Tigers Release Gary Sheffield

In an unexpected move, the Detroit Tigers have released Gary Sheffield today.

The 40-year old Sheffield hit just .225 last year and was only hitting .178 this spring. The Tigers owe Sheffield $14 Million dollars in 2009. They will be responsible for this unless Sheffield is claimed off of waivers. Highly unlikely.

What's more likely to happen is that a team will pick him up after he clears waivers. A team that could use a DH? Sheffield is one HR shy of 500 for his career, so he will definitely look to catch on with someone.

Sheffield told the Detroit Free Press, "It’s one of those things where you move on, you know? I was surprised. I thought I was getting ready for the season. I never thought that I wasn’t going to be playing with the Detroit Tigers this year. It’s probably a blessing.”

Sheffield also said he would give preference to the Tampa Bay Rays if they were interested, since they play close to his home.

Curt Schilling - Hall of Famer?

Curt Schilling announced his retirement on Monday after 20 seasons. When it comes to the Hall of Fame, the question isn't whether or not he was a great pitcher. The question is was he great enough?

He was a 3-time 20-game winner, including back to back 20 win seasons in 2000-2001. In those 2 seasons in Arizona, Schilling had a combined 45 wins (22 in 2001 and 23 in 2002) and an incredible 609 K's (293 in 2000, and 316 in 2001).

He won World Series 3 times, including a World Series co-MVP in 2001 with Arizona, and helping the Red Sox to their first title in 86 years in 2004.

His 4.38 Strikeout to Walk ratio is the best in baseball history for players with at least 200 wins.

He has an 11-2 record in the post-season. That is the best in baseball history for any player with at least 10 post season starts and a 2.23 ERA in the post season as well.

His 216 wins is low for a Hall of Famer, however it's more wins than HOF-ers Don Drysdale, Bob Lemon, Hal Newhouser, Sandy Koufax, Lefty Gomez, Stanley Coveleski, and Chief Bender.

True, he never won a Cy Young award, but he finished 2nd 3 times and it took historic seasons to beat him each time. Randy Johnson in 2001 and 2002, and Johan Santana in 2004.

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were the MVP's of the 2004 ALCS and World Series respectively. However, make no mistake about it, without Schilling and the bloody sock game in game 6 of the ALCS, there would be no World Series title for the Red Sox that year.

Here is what ESPN's Jayson Stark had to say about it...."Without The Bloody Sock Game against the Yankees, there would have been no ring. Whatever other people want to think about that night is fine. They can think whatever they want to think. Look, none of us has any doubt about what grade Curt Schilling got in drama class in school. But he did not invent that blood that night."

With Schilling, when you watched him pitch, you always knew that he gave it everything he had every time he was on that mound. It will be 5 years before we know if he's in or not and he probably won't be a first ballot guy. However, in my opinion, he should get in within 2-3 years of eligibility.