Sheffield anxious to put 2002 behind him

Posted 3:51PM on Thursday 20th February 2003 ( 22 years ago )

KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA - Gary Sheffield doesn't want to look back. He tries not to look too far ahead, either. One of baseball's most feared hitters, Sheffield was supposed to power the Atlanta Braves to the World Series. Instead, he endured an injury plagued season that ended with a 1-for-16 performance against San Francisco in the N.L. division series. Sheffield's final swing from 2002: a ninth-inning strikeout with runners at first and third in the deciding game. He said it didn't go the way he planned at the end of the season. Sheffield wouldn't mind finishing his career with the Braves, but those plans are threatened, too. He's in the final year of his contract, playing for a budget-cutting team that isn't likely to offer another lucrative deal. So Sheffield is living in the moment. He said, ``I'm not thinking about next year and where I'm going to be. I know one thing --'ll be playing baseball somewhere.'' He's been through this before. After helping Florida win the World Series in 1997, Sheffield was dealt away along with just about every other high-priced Marlins player. Better than anyone, he understands the business side of baseball. He said, ``I know the caliber of player I am. I see what Jim Thome made. I see what Scott Rolen got. They're in the same situation as me.'' For the record, Thome signed an $85 million, six-year contract with the Phillies. Rolen re-upped with St. Louis for $90 million over eight years. It's hard to imagine the Braves coming up with that kind of money for Sheffield, who is 34 and coming off his least-productive year since 1998. If this is to be his final season in Atlanta, he wants go out with a flourish. Last year, he put up respectable numbers -- .307 with 25 homers and 84 RBI's -- but didn't put the Braves over the top in their frustrating quest for another World Series championship.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/2/183112