The Sheff Soap, Day 2
posted in 2008 season |Not much backgrond to do on this. You know the story. Sheffield ran his mouth about his displeasure with being “just” DH in Detroit — you know, the position he agreed to play before signing an extension and being traded for.
Jim Leyland was “blindsided” and “flabbergasted.”
Leyland:
When we made the trade for Gary Sheffield, we received permission from the Commissioner’s Office to speak with Gary, which I did. I told him that all I had here for him was the DH role, and maybe play in the outfield once in a great while. [I told him], ‘If you do not want to accept that, do not accept the trade. (Quoted in Beck’s article)
You’re doing what you think is right and somebody’s mad because they got a blow? I don’t buy that. I’m sorry. I looked at the games. Thirty-nine [games played] out of 51 before he got hurt, and about seven [more] he would’ve played, except his shoulder was clicking and he needed some time off. So that’s about 46 out of 51. Since the [stint on the disabled list], it’s 36 out of 43. I hardly consider that platooning, I’m sorry.
He shouldn’t be sorry. Sheffield is paid a lot of money and is producing very little. He deserves every “boo” from the home crowd. Anyone who remembers Sheffield’s history with pretty much each of his previosu six baseball teams was … not surprised in the least. He just never wants to leave on good terms. He forces the hand of his former team so they’re just happy to get rid of him. And so it is again.
This, after all, is a guy so selfish he won’t let the team call him a designated hitter on the roster — meanwhile in 2007 the much-more deserving Curtis Granderson wasn’t on the ballot for the All-Star game.
While Eddie and ESPNNews tried to get me excited maybe the Rays were interested in taking Sheffield off the Tigers’ hands via the waiver wire, nothing has been reported as even a rumor. I can only dream. And I think at this point most Tigers fans dream the same dream:
Just get rid of Sheffield. Any way you can. Now. Pay half his salary if you have to. If you don’t want to be here, then leave. We fans don’t want to see you in a Tigers uniform either.
Sphere It
Sheffield placed on waivers.
09 ought to be interesting.
You know….not to be all mystical, but if you go back to that White Sox series….maybe three or four different pitches and perhaps the Tigers are 3 out. It’s Mindbottling — like when things are so crazy your thoughts are like in a bottle.