Sheffield vs. Leyland: A Designated Harangue

Gary Sheffield: "I can be in the outfield and play every day. I don't want to DH. I don't feel like a baseball player when I DH. I don't know how to be the leader that I am from the bench. I can't be a vocal leader. I can't talk to guys from the bench because I don't feel right about it. I'm in a role now where I don't know what to do, really. The guys are out there busting their butt for nine innings, they come in and they hit and they grind. I just sit down and hit. That's all I do, so I can't be in a leadership role from that position. I never accepted that I was just a pure DH. A DH is a guy that couldn't do anything else. And, I'm not that."

Jim Leyland: "I told him that all I had here for him was a DH. If he did not want to accept that, do not accept the trade. I'm still confused by the article because it talks about 'platoon doesn't set well.' Gary Sheffield never platooned here. Platoon is when you have a left-hand hitter and a right-hand hitter. One plays against right-hand pitching and one plays against left-hand pitching. That is a platoon."