Close to a quarter century ago, slugger Gary Sheffield was getting ready for his first spring training.
Flash forward a couple years to September 9, 1988…Sheffield takes Seattle left Mark Langston deep for his first Major League hit.
Now, 508 home runs later…he’s ready to call it quits. This according to tampabay.com:
Sheffield told ESPN 1040 in Tampa this afternoon that he’s “99.9-percent” sure he’s going to retire. Sheffield, who last played in 2009 with the Mets, wanted to play with his hometown Rays, and had dinner with manager Joe Maddon last month. Maddon had said the meeting was just to get to know him, and there was no expression of interest, but Sheffield said on ESPN 1040 that he felt a “little disrespected” he didn’t get a call back.
Sheffield has a pretty solid, Hall of Fame-worthy resume to his credit…including a career batting average of .292, 2689 hits, 509 home runs and 1676 RBI.
He was the first player to hit at least 25 home runs for six different teams and along with Fred McGriff…one of two players to have 30 or more home runs in one season for five different teams.
The journeyman has not swung a bat in the bigs since September 2009.
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