Gary Sheffield

When Gary Sheffield first came up to the big leagues, he was an infielder, playing part of one season at shortstop and four more at third base. He started playing outfield for the Florida Marlins in 1994, and has remained there ever since.

Gary Sheffield made $80,000 in his rookie season. But no need to feel sorry for the man, as he has made slightly more than $110 million dollars in total salary since becoming a big leaguer.

And he still has $13 million coming to him for the 2006 campaign.

And he isn't showing any signs of a decline at 37 years of age.

Which means that if he has a monster season in 2006, he could very well land another lucrative 2-3 year contract before he leaves the game, a deal that will probably average 13-15 million dollars per year.

Gary Sheffield is one of the game's most feared hitters. His incredible power is generated by what some experts say are the quickest wrists in the game. And you only have to take one look at his forearms to have a good idea of how much power he can generate.

His awesome bat speed is what has made him very hard to strike out throughout his career. While some batters don't have the bat speed to catch up to a fastball that they are not looking for, Gary Sheffield can look for a curve ball and still catch up to a fastball.

His fearless approach to the game has earned him the respect of his Yankees teammates.

During his first season in pinstripes, the Yankees were down late in a game with the Minnesota Twins. On the mound for the Twins was their hard throwing closer, Joe Nathan.

A good pitcher keeps batters off balance by moving the ball in and out. Every major league ball hitter knows that if you are waiting to pounce on an outside fastball but the pitcher throws it hard and in, you risk suffering a very painful beaning. Especially if the pitcher throws it hard, in, and up.

Against Nathan in that important game against the Twins, the Yankees desperately needed a home run.

So even with Nathan throwing 95 mph heaters, Sheffield looked for a fastball out.

And when he got it, he crushed it into the stands in left-center field.

I think it's safe to say the entire ball club gained a tremendous amount of respect for Sheffield's fearless attitude from that one play. And of course, it didn't hurt that he had been playing for most of the season with an injured right shoulder that left him screaming in pain after awkward swings.

If Gary Sheffield had not been injured for parts of several seasons in the first half of his career, he would likely have hall of fame numbers by now. He is one of very few players in the history of the game who has hit for power, hit for a high batting average, had a strong throwing arm, excellent fielding skills, and speed around the bases.

In a game that has many overpaid players, Gary Sheffield stands out as an athlete that earns every penny that he has been paid. If anything, based on his production, he has been underpaid during his first two years with the Yankees.

Look for a career year from Sheffield in 2006!