Sheffield Apologizes During Meeting

A contrite Gary Sheffield apologized to teammates, coaches and Manager Jim Tracy in a closed-door meeting Tuesday at Dodgertown.

Sheffield acknowledged in the 30-minute session that his contract-extension demand, trade request and criticism of Chairman Bob Daly had made for a major distraction.

Players said the six-time all-star spoke from the heart while asking for forgiveness, conceding that he’d exercised poor judgment.

Sheffield reaffirmed his commitment to the club and answered questions from teammates, who had to be convinced that the mercurial left fielder still wanted to be a Dodger and would not disappoint again.

“It was just one of those things that needed to be done,” Sheffield said of the meeting. “These guys know I’m an emotional guy. I just wanted to speak from the heart, just lay it out on the line, and let them know I know we’re trying to win a championship here, and I want to be part of that. . . .

“You have to respect this game, you have to respect your teammates, and I do. I’m going to let it show instead of talking about it. I’m going to be a doer, not a talker.”

That was good enough for Sheffield’s teammates, who praised Sheffield for his handling of the situation.

“Everyone in this room felt comfortable with what was said, and as long as everyone in here is a man of his word--and I mean everyone--there won’t be any issues,” first baseman Eric Karros said. “He assured us all his focus is going to be on baseball and on the field, and you have to take him on his word.”

Said pitcher Kevin Brown, a strong supporter of Sheffield: “He was man enough, and willing, to stand up and say, ‘Look, I was wrong,’ and he apologized to the people he had to apologize to.

“I give him all the credit in the world. Instead of continuing to push and try to save face, or whatever, and refuse to admit he was wrong, he stepped back when he was presented with some facts.”

Management wasn’t so sure.

Derrick Hall, senior vice president, said the Dodgers would still consider their options; General Manager Kevin Malone still is accepting trade offers, and Daly plans to monitor Sheffield’s actions and words.

“Bob Daly has said all along he only wants players who want to be Dodgers,” Hall said. “If it takes time to determine if an individual wants to be here, so be it.”

Monday, Sheffield fired his original agent, Jim Neader, hired the influential Scott Boras and apologized to Daly and fans.

“I’ve got to go back to doing what I do best, just playing baseball,” Sheffield said. “Anything outside this clubhouse, and on the field, I’m leaving that to Scott.

“I’m going to go out and put up numbers. He’s going to do all the talking for me, and I’m going to do all the playing.”