | 67 | 41 | 102 | 15 | 11 |
| 1994 | FLO | OF | 87 | 86 | 154 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| 1995 | FLO | OF | 61 | 61 | 109 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 1996 | FLO | OF | 161 | 160 | 238 | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| 1997 | FLO | OF | 132 | 132 | 226 | 14 | 5 | 1 |
| 1998 | FLO | OF | 37 | 37 | 68 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 1998 | LAN | OF | 89 | 89 | 149 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| 1999 | LAN | OF | 145 | 145 | 235 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| 2000 | LAN | OF | 139 | 139 | 203 | 5 | 10 | 0 |
| 2001 | LAN | OF | 141 | 141 | 195 | 17 | 6 | 0 |
| 2002 | ATL | OF | 127 | 127 | 232 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 2003 | ATL | OF | 153 | 154 | 283 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| 2004 | NYA | 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 | NYA | OF | 136 | 136 | 271 | 11 | 5 | 3 |
| 2005 | NYA | OF | 131 | 130 | 239 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 2006 | NYA | 1B | 9 | 9 | 56 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 2006 | NYA | OF | 21 | 20 | 39 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 | DET | OF | 12 | 12 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | DET | OF | 6 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | NYN | OF | 63 | 62 | 96 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 9 |
| Third Base | 468 |
| Shortstop | 94 |
| Left Field | 487 |
| Right Field | 1160 |
| Designated Hitter | 302 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Player of the Week | Week of 2007-06-09 |
| 2005 | Player of the Week | Week of 2005-07-16 |
| 2005 | Silver Slugger | OF |
| 2004 | Player of the Week | Week of 2004-06-05 |
| 2004 | Silver Slugger | OF |
| 2003 | Player of the Week | Week of 2003-05-17 |
| 2003 | Silver Slugger | OF |
| 2003 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 2001 | Player of the Week | Week of 2001-04-14 |
| 2000 | Player of the Week | Week of 2000-07-15 |
| 2000 | Player of the Week | Week of 2000-06-17 |
| 1996 | Player of the Week | Week of 1996-08-10 |
| 1996 | Silver Slugger | OF |
| 1996 | TSN All-Star | OF |
| 1995 | Player of the Week | Week of 1995-09-23 |
| 1994 | Player of the Week | Week of 1994-04-30 |
| 1993 | Player of the Week | Week of 1993-06-12 |
| 1992 | Player of the Month | August |
| 1992 | Player of the Week | Week of 1992-05-23 |
| 1992 | Silver Slugger | 3B |
| 1992 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
| 1992 | TSN Comeback Player of the Year | |
| 1992 | TSN Major League Player of the Year |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | NYN | NL | $14,000,000 |
| 2008 | DET | AL | $13,326,306 |
| 2007 | DET | AL | $10,916,071 |
| 2006 | NYA | AL | $10,756,171 |
| 2005 | NYA | AL | $13,000,000 |
| 2004 | NYA | AL | $13,000,000 |
| 2003 | ATL | NL | $11,416,667 |
| 2002 | ATL | NL | $9,916,667 |
| 2001 | LAN | NL | $9,916,667 |
| 2000 | LAN | NL | $9,916,667 |
| 1999 | LAN | NL | $9,956,667 |
| 1998 | FLO | NL | $14,936,667 |
| 1997 | FLO | NL | $6,100,000 |
| 1996 | FLO | NL | $6,135,000 |
| 1995 | FLO | NL | $5,625,000 |
| 1994 | FLO | NL | $4,625,000 |
| 1993 | SDN | NL | $3,110,000 |
| 1992 | SDN | NL | $750,000 |
| 1991 | ML4 | AL | $400,000 |
| 1990 | ML4 | AL | $115,000 |
| 1989 | ML4 | AL | $90,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $168,008,550 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 8th | 84.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 2004 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 2nd | 254.0 | 392 | 5 |
| 2003 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 3rd | 247.0 | 448 | 1 |
| 2002 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 17th | 6.0 | 448 | 0 |
| 2000 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 9th | 71.0 | 448 | 0 |
| 1996 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 6th | 112.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1992 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 3rd | 204.0 | 336 | 2 |