I just finished reading this article about Gary Sheffield’s unhappiness as the Designated Hitter for the Detroit Tigers. In the article, Sheffield is quoted as saying:
I can be in the outfield and play every day. I don’t want to DH, I don’t feel like a baseball player when I DH. I don’t know how to be the leader that I am from the bench. I can’t be a vocal leader. I can’t talk to guys from the bench because I don’t feel right about it. I’m in a role now where I don’t know what to do, really. The guys are out there busting their butt for nine innings, they come in and they hit and they grind. I just sit down and hit. That’s all I do, so I can’t be in a leadership role from that position.
I’ve never really thought about what it would be like to play DH day in and day out. Mr. Sheffield makes it sound pretty lame. My recent perspective on the DH comes from the National League, where it allows every day players (like Pujols) to get an occasional day off the field during Interleague Play. Before Interleague Play I thought of the DH solely as a retirement plan for players who could still put the bat on the ball, but were no longer healthy enough to field their position.
Sheffield makes a good point. As a veteran of 21 major league seasons, he should be a leader on his club and I’m sure that, to whatever extent possible, he is. But, how difficult would it be to motivate players on the field when you’re sitting on the bench nursing your favorite sports beverage and polishing your bat for your next plate appearance? Chalk one up for the National League.
No arguments from me about the superiority of the Senior Circuit. But just to play Devil’s Advocate, how about players like David Ortiz, or, previously, Edgar Martinez? Both of them are/were leaders for their respective teams; Ortiz, especially, inspires the upbeat enthusiasm characteristic of the recent Red Sox. But they were both DH’s their whole careers and so didn’t require a mental adjustment from a previous career phase being a defensive player.
Paul Molitor also comes to mind. Much like Sheffield, he was a long-time defensive player before becoming a DH (though he became a DH earlier in his career than Sheffield), yet he unquestionably played a veteran role on the Blue Jays. Maybe Sheffield’s issues have more to do with Sheffield than with the DH position.
Addendum: I just read the article. Man, Sheffield is five kinds of crazy. He’s played in 80% of the games for which he was available, but he thinks he’s being platooned. Actually, platooning him wouldn’t even do much good, as he’s hitting just about the same against righties (.225) as against lefties (.217). He says “I never accepted that I was just a pure DH”, despite the fact that both Dombrowski and Leyland told him before he accepted the trade that that’s all the Tigers could offer him. It’s only a matter of time now before he starts accusing Leyland of racism. What a nut. Yeesh.
I feel like Sheffield’s comments have been blown out of proportion. He is probably a little frustrated with his current role and, due to his outspoken nature, he is catching flak in the press. I think you hit on a good point in that Sheffield has probably grown accustomed to leading on the field and is going through an adjustment period as a DH, but I’m sure he does provide leadership in the clubhouse. He simply wants the opportunity to contribute more to his team, which is the kind of attitude all managers want from their players. Unfortunately for Sheffield, having that attitude is no guarantee that the manager wants to use him the way Sheffield would like. Nor should it be. Everyone has a role and each must play his part.
i agree with alex’s earlier comment. if you are a leader, you can lead from all kinds of places. and while his comments may have been blown out of proportion, sheffield is a vetran, one how has played in the post season and played for the yankee. by now he’s got to know that comments like that are going to be blown out of proportion and that all they will do is negatively impact the team. to me it’s selfish and an example of how — whether as a DH or playing in the field — sheffield is simply not a leader. the fact that tampa bay seriously needs a bat due to injuries and they have no interest in sheffield speaks volumes. to the rays, their club-house balance is more important than what kind of offense they can produce. having a guy like sheffield there goes against that goal.