Sheffield climbs to 55% in 9th year on HOF ballot
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MIAMI -- As the results of this year's Baseball Hall of Fame voting were announced on Tuesday evening, Marlins fans kept their eyes on one name: Gary Sheffield.
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In his ninth year on the ballot, Sheffield was named to 55% of the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballots, a jump from 40.6% in 2022. To be elected into Cooperstown, 75 percent is needed, and Sheffield has just one year of eligibility remaining. If voted into the Hall next year, Sheffield would likely be the first player to don a Marlins cap.
The outfielder spent time with eight organizations over his 22-year playing career and provided a major impact in his six years with the Marlins (1993-98). He hit 509 career homers, including 42 in the '96 season, which stood as a single-season franchise record until Giancarlo Stanton hit 59 in 2017. Sheffield finished sixth in NL MVP voting in 1996.
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A nine-time All-Star, Sheffield also helped lead the Marlins to their first World Series championship in 1997, when they became the fastest expansion franchise at the time to win the ultimate prize.
• Scott Rolen elected to the Hall of Fame
A noted slugger with an iconic bat waggle, Sheffield hit 30-plus homers in a season eight times. He enjoyed his longest tenure with the Marlins. The South Florida team acquired Sheffield in a trade with the Padres on June 24, 1993. As a Marlin, Sheffield slashed .288/.426/.543 with 122 homers and 380 RBIs.
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