Gary Sheffield
A fearsome slugger with one of baseball's most violent batting stances, he terrorized pitchers for over two decades with 500 home runs and a bad-ball hitter's eye.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American baseball player·Birthday: November 18·Generation X
Biography
Gary Sheffield didn't just hit a baseball; he attacked it. His unique batting stance, waggling the bat like a menacing metronome before unleashing a ferocious swing, became one of the sport's most recognizable images. Debuting as a teenage shortstop, he evolved into a powerful outfielder and designated hitter, compiling stats that whisper Hall of Fame consideration: over 500 home runs, 2,600 hits, and a career OPS near .900. Sheffield played for eight teams, often amid controversy, his outspoken nature and involvement in the BALCO steroids scandal creating a complex legacy. Yet in the batter's box, his talent was undeniable—a combination of elite hand-eye coordination and raw power that made him one of the most consistently dangerous hitters of his generation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Gary was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gary Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Gary's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Hit 509 career home runs, placing him in the exclusive 500-home run club.
- Won the 1997 National League batting title with the Florida Marlins, posting a .355 average.
- Was a key member of the 1997 Florida Marlins team that won the World Series.
- Earned nine All-Star selections over his 22-year major league career.
Did You Know?
He is the nephew of Dwight Gooden, the former star pitcher for the New York Mets.
Sheffield was drafted as a shortstop and played 163 games at the position early in his career.
He hit his 500th career home run as a member of the New York Mets in 2009.
After retiring, he became a certified player agent, representing major league talent.
“I wasn't a guy who tried to hit home runs. I was a guy who tried to hit the ball hard.”
