Sheffield released by Tigers

[orangemonk]

DETROIT -- Gary Sheffield's next home run will be his 500th in the major leagues.
The question is: What uniform will he be wearing when he hits it?
Have Bat, Will Travel

Gary Sheffield, released by the Tigers on Tuesday, has 499 career home runs with seven major league teams.
<table> <thead> <tr> <th>Team</th> <th>HR</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr class="last"> <td>Dodgers</td> <td>129</td> </tr> <tr class="last"> <td>Marlins</td> <td>122</td> </tr> <tr class="last"> <td>Yankees</td> <td>76</td> </tr> <tr class="last"> <td>Braves</td> <td>64</td> </tr> <tr class="last"> <td>Tigers</td> <td>44</td> </tr> <tr class="last"> <td>Padres</td> <td>43</td> </tr> <tr class="last"> <td>Brewers</td> <td>21</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

The Detroit Tigers released the nine-time All-Star on Tuesday, leaving him without a team as he closes in on becoming the 25th player to reach the milestone.
The slugger's stay in Detroit was a disappointing one. The team was hopeful Sheffield would be a powerful presence at the plate in the final season of the $28 million, two-year contract extension it gave him after acquiring him from the Yankees for prospects.
But Sheffield failed to deliver in large part because he often was injured.
The move came a day after the Tigers acquired outfielder Josh Anderson from Atlanta, forcing the team to make some tough decisions about its roster a week ahead of opening the season in Toronto.
Sheffield, 40, had a .178 batting average in 18 spring-training games this year. The designated hitter had eight hits -- including five home runs -- in 45 at-bats.
An e-mail seeking comment was sent to Sheffield on Tuesday, and a telephone message was left with his representative.
Shoulder and assorted other injuries -- and perhaps age -- limited Sheffield to 114 games and a .225 average last year and 133 games and a .265 average two seasons ago with the Tigers.
<table style="background: rgb(221, 221, 221) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; float: right; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; margin-left: 12px;" cellspacing="12" width="127"><tbody><tr><td><form method="post?" action="http://poll.espn.go.com/cgi/sz/poll.dll"><input name="goto" value="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2009/news/story?id=4029706" type="hidden"><input name="domain" value=".go.com" type="hidden"><input name="questions" value="1" type="hidden"><input name="id" value="103089" type="hidden"><input name="service" value="SZ" type="hidden"><table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="124"> <tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#dddddd"><center></center></td></tr> <tr><td bgcolor="#dddddd"><input name="qid" value="69367" type="hidden"><input name="count_0" value="2" type="hidden"><input name="expected_0" value="1" type="hidden">Would you want your favorite team to sign Gary Sheffield?
<table border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><input name="vote_0" value="260800" type="radio"></td><td valign="top">Yes</td></tr><tr><td valign="top"><input name="vote_0" value="260801" type="radio"></td><td valign="top">No</td></tr></tbody></table><center><input value="Submit Vote" type="submit"></center></td></tr> </tbody></table> </form></td></tr></tbody></table>Sheffield said he didn't need surgery in the offseason for the first time in several years, making him feel better during spring training than he has felt since 2001.
His uncle, Doc Gooden, and other family members had planned to attend Detroit's season-opening series, hoping to watch him reach 500.
Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, Frank Robinson and Reggie Jackson are the only players in baseball history with as many home runs as Sheffield, in addition to having at least 2,500 hits, 1,500 RBIs and 200 stolen bases.
Sheffield is currently 25th all-time on basebal's career home run list, five behind Eddie Murray, who has 504. Only four players currently on major league rosters are ahead of him on the all-time list: Ken Griffey Jr. with 611, Alex Rodriguez with 553, Jim Thome with 541 and Manny Ramirez with 527.
Only two players have ever come so close to 500 home runs without passing the milestone -- Fred McGriff and Lou Gehrig, who are tied for 26th on the all-time list with 493. Behind them are Stan Musial and Willie Stargell, tied at 28th with 475 homers.
In All-Star Games, he has represented San Diego, Florida, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta and the Yankees, since making his debut two decades ago in Milwaukee.
The career .292 hitter has 1,633 RBIs, putting him 27th on the all-time list.

 

[JumpOnBoard]

he at your house?

 

[orangemonk]

he at your house?

pics to come soon:tiphat:

 

[orangemonk]

btw i love this. in my ideal world you put mags or guillen at the DH and let anderson play a corner outfield spot. our defense will have improved tenfold from last year. this will also prevent injury to aging bodies of magglio/guillen. you give thames spot starts at dh but mainly bring him off the bench for power in a ph role, perhaps for everett, moving guillen to SS. this allows larish to stay on the team, a much needed lefty bat.

this allows this lineup

Anderson (again a lefty with speed we really need)
Polanco
Granderson
Cabrera
Ordonez
Guillen
Laird
Everett
Inge

wrap up: excited about this deal and this move and brings speed, defense, and a lefty bat ...3 things the tigers were really lacking.

