Do you think Gary Sheffield has a shot at the hall of fame?

Answer 1

He definitely does.

He's a 9 time all-star (at 2 positions, 3b and RF)

Has a lifetime average of .297

Will reach 500 HR's and possibly 1700 RBI's and 2800 hits.

He also has 300 more walks than strikeouts for his career, very good for a power hitter.
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Answer 2

Nine all star games, close to 500 HRs, over 1,500 RBI, over 1,500 runs scored.... he's currently less than 10 hits away from 2,500.

He's also drawn over 1,300 walks, his career OBP is .398.

He's got a pretty good case.

He's been traded an awful lot. His teams have made the playoffs six times so far...that's an "ok" total, but it's not great.
And you can't necessarily say that most of teams wouldn't have made the playoffs without him.

No player in history is truly similar to Sheffield... the most comparable player is Jeff Bagwell (ss 895)... this can actually be an argument in his favor, because great players tend to have very few players who are comparable to themselves, while ordinary or slightly above average players tend to have many players who are very comparable.

Of the ten most comparable players, five are in the HOF, and a sixth (Griffey) certainly will be:

1. Jeff Bagwell (895)
2. Ken Griffey (877)
3. Willie Stargell (863) *
4. Fred McGriff (854)
5. Billy Williams (854) *
6. Duke Snider (842) *
7. Mickey Mantle (842) *
8. Eddie Mathews (840) *
9. Frank Thomas (838)
10. Jim Rice (834)

Sheffield does ok, but not great, on the Keltner test (six top-10 MVP finishes, impact on pennant races, and his numbers meeting HOF standards)... not a lot of black ink, # of all star teams is borderline, lacks character... he's certainly been good enough to play effectively after passing his prime. And he was one of the best year in, year out outfielders during his time.

Being a jerk can work against him, but odds are, he'll eventually get in, unless he's officially linked to steroid use.

But the further you get from a players career, the more important his numbers become in the public's (and writers/voters) evaluation of him.

A lot will also depend on who else is eligible at the same time as Sheffield... sometimes a qualified player can get buried when other, more qualified applicants emerge... but Sheffield's career numbers will probably get him in eventually, though probably not in his first year of eligibility.

Answer 3

I agree with cryfreedmb. Sheffield is a spoiled player, who thinks everyone owes him.
First of all, has ANYONE here ever even seen Sheffield run to first on a ground ball to the infield???
He doesn't even PRETEND to try to beat it out. That's one of the first things you are taught in LITTLE LEAGUE, let alone Major League Baseball where you are making millions.
The least you can do is put effort into every play no matter how futile it might seem.
Look no further than Derek Jeter for a good example of this.

On top of his lack of effort on the basepads, the guy used STEROIDS, so right there, in my opinion he should not even be considered.
In fact, he is no more than a power-hitting blemish on the entire sport. The guy should be grateful he gets to share any spotlight at all with players of real talent.
I think that's the main reason he makes as many idiotic remarks as he does...so he gets some time in the spotlight.

Also, see link below:

Answer 4

Maybe, he has been playing in the majors from around 1988. It is taking a long time to get to 500 home runs. All while he is playing in the live ball time frame. Also he us to be good friends with Barry Bonds. He did have help from Gregg Anderson. Bond's former trainer that is tyed to Balco, and is in jail for not testifing to the gand jury. Anderson met with Sheffield in while playing the Twins, and had stated Anderson used some "cream". Sheffield claims he did not what it was, just send Anderson to help him with his slump. If Mark McGuire is going to be questioned then Sheffield should be look a little closer.

Answer 5

Yes. He probably wouldn't make it if he were to retire today, but if he plays a little longer, then by the time he does retire he should have the right numbers.

Right now he has 478 homers and 2495 hits. If he were to play 3 more full seasons after this one, he would certainly make 500 homers, and he'd have an outside shot at 600. Plus if he plays 3 more seasons he'll probably reach 3000 hits.

So if he plays 3 more years, and assuming he doesn't lose a lot of time to injury, he should definitely have the numbers. Of course, even with the right numbers he still might not make it because of his personality and assorted baggage, but he'll have a shot.

Answer 6

Totally

Answer 7

hes a very good player, but not HOF material

as far as the HOF goes i love to just point out stats and then character flaws

hes a career .300 hitter, almost 2500 hits, almost 500 HR, over 1500 RBIs. an average outfielder with a decent arm

if they let Sheffield in they also have to let Frank Thomas, Jeff Bagwell, and about 10 others with similar stats.

what is gonna keep Sheff out is his mouth. off-the-field he has a bad habit of shooting his mouth off, and pissing off alot of sports writers. and who, you ask, holds the key to his fate?? yes thats right, the sports writers.

so as for Sheffield and the HOF, i say NAY

hes gott an outside shot at maybe the 6th-10th ballot kind of guy

Answer 8

The guy is a piece of garbage. All he does is complain.

Can you imagine if Sheffield had a real job and had to deal with everyday problems. He's a millionaire that plays BASEBALL for a living. Com'on.

If God didn't bless him with these talents he would be unemployed or living on government money while blaming the white man for his misfortune.

Answer 9

Sheff will easily be a strong candidate.

But will he get in? I never know how to evaluate Sheffield's chances. The numbers are good -- influential, not compelling, but really good -- but there's just SOMETHING missing about him, and I'm not even sure what it is, that simply is not there to stand up and proclaim "Hall-worthy".

Answer 10

Great player but definitely not! If McGwire or Sosa get in you couldn't really argue it though.

Many people look at stats and don't take into account how the stats were compiled. How many full seasons has Gary played versus a guy like Griffey? Look at the numbers between the two and you will see what makes a guy HOF material.

Of course I get thumbs down for being logical and that's fine by me.