Gary Sheffield hit .292 with 509 home runs and a .393 on-base percentage in a 22-year career with eight teams including two seasons with the Braves (2002-2003). He now serves as a TBS analyst and is as outspoken as ever, as evident by a Tuesday appearance on MLB Network Radio, when he minced no words in criticizing the Braves, B.J. Upton and Jason Heyward.
Sheffield was asked by the host about the Braves’ offensive problems in light of Monday’s firing of general manager Frank Wren, who was previously an assistant GM with the Braves and with the Marlins when Sheffield played for those teams.
“I’ve come on plenty of times on different shows and talked about B.J. Upton as being the catalyst and being the guy that could take this team to another level,” Sheffield said, “and I know Heyward was a promising prospect at one point – he’s a great defender in the outfield. But you know, when I look at these guys on an everyday basis, it’s dreadful. I can’t explain it no other way.
“I’ve defended these guys on numerous occasions. And I talked to Terry Pendleton, I’ve talked to people in the organization, in trying to figure out how these guys need help and figuring out, you know, where your game went. And I see things that I notice in both of them when they’re up to the plate, and I already see that they’re going to make an out, or they’re going to strike out. So, when you can see that before the at-bat is happening, that just tells me these guys are really not taking information that’s given to them and trying to apply it.
“I just see a team in disarray, no chemistry. I see a lot of things wrong with this team, and it’s unfortunate Frank Wren had to pay for it.”
