Speaking Against Sheffield

Perhaps I am in the minority but I am very disappointed that the Mets signed Gary Sheffield. I have a number of reasons. The biggest one is this farce that he has always wanted to play for the Mets. WHAT??!?? It was a few years ago when the Mets and the Yankees were talking about swapping Mike Cameron for Gary Sheffield. Personally I preferred Cameron back then but that is not where I am going with this. It was Sheffield who said he did not want to play for the Mets (or any other team). Sheffield said he would not play hard for any other team and if it got him in trouble, he would simply retire.

Someone explain to me how the above remarks are the comments of someone who has “Always wanted to play for the Mets,” which is what both Sheffield and Omar Minaya are saying. He had the opportunity to come to Shea (yes, at the time, it was Shea) and he said he didn’t want to. He said he wouldn’t play hard for the Mets. He said he would sooner retire than play for the Mets. But, of course, he has always wanted to play for the Mets.

This also shows the problem one gets with his personality. How can a team want anyone who says he is not going to try his hardest? Okay, maybe once in a while you have a lapse, you’re exhausted, you don’t try as hard as you should but, to say you are not even going to try? What kind of nonsense is that?

Then there is the fact of what his numbers were during spring training. It is not like he was hitting the cover off the baseball. His average was pretty low, under 200 I believe. Sheffield’s power numbers were down. The fact that the Tigers released him while still paying him all that money should really show what they think of his playing ability.

Perhaps with the dollar amount so low, the Mets had to take a chance. Perhaps they thought to another player they were able to obtain very cheaply, that being John Olerud and decided it was worth the gamble. Perhaps it is worth the gamble, perhaps things will work out for the Mets but I know if I were the owners and management of the Mets, I wouldn’t go after him.

And think about it, I got through this post without even needing to talk about his defense as another reason not to sign Sheffield.