The year was 2004 and the Yankees had just signed a talented but volatile free agent. The warnings were everywhere about Gary Sheffield: disruptive, angry, bad in the clubhouse, is what George Steinbrenner was told.
But the Boss ignored the whispers. He had a hunch Sheffield would fit right in.
Give the old man credit. He was right.
What shaped Sheffield’s success was a burning wish to be a Yankee. A Tampa native and Doc Gooden’s nephew, Sheffield put together two strong seasons in the Bronx, combining for 70 home runs and a .290 average.
TO PURCHASE YANKEES TICKETS, VISIT: VIVIDSEATS, TICKETMATER and STUBHUB
And despite the bad rep, Sheffield was never a problem for Joe Torre.
As the clubhouse, he won over the Yankees by challenging Pedro Martinez in the Stadium parking lot one night. According to teammates, Sheffield was angry that the Red Sox ace had buzzed everyone in the lineup – including Sheffield himself.
After the game, Sheffield was waiting for Martinez as the Sox were walking to their bus.
“Don’t ever do that again,” Sheffield said. He didn’t have to repeat the warning. Martinez, well aware of Sheffield’s temper, avoided throwing up-and-in to the slugger from then on.
The Yankees deeply respected Sheffield for standing up to their arch enemy. It was like a rite of passage.
Funny how history repeats itself. Fast forward 20 years, and the Yankees are taking another gamble on a free agent known for questionable behavior.
The alarms sounded when the club signed Marcus Stroman to a two-year, $37 million deal this week. The Yankees were not deaf to the predictions that Aaron Boone’s clubhouse was headed for trouble.
But a deeper dive convinced another Steinbrenner – this time George’s son Hal – to tune out the negative intel.
Like Sheffield two decades ago, Stroman had a strong desire to play in the Bronx. He’s actually been waiting for the chance his entire career.
Want to bet on MLB?
See the best NYC Sports Betting sites
A Long Island native, familiar…
Read the full article here