On Gary Sheffield's birthday, let's watch his first and 500th home runs
On Sheff's birthday, let's watch his first, 500th HRs
Gary Sheffield turns 47 today. The former infielder-turned-outfielder played for eight teams over a 22-year-career. At times, he was known for his defense and hard-nosed play, but mostly, he was famous for his bat -- and the way he used to wave it back-and-forth at home plate:
Terrifying.
In the main video above, you can watch Sheff's first big league homer (with much less bat movement in 1988). The 19-year-old was correclty described by announcers as "a potential superstar."
But by the time he got to No. 500 in 2009, bat movement was at full-Sheff:
All together, the nine-time All-Star had 509 career long balls and 2,689 hits. He'll also be up for election to the Hall of Fame for the second time this December.