Former Slugger Gary Sheffield Claims MLB Tried to Force Him Out of the Sport in the 1990s After Speaking Out About Steroid Scandal
Former MLB player Gary Sheffield has made shocking allegations against Major League Baseball, claiming that the organization attempted to push him out of the sport in the 1990s after he spoke out about the growing steroid scandal. Sheffield made these claims during an appearance on the Foul Territory Show.
Sheffield revealed that he was the first person to bring attention to the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. He expressed his concern that players who were using steroids were taking away MVP awards from him. Sheffield recounted his experience on the Bryant Gumbel special, where he indirectly referred to a player who had hit significantly more home runs than him. Despite his intense offseason training, Sheffield couldn’t understand how this player managed to surpass him by such a large margin.
During his appearance on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Sheffield discussed his role in shedding light on the use of PEDs after the BALCO Scandal. He criticized the lenient punishments handed out by MLB and remained a strong advocate for banning steroids and other illegal substances.
However, Sheffield later admitted to using PEDs himself before the 2002 season. He also found himself implicated in the BALCO scandal when a FedEx receipt was discovered in a federal search warrant of trainer Greg Anderson’s condo.
Sheffield further revealed that MLB tried to silence him once he started speaking out against steroids. Bud Selig, the commissioner at the time, called Sheffield into his office and asked him to stop discussing the issue, claiming that it was bringing negative attention to the game.
Throughout his 22-year career, Sheffield achieved impressive statistics, including a .292 batting average, 509 home runs, and 1,676 RBI. He also accumulated a WAR of 60.5. He played for several teams, including the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, and New York Mets.
Despite his accomplishments, Sheffield fell short of being inducted into the Hall of Fame during his tenth and final year on the ballot. While he received his highest percentage of votes at 63.9%, Sheffield criticized the flawed system of the voting process. He argued that the voters don’t watch players on a day-to-day basis and that the system is biased and influenced by politics.
These revelations from Sheffield have once again sparked a debate about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball and the flaws in the Hall of Fame voting system.
