Search the Community

If you’ve been watching the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot over the past few years you have seen that Gary Sheffield is up for induction. The nine-time All-Star and 1997 World Series winner has quite the impressive resume. What you may not have yet noticed is that his son, Gary Sheffield Jr., is developing an equally impressive one of his own. Image courtesy of Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports Thinking back over his playing career, it’s hard not to view Gary Sheffield as a Florida Marlin. He became synonymous with those pinstripes, and his unique stance was one that many kids growing up in the 1990’s emulated. Sheffield is now 54 and his son, Gary Sheffield Jr., has begun to establish himself as a substantial force in the baseball world as a content creator. Largely active on Twitter, but making consistent video and podcast appearances, Sheffield Jr. has developed a following not only for his name, but love of the Yankees. A vocal fan of the pinstripes his dad wore as a two-time All-Star during the 2004-06 seasons, he’s shown passion and shared plenty of takes with the baseball world. Given how connected the Twins have been to the Yankees in the postseason, and New York’s dominance over Minnesota, I wanted to gather perspective on the club from the other side of the fence. Here’s what he had to say: Twins Daily: Let's start with your own personal background. Where did sports take you personally, and how did you work your way into the content creation world? Gary Sheffield Jr: My introduction and love for sports came from dad, but like any other kid, no one can keep you involved. Your love for sports, baseball for me, kept me leaning and playing all the way through college. I committed to Florida State after a big sophomore year in junior college baseball out in Arizona. I ended up hurt, took time away from school, and I wasn't able to continue on to the Division 1 level. What turned me on to content creation was hopping onto podcasts and realizing how much the game of baseball needed fresh voices. From my point of view, there were too many people sharing other people's content saying, "This is awesome!" and I found it boring. I knew there was a market for personalities like me, and that is what has driven me to continue down this path. TD: You've probably had some cool interactions over the years through your dad and in clubhouses, but what has been your most exciting opportunity experience to come directly from your content creation work? GS: I’ve grown up watching sports and that included plenty of basketball. As my account on Twitter has grown, more notable names start to fill your mentions and it leads to conversation with faces you never thought possible. I started a conversation about how Anthony Davis was attacking a zone defense in the playoffs — the following morning Kevin Durant is shooting me DM’s to talk basketball for hours. It made me realize that content creation is a place for people that love sports to come together and learn. TD: As a Yankees fan, you got the Josh Donaldson experience after he was dealt from the Twins. How did you feel about the trade, his season, and the fact that he's being brought back? GS: At first, I was happy for Josh Donaldson because I know him to be a great guy. But from a baseball standpoint, all I could do was scratch my head at the disappointment Yankees GM Brian Cashman has brought to Yankees fans the past decade. Routinely passing on stars and attempting to find the series of moves no one thought about, rather than making the obvious acquisition to make the Yankees better. Josh Donaldson played about how I expected a 36-year-old former MVP to play — flashes in the pan offensively and still found ways to contribute defensively. If it’s true he’s returning, it shouldn’t take me or any other talking head to reveal he’s not playing at a level to warrant a $25 million salary in 2023. Cashman has to find a way to rid us of his deal. TD: For Minnesota, and plenty of other teams, the Yankees always present a measuring stick opportunity and a rivalry. How do Yankees fans view the Twins as a team and competitor? GS: I almost feel bad because a lot of times, when it comes to Twins vs Yankees, it doesn’t feel like a lack of talent on the Twins’ part. The Yankees have come into playoff series with Minnesota and it almost feels like a dad in a fiery game of 1-on-1 with his son in the front driveway. No matter how prepared you think you are, dad always beats you. Whether he’s just better at the time or if it gets close he takes you into the post. The Twins in theory should get close one of these years but it’s gone on so long…maybe they don’t? Crazy stuff. TD: The last time Minnesota won a game in the postseason was nearly two decades ago, in 2004. The Yankees have bested them plenty in that stretch. Why do you think New York has had Minnesota's number in October? GS: Just a mental edge. When you come into the postseason that’s filled with expectation and pressure, sometimes you have to rely on experience. The Yankees have experienced success against the Twins in October and even if the matchup favors Minnesota in any given year, those experiences have led to utter domination. Of course plenty around baseball would say the Twins’ rosters were just never as good as the Yankees, but that’s a conversation for another day. TD: Being a fan of a franchise that views success as World Series or bust, how hard has it been to put up with the drought since 2009. Are the seasons since truly a letdown even if they advance in the postseason? GS: Very. It’s all about perspective as fans of these other organizations would love what we have. But those fans have to remember every team has a different set of standards and the Yankees standard, that Derek Jeter seemingly always talked about, was to win the World Series or be a deemed a failure. It’s a harsh reality that often feels spoiled, but it’s necessary if you want to go from winning 100 games every year to winning when it matters. TD: What's the number one thing on Brian Cashman's shopping list this offseason in your mind? Let's exclude Aaron Judge from that conversation, but for him specifically, what's the deal he should agree to? GS: Other than Judge? It should be bats you would consider to be “consistent.” The Yankees issue over the years has been their inability to put pressure on quality arms. When you face the ace of a staff, sometimes you have to find ways to create traffic and help your best players succeed. Well, filling a lineup with “boom or bust” style hitters only creates more pressure for your lineup’s biggest names to carry the load. It’s a style that’s proven to fail in October and the Yankees need to prioritize that lineup if they want that break through against teams like Houston. TD: Last but not least, what are you doing over the offseason outside of baseball to get you through until we have the first pitch on Opening Day 2023? GS: I’m starting a podcast of my own. The best way for people to get to know you is by spending quality time listening to your more nuanced takes. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram almost oversimplify all of us and it makes you dislike people. That’s why I’m killing time podcasting because the more people that listen the more likely they understand me. View full article

As we continue to review information as the 2015 MLB Draft approaches, I thought it would be interesting to look back at players selected with the sixth overall pick. That is the pick that the Minnesota Twins will make on Monday, June 8. So often, we look at the draft and think that, especially with a high first-round pick, the team has to get it right. The team has to find a big league star. The reality is that the draft is a complete crap shoot and it is nearly impossible to predict which players will become big leaguers, much less perennial All Stars.I looked at all of the first-round draft picks going all the way back to the beginning. 1965 was the first year of the amateur draft. I lumped all of the first-round picks together and ran some fun pivot tables. Some of the results are interesting, even surprising. First, let’s take a look the Average WAR (Wins Above Replacement) for the top 12 players selected each year. Admittedly, there is no perfect way of making the data mean a lot. The sample size is just too small. There have been 50 drafts, but the data is incomplete for anyone who continues to play. So, be sure to take this information with a grain of salt. Pick / Avg WAR 1 / 40.8 2 / 35.5 3 / 48.4 4 / 44.6 5 / 38.6 6 / 56.7 7 / 37.1 8 / 49.2 9 / 28.8 10 / 34.5 11 / 26.3 12 / 32.0 The data on this chart shows that the #6 pick has proven to be the best over the history of the MLB Draft. At 56.7 WAR, the #6 spot is 7.5 WAR ahead of the next highest position, the #8 spot. Now, the #6 spot has produced some of the best baseball players in history. The Pittsburgh Pirates took an outfielder from Arizona State with the sixth pick of the 1985 MLB Draft. Barry Bonds turned into one of the best hitters of all time. He posted 162.4 WAR.The Milwaukee Brewers drafted a shortstop out of a high school in Tampa Bay. Gary Sheffield was one of the most feared hitters in baseball during his playing days. He posted a career WAR of 60.2.In 1992, the New York Yankees took a tall, skinny shortstop out of a Michigan high school with the sixth pick. Derek Jeter became the face of Major League Baseball for almost two decades. He posted a career WAR of 71.8.Jeter will most likely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Bonds is the all time home run leader and should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer. And for similar reasons, despite over 500 home runs and an OPS over .900, Sheffield was not, but should have been, a first-ballot Hall of Famer. There is a second tier of players that were also taken with the sixth overall pick in an MLB Draft. Zack Greinke was the sixth overall pick out of high school in 2002. He was at 42.0 WAR coming into this season. That is just ahead of Andy Van Slyke (41.2 WAR) who was the Cardinals’ first-round pick in 1979. Kevin McReynolds (29.9) was the top pick of the Padres in 1981. John Mayberry (24.7) was the Astros top pick in 1967. The Cardinals selected Terry Kennedy (21.5) with the sixth overall pick in 1977. Spike Owen (12.5) was the Mariners first round pick in 1982. Former Twins outfielder Ken Landreaux (10.4) was the Angels first round pick in 1976. Former Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli (10.2) was the sixth pick in the 2000 draft. If not for his injuries, his numbers could have been greater. Of 50 sixth overall picks in the MLB draft, only those 11 players have posted a WAR of 10 for their career. To be fair, there are players selected with the sixth overall pick in recent years who are likely to surpass 10 WAR in the next few years. That includes Washington Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon and New York Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler. The last three #6 picks were Albert Almora (Cubs 2012), Colin Moran (Marlins 2013), and Alex Jackson (Mariners 2014). Obviously they have yet to play in the big leagues and could alter these numbers. Of the 50 players taken with the sixth overall pick, 13 players have a negative WAR or 0 WAR. Another 14 of them never (or have not yet) played in the big leagues. Twins fans will likely remember the 1998 draft. The Minnesota Twins took a left-handed starting pitcher. He was very successful in college baseball while playing at powerhouse Arizona State University. He was said to have great mechanics and had worked with his father all the way up. Ryan Mills never pitched in a big league game. The draft is one way for an organization to accumulate talent. Having a high draft pick certainly should increase the odds of getting a more talented, elite-level prospect. But it doesn’t guarantee anything. We would all love for whoever the Twins pick this year to become the next Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield or Derek Jeter. We should also be thrilled if that player becomes the next Zack Greinke or Andy Van Slyke. The important thing to remember is that it’s possible to get a Brian Dozier in the eighth round or a Kent Hrbek in the 17th round. Click here to view the article