 

[orangemonk]

Todays lineup..interesting what would happen with guillen in

Anderson, J, LF Polanco, 2B
Ordonez, RF
Cabrera, M, 1B
Granderson, CF
Thames, DH
Inge, 3B
Treanor, C
Everett, SS

 

[B.A.R.]

btw i love this. in my ideal world you put mags or guillen at the DH and let anderson play a corner outfield spot. our defense will have improved tenfold from last year. this will also prevent injury to aging bodies of magglio/guillen. you give thames spot starts at dh but mainly bring him off the bench for power in a ph role, perhaps for everett, moving guillen to SS. this allows larish to stay on the team, a much needed lefty bat.

this allows this lineup

Anderson (again a lefty with speed we really need)
Polanco
Granderson
Cabrera
Ordonez
Guillen
Laird
Everett
Inge

wrap up: excited about this deal and this move and brings speed, defense, and a lefty bat ...3 things the tigers were really lacking.

Better but the bottom third is gonna combine for a .220 average.

 

[wreck]

great they got rid of sheff. he was a whiny bitch who was barely hitting .220

Now we need to sign Bonds and get him back with Leyland.

 

[Pincher]

yah top half great bottom3 not so good at the plate...I think we've ben spoiled with a "murders Row" style line up at the plate.

Based on recent success with that formula, I'll take some speed and MUCH better D!

The Anderson deal means a LOT less Guillen in the outfield this year - a good thing!

Shef out at DH Guillen in...

Now all we need is to erase so many pitching question marks...

 

[SteelBucsFan]

i always liked Sheffield .... to bad he missed so many games with injuries or his carrer stats could be alot higher..Kinda like Chipper ...Someone will sign hime and he will hit 30 hrs

 

[hile75]

Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing the phillies make a lowball offer to him. He can hit lefty pitching which the phillies could use off the bench.

 

[JumpOnBoard]

Cincy needs a bat.

 

[Blue_Chip]

St Louis?

 

[JumpOnBoard]

From Olney's blog:

Sheffield might have trouble finding work
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 | Feedback | Print Entry
You would assume that someone who has a baseball card that looks like Gary Sheffield's would have more job opportunities. The slugger has 499 career homers, 2,615 hits and 1,633 RBIs, and even in what was an off year for him in 2008, he mashed 19 homers in 418 at-bats.
And when Sheffield was asked by a reporter in Lakeland, Fla., on Tuesday morning about whether he intended to retire, he responded: "It ain't close." As in, he is sure he can play.
But even after he clears waivers, as expected, and even though any interested suitor would have to pay him only a minimum salary of $400,000, he might have few offers -- if any.
"He has definitely lost bat speed," said one talent evaluator who saw him this spring. "He's missing pitches that he would've crushed just a couple of years ago."
It hurts Sheffield, too, that he is now perceived to be best-suited as a designated hitter. "He has to be an AL guy now," a general manager said on Tuesday morning. "He can't play in the outfield on a regular basis anymore."
Sheffield indicated to reporters that his preference would be to play with the Rays, but Tampa Bay already has invested in a right-handed-hitting DH type, in Pat Burrell.
The Red Sox are locked in at DH and left field with David Ortiz and Jason Bay. The Yankees will have no interest, after the acrimonious split between the team and Sheffield a couple of years ago. Billy Butler might get a lot of DH at-bats for the Royals, and he's having a great spring. The Mariners already have a DH/corner outfield veteran in Ken Griffey Jr. The Indians are committed to Travis Hafner at DH, and the White Sox have Jim Thome, at a time when they're trying to get younger. Sources indicate that the Jays and the Rangers and the Athletics will likely pass. The Twins are already coping with a glut of outfielders and designated hitters, as are the Angels, who will have difficulty finding enough playing time for Gary Matthews Jr. at designated hitter or in the outfield.
The Orioles might conceivably have some at-bats for Sheffield, but keep in mind that this is a team that is trying to get younger and decided to not bring back Kevin Millar.
The Phillies, however, are interested in Sheffield as a part-time outfielder after releasing Geoff Jenkins on Tuesday and general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters the team has contacted Sheffield.
Sheffield's reputation as a tempestuous clubhouse entity is not going to help him in his job search, either. The perception of the slugger is that if he's not happy -- about his playing time, about how he's being handled -- he will become intent on being a distraction.
He is not in a position to do that anymore if he wants to continue his career. At age 40, Sheffield is no longer an elite player, and his next team will not feel obligated to try to make it work with him because of his contract.
The fact that he's one home run away from 500 might make him a draw for some team. Some team could sign him, creating an opportunity for him to reach that benchmark, generating interest at a time when a lot of teams are struggling to sell tickets.
But there is another slugger close to Sheffield in age and accomplishment, someone who might be able to hammer left-handed pitching. But that player -- Frank Thomas -- is still without a job. Numbers on the back of a baseball card don't always translate into employment.

 

[RetroVK]

tigers will have to pay the bulk of his contract and the team that picks him up will have to pay about 400,000 bucks ...hard to believe some team won't take a chance at that price.

 

[Hawaiiguy]

ah, shit, i am always late with my posts and the party.....

I see this is being discussed......

I can't see even an old Sheffield not being signed.....

ESPECIALLY CAUSE I NEED HIM FOR MY WEAK ASS FANTASY TEAM:36_11_6::36_11_6: