Gary Sheffield

==Personal life==
In 1986, Sheffield was arrested alongside his uncle, [[Dwight Gooden]], and fellow [[Tampa]] baseball player [[Vance Lovelace]] and charged with resisting arrest with violence and battery on a police officer. He pleaded no contest in January 1987 and was sentenced to two years probation.<ref>{{cite news |date=24 January 1987 |title=Gooden Pleads No Contest, Gets Probation |pages=47 |work=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94437015/gooden-pleads-no-contest-gets-probation/ |access-date=7 February 2022}}</ref>

In October 1987, while still on probation, Sheffield was arrested and charged with [[driving while intoxicated]] and related offenses. Those charges were eventually consolidated into one reckless driving charge. His probation was extended for an additional 18 months.<ref>{{cite news |date=21 January 1988 |title=Player's probation extended |pages=10 |work=[[Tampa Bay Times]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94437400/players-probation-extended/ |access-date=7 February 2022}}</ref>

On December 5, 1993, Sheffield was arrested after being clocked driving a [[Ferrari Testarossa]] {{convert|110|mph|km/h}} on [[Interstate 4]] in Florida and failing a [[breathalyzer]] test. In May 1994, he pleaded no contest to reckless driving and was sentenced again to nine months of probation and 40 hours of community service.<ref>{{cite news |date=25 May 1994 |title=Outfielder Sentenced |pages=37 |work=[[Reno Gazette-Journal]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94197952/reno-gazette-journal/ |access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref>

In October 1995, Sheffield was shot in his left shoulder after an attempted robbery when he stopped his car at a traffic light in Tampa.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEFDC1738F932A05753C1A963958260 Sheffield Shot at Traffic Light]</ref>

Throughout his career, Sheffield was verbal about his need for sufficient financial compensation and respect, demanding better pay when he was with the Dodgers, and refusing to play in the inaugural [[World Baseball Classic]], saying the regular "season is when [he's] getting paid."<ref>{{cite news |date=August 5, 2005 |title=Gary Sheffield, Unplugged |work=CNN |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/baseball/mlb/08/05/sheffield.quotes/index.html |access-date=May 3, 2010}}</ref>

Sheffield and his wife [[Deleon Richards|Deleon]] reside in [[Tampa, Florida]]. They have three sons Jaden Sheffield, Noah Sheffield, and Christian Sheffield. Sheffield has four other children from previous relationships. Deleon is a gospel recording artist and has sung the National Anthem at [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]] during a playoff game with Sheffield on the lineup.<ref>{{cite news |author=Doug Miller |title=Gospel star finds church of baseball |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/mlb/y2008/m09/d24/c3539498.jsp |access-date=December 29, 2022 |work=MLB.com |date=September 24, 2008}}</ref> In February 2005, a man was arraigned in federal court on charges of [[extortion|extorting]] Sheffield by threatening to release a sex tape of Deleon with an ex-boyfriend.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Oberfield |first1=Gabriel S. |date=18 February 2005 |title='Activist' pleads not guilty in extortion case |pages= |work=[[The Times of Northwest Indiana]] |agency=Medill News Service |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122517478/activist-pleads-not-guilty-in/ |access-date=8 April 2023}}</ref> In January 2006, the man was sentenced to 27 months in prison.<ref>{{cite news |date=19 January 2006 |title=Man Sentenced in Sheffield Case |pages=24 |work=[[Clarion-Ledger]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122538840/man-sentenced-in-sheffield-case/ |access-date=9 April 2023}}</ref>

Sheffield's cousin, Derrick Pedro, played outfield in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.<ref name="streetsmarts" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Derrick Pedro Minor Leagues Statistics & Cousin Derrell fluker was also a top Baseball player who played independent baseball for 5 seasons History|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=pedro-001der|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]|access-date=19 January 2018|language=en}}</ref> Sheffield's cousin, [[Tim Carter (wide receiver)|Tim Carter]], played professional [[American football|football]] as a [[wide receiver]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Schwartz|first1=Paul|title=It's All Relative – Jints' Carter Has 7 Pro-Athlete Kin|url=https://nypost.com/2004/09/22/its-all-relative-jints-carter-has-7-pro-athlete-kin/|access-date=19 January 2018|work=[[New York Post]]|date=22 September 2004}}</ref>

In the June 2007 issue of ''[[GQ (magazine)|GQ]]'' magazine, Sheffield (a Detroit Tiger at the time) was quoted saying that there are more Latin baseball players than African-American players because Latinos are easier to control. "What I said is that you're going to see more black faces, but there ain't no English going to be coming out. ... (It's about) being able to tell (Latin players) what to do — being able to control them.... Where I'm from, you can't control us." He continued "They have more to lose than we do. You can send them back across the island. You can't send us back. We're already here."<ref>{{cite news |title=Sheffield tries to explain controversial remarks |publisher=MSNBC.com |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19013033/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070606065447/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19013033/ |archive-date=2007-06-06}}</ref>