Too bad throwing your team under the bus is not an Olympic sport..

[SirFozzie]

Cuz Sheffield would clinch it with the interview he did for New York Magazine. Gold Medal potential baby.

Gary Sheffield pulls no punches, lashing out the New York Yankees, the media and Derek Jeter in a published interview set to hit newsstands next week.

The outspoken Sheffield tells New York magazine that Jeter is not the leader of the Yankees.

"I know who the leader is on the team," he says, without naming names. "I know who the team feeds off. I know who the opposing team comes in knowing they have to defend to stop the Yankees."

Sheffield was batting .302 this season entering Friday night's game against Toronto, a percentage point behind Jeter and well behind Rodriguez's team-leading .316.

Rodriguez also leads in home runs (30) and RBIs (85). Sheffield's 21 homers and 81 RBIs are tied for second in both categories.



Sheffield also blames the media for hyping Jeter and third baseman Alex Rodriguez ahead of other players on the team. Without naming them, Sheffield says the New York media portray the two superstars "in a positive light and everyone else is garbage".

While other players might look at the Yankees as a first class organization, the 17 year veteran says the team lacks family values, chemistry and trust.

"It's not a family-oriented team," Sheffield tells writer Stephen Rodrick. "In L.A., wives can fly on the plane; with the Yankees they can't. With other teams, the wives always have functions to bring them together. Not here."

As far as creating any chemistry within the team, Sheffield says the media are to blame for that as well.

"This is the first team I've been on where no one sits at their locker," he said. "It's where you build your chemistry from, how you get to know each other, just talking about life. I'm used to having six chairs around me, but here if there are six chairs, then there's going to be 20 reporters around me."

Even if the clubhouse were less hectic, Sheffield said he wouldn't grow too close to any teammates.

"I don't trust that many people," he told New York. "Just my mother and my wife and a couple of friends. When I trust people, it doesn't end well."

Sheffield was never known for his congeniality during tumultuous stops in Milwaukee and Los Angeles. He blamed the media for his reputation.

"It happens because you're white and I'm black," Sheffield said. "My interpretation of things is different. You don't see it the way I see it. You write how you understand it, how you would articulate it, not how I, as a black man, would articulate it."

Sheffield adds he was insulted when the Yankees offered him a two year deal worth $18-million prior to last season.

"I just came off 39 home runs and 132 RBIs and you ain't got nobody on your team that can put up those numbers, and you ain't gonna get anyone who is going to," he said. "But George [Steinbrenner] asked me not to take it as an insult and kept pursuing me. I said, 'Fine, I don't have to speak to anyone in the organization to still do my job.'"

Sheffield eventually signed a three year deal worth $39-million.

Sheffield makes no apologies for his comments.

"Why shouldn't I tell the truth?" he tells the magazine. "I ain't trying to get no Pepsi commercial

[rkmsuf]

How does one become so bitter after just signing for 39 milllion.

He must be a ray of sunshine to be around.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I was gonna post something on this myself & got sidetracked.

Here's my question: In his brief time in Atlanta, I don't recall hearing much of this whole racial b.s. that he's spouting in this article. What I'm wondering is did he not do that sort of crap while he was here or did he get a free pass from the beat writers?

The latter would kind of surprise me, since it would have been the most controversial thing to happen in Atlanta since David Justice ran off at the mouth & I think that would have been too tempting for the writers to avoid. But at the same time, I have a hard time thinking Sheff sort of "forgot" about race while he was here too. Did you use this same material while with the Braves & I just missed it?

[illinifan999]

Why is the race card played?

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by illinifan999

Why is the race card played?

for some superstars, it's an automatic. It's a reflex attempt to make sure the "EEEVIL" writers don't twist your words, because if they do, then they're "RAAAAACIST".

[HomerJSimpson]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I was gonna post something on this myself & got sidetracked.

Here's my question: In his brief time in Atlanta, I don't recall hearing much of this whole racial b.s. that he's spouting in this article. What I'm wondering is did he not do that sort of crap while he was here or did he get a free pass from the beat writers?

The latter would kind of surprise me, since it would have been the most controversial thing to happen in Atlanta since David Justice ran off at the mouth & I think that would have been too tempting for the writers to avoid. But at the same time, I have a hard time thinking Sheff sort of "forgot" about race while he was here too. Did you use this same material while with the Braves & I just missed it?

He didn't use it because the team made him happy. He was played up as the big star and saviour, and Bobby Cox knows how to stroke an ego better than just about anybody.

[condors]

is he trying to say that Jeter and A-Rod aren't as important as him? due to his "clubhouse leadership" ? I know A-Rod isn't popular and i thought Sheffield was an unpopular guy but i never heard Jeter was a bad guy before

[CraigSca]

I found this amusing:

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Sheffield was batting .302 this season entering Friday night's game against Toronto, a percentage point behind Jeter and well behind Rodriguez's team-leading .316.

.302 and .316?! That's like comparing Pepe Frias with Wade Boggs!

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by CraigSca

I found this amusing:


.302 and .316?! That's like comparing Pepe Frias with Wade Boggs!

That was like making Sheffield's point for him. .014 points is "well behind?"

[HomerJSimpson]

Sheffield's OPS: .914
Rod's: 1.000
Jeters: .825

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Here's my question: In his brief time in Atlanta, I don't recall hearing much of this whole racial b.s. that he's spouting in this article. What I'm wondering is did he not do that sort of crap while he was here or did he get a free pass from the beat writers?

That's partly what got him moved out of LA. He basically accused Dan Evans of being racist because he wouldn't give Sheffield a contract similar to what Darren Dreifort had gotten, and a short time later, it was vaya con dios, amigos.

[JW]

What an absolutely stupid series of comments by Sheffield. He says he doesn't trust or get along with people right after saying the problem with the Yankees is togetherness. No wonder he thought he needed to play the race card. He needed to deflect attention away from the stupidity of his comments. Who would really want to share lockerroom smalltalk with a guy like him?

[Klinglerware]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

That's partly what got him moved out of LA. He basically accused Dan Evans of being racist because he wouldn't give Sheffield a contract similar to what Darren Dreifort had gotten, and a short time later, it was vaya con dios, amigos.

Though you could call Evans an idiot for giving Dreifort that much money...

[sterlingice]

"I know who the leader is on the team," he says, without naming names. "I know who the team feeds off. I know who the opposing team comes in knowing they have to defend to stop the Yankees."

I was kindof curious about this part. Sure, no one pitches around Jeter since they have quite a few better hitters there. But who is it if not ARod or himself? I guess he could be implying himself. But other than that, there's Giambi who's recent surge is just that, recent. And Matsui is just a product of being in the middle of that lineup. Put him between, say, Jody Gerut and Jose Castillo and he doesn't put up Jason Bay's numbers or Emil Brown and Matt Stairs to get Mike Sweeney's numbers.

SI

[CraigSca]

According to the local radio stations and logical deduction, he's talking about himself there.

[AZSpeechCoach]

Sheff has hung around with Bonds quite a bit (until Bonds stole his chef). That could explain it.

[Riggins44]

Originally Posted by illinifan999

Why is the race card played?

If the race card came in a deck, I think OJ would be an Ace.

[pennywisesb]

I'm still trying to figure out why Sheff was so opposed to being traded if playing for the Yankees is such a bad thing...

[Rizon]

He's still mad at that Exocet? Get over it already!