So Long Sheffy: Tigers release 23-year veteran
Written by The Go-To-Man Mattie T. on April 1, 2009
If Gary Sheffield joins the 500 homer club, it won’t happen in Motown.
The Detroit Tigers released the 9-time All-Star on Monday, which now frees Sheffield to sign with any team.
Sheffield ended his 2-year run with Detroit in disappointing fashion, as he tied a career-high with 83 strikeouts in 2008 (also struck out 83 times in 2004 despite playing in 40 more games), failed to hit 20 home runs or game for the first time in a 100+ game season since 1990 & batted .225, which is his lowest average in 100 games or more.
Sheffield needs just 1 more home run to join Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Alex Rodriguez & Ken Griffey Jr. as the only 5 active players with 500 or more career homers.
Frank Thomas (521 career home runs) is also on the list, but is currently a free agent.
Sheffield’s best MLB season to date was in 2000 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, when he hit a career-high 43 home runs, drove in 109 runs, batted .325 (2nd highest total of career) & finished with a career-high .643 slugging percentage.
Sheffield has a career .248 average in 44 postseason games & was a part of the 1997 Florida Marlins team that won a World Series in just their 5th year of existence.
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