Gary Sheffield

==Early life==
Sheffield was born in [[Tampa, Florida]], and grew up in [[Belmont Heights, Tampa|Belmont Heights]], near the Ponce de Leon projects.<ref name="Jock">{{Cite web |url=http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Sheffield/Sheffield_bio.html |title=JockBio.com Sheffield Biography from Jock Bio |access-date=2008-02-07 |archive-date=2017-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821211221/http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Sheffield/Sheffield_bio.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> He and his family lived with his uncle, [[Dwight Gooden]], who would go on to become the ace pitcher for the [[New York Mets]]. They played baseball frequently and Sheffield learned how to hit a [[fastball]] from Gooden,<ref name="Jock"/> who is only four years older than he is.

Sheffield was a good hitter in the Little Leagues. However, Sheffield had problems with his temper and attitude, which would continue in the Major Leagues. Once, when he was late to practice, his coach benched him and Sheffield picked up a bat and chased the coach all over the field, resulting in him being kicked off the team for a year.<ref name="Jock"/> When Sheffield was eleven, he was selected to the Belmont Heights Little League All-Stars, which included future [[Chicago Cubs]] #1 pick Ty Griffin, future Major Leaguer [[Derek Bell (baseball)|Derek Bell]], and other future [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) players.<ref name="Jock"/> The team made it to the finals of the [[1980 Little League World Series]] but lost to [[Taiwan national baseball team|Taiwan]] 4–3. He set a record for doubles that would be broken in [[2012 Little League World Series|2012]] by Bradley Smith.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Little League Baseball|date=September 17, 2019|title=Little League World Series Records|url=https://www.littleleague.org/downloads/llbws-complete-records/|access-date=October 26, 2020|website=Little League Baseball and Softball}}</ref>

===High school===

In 1983, Sheffield made the [[Hillsborough High School (Florida)|Hillsborough High School]] varsity baseball team. During his junior year, he bulked up to 175 pounds and was a [[pitcher]] and [[third baseman]].<ref name="Jock"/> During his senior year, his fastball reached the upper 80's and he frequently showed home run power. As a batter, Sheffield hit .500 and 15 [[home run]]s, in only 62 official [[at-bats]].<ref name="Jock"/> At the end of the season he was named the [[Gatorade Player of the Year awards|Gatorade National Player of the Year]].<ref name="Jock"/>