Newsflash: Sheffield Unhappy
How smart were the Detroit Tigers when they jettisoned Gary Sheffield at a cost of close to $13 million? Not very, said the baseball experts, the same guys who are also trying to figure out today why the anemic hitting Tigers are on top of the AL Central.
For most of the season the media have portrayed Sheffield’s stay with the New York Mets as something associated with smart baseball management. Unfortunately, the rest of us know that the New York Mets and ‘smart baseball management’ don’t work in the same sentence. If you listened to the reports out of New York, Sheffield was not a pop-off, but a clubhouse leader, capable of playing regularly in the corner outfield spots (despite nagging leg injuries and needs for rest) and his .290 batting average was proof that he hadn’t lost his bat speed. Until today.
Reports out of New York are that Sheffield is unhappy. After being put on and pulled back of waivers last week, he asked about his job security for next year. Apparently the Mets don’t want him at all. So he’s now broken down, not such a good fielder or hitter, outspoken and going to cause trouble until he gets his way. No credit to the Tigers who saw this coming and decided it was worth $13 million to let him move on.
