Gary Sheffield Released | Dollars and Sense

Nobody’s safe

If the current recession economy has taught us anything, it’s that no matter how strong a position you think you have, no job is completely safe when companies look to downsize. I think there are better ways to handle the situation than putting people who depend upon every penny of their job earnings to be able to put food on the table, but then again I didn’t graduate from executive genius school…

Apparently, even potential Hall of Famers are in danger of recession cutbacks. However, I’m sure Gary Sheffield has something put away and won’t need to depend upon cash advance loans. Tom Gage of The Detroit News reports that the Detroit Tigers are prepared to eat the $14 million salary they owe the power-hitting outfielder/designated hitter for 2009.

That’s a shocker, baseball fans

Reports indicate that Sheffield didn’t see this coming. He had recovered from a shoulder injury and was ready to have a productive season. His first home run of the year would have been his ticket into the elite 500-home run club, an achievement that generally guarantees a player’s induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. However, in the post-steroids era, that’s no guarantee (as Mark McGwire and Raphael Palmeiro well know). Sheffield hasn’t escaped steroid suspicion, so we’ll see how the sportswriters view him, post-career.

For the present, the Tigers think highly of the roster move. “We think it makes us a better club,” Tigers president and GM Dave Dombrowski said.”It was a situation when we were looking at our roster that it would be hard to keep (both) Marcus Thames and Sheffield. We believe Marcus can be a very productive hitter for us.”

Youth over experience

If a team is in the market for a slugging outfielder, they’ll have to wait until Sheffield clears waivers. It is highly unlikely that a team will claim him before that happens, as they’d have to take on the full salary burden due Sheffield for 2009. Once he clears waivers, however, he becomes a free agent. Conceivably (but unlikely), he could then be signed for the Major League minimum of $400,000. The Tigers would be responsible for the remainder of the $14 million.

How’s that for a minimum salary? Many of us will never earn anything close to that.

Still more in that whipcrack bat

Sheffield is one home run shy of 500 for his career. He has knocked home 1,633 runners during his 2,476-game career and batted .292. He also believes that his career isn’t over.

“I’m probably the most athletic guy on the team. That’s their opinion, though, and I have to respect it. When this happens to other people, I feel for them. At the same time, though, I never thought I was bigger than this. I always worked hard to secure my job,” he said.

Most of us aren’t hitters of Gary Sheffield quality. So keep in mind that the economic recession is still raging. Work hard to secure your job.

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