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Sheffield believes he has found ideal partner

No longer asked to carry the load or lead in the clubhouse, the new Braves slugger feels relaxed and eager.

By KEVIN KELLY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 2, 2002

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Sitting cross-legged at his locker, stirrups bunched around his ankles and a flip-flop dangling on one foot, Greg Maddux scanned the morning paper Friday.

Batting practice was more than an hour away.

That might be enough time for the four-time Cy Young Award winner to explain the complex strategies and hazards of pitching against Gary Sheffield.

"He's in that too-good-to-pitch-to category," Maddux deadpanned inside the Braves clubhouse at the Wide World of Sports complex. "You walk him and you pitch to whoever is hitting after him."

He was not joking.

"You can see in his eyes that he's there to hit," Maddux continued. "You never see him lose his focus or concentration. You can see he's locked in on every pitch you throw him. So, if you can, you don't pitch to him."

It's of little concern to Maddux or anybody else on the Braves pitching staff anymore.

Sheffield is theirs now.

And the Tampa native, who averaged 37 home runs and 103 RBIs the past three seasons with the Dodgers, couldn't be happier to be in a Braves uniform.

"This is the type of situation I'm sure any player would want to be in," said Sheffield, whom Atlanta acquired by dealing Brian Jordan and Odalis Perez to the Dodgers in January. "This is as close as I can get beside playing for a Florida team. This seems like home to me.

"Coming in this locker room with the winning tradition over the decade that they've had, I can just come in and do my thing and hope to be the difference in winning the World Series."

The 33-year-old, who owns a house in St. Petersburg and went to Hillsborough High, is expected to play against the Rays today at Florida Power Park.

This spring is a new beginning for Sheffield, and already a contrast to last, when he asked the Dodgers for a lifetime contract or a trade. When the club didn't rework his contract, Sheffield criticized the front office and became a target for fans and media.

"My skin is thick enough that it bounces off," he said. "I don't dwell on what people's perception is of me. What they think might not be what I think, so it really doesn't matter."

Though there remains a tinge of hard feelings toward his former organization, Sheffield felt he matured because of what transpired.

"I was on a team where they put me in the forefront to take all the bullets for everybody," he said. "The thing is, I was able to handle it and it made me a stronger person and a better baseball player."

A solid defensive player -- Sheffield will play rightfield this season -- his living and reputation were constructed at the plate.

"He's a special player," Marlins manager Jeff Torborg said. "He's got that presence about him. ... The guy's a winner, too. He comes to play."

A candidate to bat either third in front of leftfielder Chipper Jones or behind Jones in the No. 4 spot, Sheffield is being counted on to resuscitate the offense.

"He changes the lineup," manager Bobby Cox said.

Atlanta ranked ninth in the NL with a .260 average, 13th in runs and 10th in homers last season. Batting coach Merv Rettenmund was fired as a result.

The last Braves rightfielder to produce 100 or more RBIs in consecutive seasons was Hank Aaron in 1966-67. Sheffield has done it the past three seasons in Los Angeles.

"This is a tremendous shot in the arm," Jones said. "One thing we missed in our lineup the past few years was that huge presence of a big-time cleanup hitter. ... Having Gary in that lineup for us does something to the whole lineup."

Being surrounded by the likes of Chipper and Andruw Jones, Javy Lopez and Vinny Castilla also allows Sheffield to relax on and off the field.

No longer is he the lead veteran in a young clubhouse.

"This team will allow me to be myself and lead by example," he said. "I don't have to take on a role that doesn't come natural, which I tried to take on in L.A. I don't have to go to every guy and try to help them with their hitting and help them with their situations and things like that.

"I can just play baseball and people are going to look at what I do and say, 'That's what I want to do,' and want to find out how I do it. In a sense, that's being a leader and that's what I'm best at."

Should everything continue as planned, Sheffield will remain in Atlanta for at least two more seasons. He will make $9.5-million this season and $11-million in 2003, and the Braves have an $11-million option for 2004.

"This is the position that I always wanted to be in," Sheffield said. "Now I know what to look forward to. I know that I have two years left so I don't have to look past that. I just know that I'm going to be an Atlanta Brave for these next two years.

"I'm not looking past it. I'm not looking before it. I know my situation now and the rest is up to me. Just go out and play for two years."

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