Sheffield’s Comments Draw Attention

Never one to shy away from controversy, Gary Sheffield said Sunday he was “very happy” with the cover story on him in the latest issue of ESPN the Magazine.

The Dodger left fielder, who rankled so many with his trade demand in spring training, tweaked many more with his comments in the magazine.

Among his more celebrated remarks: that when black ballplayers are injured, they’re labeled injury-prone, and when they get hurt, they’re hustling; that black players have to be superstars in the major leagues because they won’t be the last player on the bench; and that there are scores of deserving blacks being held back in the minor leagues because “these big leaguers play golf with the manager. So we’ve got to be twice as good to get up here.”

“Everybody just said it was a great article,” Sheffield said Sunday.

“A bunch of guys in the minor league system are calling, thanking me because guys of my stature should speak up, because it is a problem.

“We’re not in this game just to walk through this game and have success,” he added.

“We’ve got to, you know, let people know what’s really going on. Guys need to be up here, guys could help us in the big leagues that’s not here. Guys in Mexico, guys playing in independent leagues that should be here.”

Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said he has not read the article but respects Sheffield’s right to have an opinion.

“I remember reading last year where Gary Sheffield said that Davey Johnson was like a father to him,” Tracy said. “I’m not quite old enough to be his father but I would like to be his brother.

“I respect Gary Sheffield as one of the best players in baseball. This guy is the complete package this year. It’s offense and it’s defense.”

Sheffield was even more critical of closed-mouth contemporaries.

“It’s one of those things where, you know, I don’t have respect for black ballplayers that don’t speak up,” Sheffield said. “I don’t have no respect for none of them because, I mean, they know there’s a problem that’s there but they’re out to get theirs.

“The first thing they would say is, ‘I’m not going to say nothing because it might affect me or my family.’ Well, what about the people that paved the way for you, what they had to go through and what they had to pay? So, you know, I’m willing to pay the price, whatever the price is.”

The Braves have scheduled John Smoltz to start Thursday at Atlanta against the Colorado Rockies for his first major-league appearance since Game 4 of the 1999 World Series, according to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Brave Manager Bobby Cox spoke to Smoltz by telephone Saturday, the report said, and came away satisfied that Smoltz was ready.

Smoltz had elbow reconstruction surgery March 23, 2000.