Gary Sheffield had a rare combination of power and plate discipline, however his defense could make him a liability in the field. SteveAGardner examines Sheffield’s candidacy for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
His rare combination of power and on-base percentage made Sheffield an imposing presence in any lineup.
In addition to being one of only 28 players in history to hit 500 or more home runs, Sheffield also ranks among the top 40 all-time in walks , RBI and runs scored . Though he doesn’t have an extensive postseason resume, Sheffield was one of the cornerstones of the Florida Marlins’ first World Series championship team in 1997, hitting .320 with a .521 on-base percentage and .540 slugging percentage in 16 postseason games as the Marlins defeated Cleveland in seven games.In short, his defense was terrible. And his teams tried their best to limit the damage he could do.
He finished his career with 60.5 Wins Above Replacement, a figure that’s dragged down considerably by his struggles in the field and puts him 10.6 wins below the average Hall of Famer,Sheffield also gets dinged by his connection to performance enhancing drugs through the Mitchell Report and the BALCO scandal. Even though he never tested positive for PEDs, he did admit to a grand jury that he unknowingly used a steroid cream provided by Barry Bonds’ personal trainer before the 2002 season.
This year, Sheffield’s ninth on the ballot, marks the first time he won’t have to share it with Bonds and Roger Clemens. So it’s possible he won’t be lumped in with others associated with PEDs and voters could be more willing to consider Sheffield on his own merits.Previous results:
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