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It's been over 20 years since Gary Sheffield left Milwaukee, but it's still a raw nerve for many of us.
Recently Noah was asked to write a few paragraphs on a player Brewer fans irrationally hate as part of this Baseball Nation post on the NL Central. Here's an excerpt from his note on Sheffield:
Of course, it was Sheffield's off-the-field act that left so many Wisconsinites with a bitter taste in their mouths. Sheffield was injury-prone but, beyond that, he absolutely hated the team for which he played. Sheffield, upset about being kept at third base while the white Bill Spiers played shortstop, went so far as to call the Brewers organization "racist" and the City of Milwaukee and their team "hell." Later, he would admit to purposely playing poorly while in Milwaukee. Sheffield was traded to the Padres following an injury-marred 1991 season and suddenly became a hitting machine. In return, the Brewers got the underwhelming package of Ricky Bones, Matt Miekse, and Jose Valentin. So, yeah, this might not be quite so irrational.
You can read the full post here and be amused by the fact that two different fan bases list Jim Edmonds as public enemy #1.
Decades later, Gary Sheffield remains the only player who I don't wish a happy birthday in Today In Brewer History.