Gary Sheffield retired from baseball this week, and told the world he believes he should be voted into Baseball's Hall of Fame. Right now, I'm not sure I can objectively discuss the merits of Sheffield for the Hall. I don't like the guy and it clouds my opinion.
Over at SB Nation New York, though, a nice little debate about Sheff has broken out. Howard Megdal thinks Sheffield is right that he belongs in Cooperstown.
There are many ways to present the case Gary Sheffield has for the Hall of Fame. My personal favorite is the Harmon Killebrew Approach.
No one seriously entertains the idea that Killebrew wasn't a Hall of Famer. Huge slugger, eight 40-homer seasons, 573 in total. A Hall of Famer, no doubt about it. So if Sheffield has a comparable case to Killebrew, it isn't a least-common-denominator sort of argument. He's well on the inside.
And frankly, Sheffield has virtually the identical case.
Framing his argument against Sheffield's candidacy in a theoretical conversation with the slugger, Jared Smith is not so sure.
I am not saying you weren't a good player. Actually, you were a very good player, but is very good Hall Of Fame worthy? Especially, since you add that you've had run-ins with the law when you were younger, didn't get along with the media (the guys who vote on the Hall of Fame) and sometimes teammates? Not many people actually rooted for you unless you were smashing balls over 400-foot fences.
Head on over to SB Nation New York to check out both sides of the argument. Feel free to lend your opinion, as well.