Gary Sheffield was certainly one of the most dangerous power hitters of his generation. However, as far as the current generation of Major League Baseball goes, Sheffield isn't exactly a huge fan.
In an appearance on the "Tiki and Tierney Show" on CBS Sports Radio on Friday, the nine-time All-Star revealed that he doesn't watch baseball "at all" due to things like strikeouts and the shift.
"I don't watch baseball at all," said the 52-year-old Sheffield. "I was kind of forced to watch baseball, because I was working with TBS. And so I had to remember, really find out who were these players. I'll tell you the secret now: I never watched the games during the season. I would get educated on it when I got there... It's not something that I could watch, based on what I'm seeing, because I'll be a complainer... This is the first time I've ever said that out loud, but I'm just truly disappointed with what I watch."
Sheffield also isn't a fan of the current game and believes that home runs aren't even a big deal anymore.
"[Baseball was exciting] when I was playing. They implemented all these rules now and they've changed the game so much, they're making it more hitter-friendly -- even without having success," he added. "These guys can go out there and strike out 180, 190 times, and it's okay... Now, a home run is less appealing, when a home run was a big deal and more appealing [when I played] because it wasn't happening as often as it is now... I see a pop-up up player that everybody gravitates to -- he's the face of the team, the face of the city -- and he has 100 strikeouts in April...
"When I see stuff like that, I'm not one of those older players that scoffs at the game and then talks about the game in a negative light... that doesn't mean I have to watch it."
During his MLB career, Sheffield slugged 509 home runs in 22 seasons while also being in the running for league MVP on several occasions. Sheffield also was a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner and ended his career with 1,475 walks compared to 1,171 strikeouts.
