Moisés Alou

Although Alou's contract includes a player option for 2006, he has stated that he plans to retire if the Giants win the World Series in 2005. Sheffield remains a great hitter with an on base and slugging high numbers, even to this day. Because Barry Bonds is already entrenched in left field for the Giants, Alou is expected to move defensively to right field, a position he last played regularly in 2001. His bat speed, cited among the best in the American League, allows him to make contact with almost any pitch and keeps his strikeouts low; however, it also makes it nearly impossible for him to check his swing, due to the momentum of his bat. In December, he signed a one year deal with the Giants worth $13.5 million, with a player option for a second year. Sheffield's immense strength allows him to induce a lot of torque on the bat, producing a unique swing that nonetheless drives the ball far upon contact. In October Moises did announce to the public that he had talked to his father, Felipe, about possibly playing for him and the Giants next season. A free agent before the 2004 season, he signed with the New York Yankees.

Nevertheless, many experts and reporters doubted the Cubs would pick up his option. Sheffield also stole his 200th bag on September 6th of that year off the Pittsburgh Pirates and made his seventh All-Star team appearance as a starting outfielder. Alou, who was a free agent, said he would love to stay in Chicago. He smashed 39 home runs and drove in 132 runs, breaking the Atlanta record of 127 set by Hank Aaron. However, after high expectations, the Chicago Cubs fell short of a playoff berth when they lost seven of their last nine games. After an injury plagued season, in 2003 Sheffield resumed his place as one of the most feared hitters in baseball. He set new career highs in homeruns (39), doubles (36), and runs (106), while driving in 106 runs. Sheffield missed ten of his last twelve games because of a sprained left thumb.

After a comeback season in 2003, Alou had a career year in 2004. But his hits again were clutch, with 23 game-winning RBI for the Braves. The Cubs lost game 7 to the Marlins, who went on to beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. However, Sheffield had a sub-par season by his standards only hitting 25 home runs and driving in 84 runs. The Florida Marlins, Alou's former team, eventually tied the game, took the lead, and won. He reached base in 52 consecutive games, breaking Dale Murphy's Atlanta record of 48 games. Video replays showed that, although Alou would have had an opportunity to make the catch if Bartman had not reached for the ball, the ball was clearly over the stands, thus fan interference could not be called. Sheffield spent his 2002 season with the Atlanta Braves.

Alou angrily gestured toward him, but later forgave Bartman. His 17 outfield assists ranked second in the NL. It was the 8th inning of Game 6 of the NLCS, with the Cubs leading and needing only five outs to clinch a World Series birth for the first time since 1945, a Cubs fan named Steve Bartman inadvertantly interfered with a foul ball landing one row into the stands, preventing Alou, who reached into the stands, from catching the ball for an out. Again, his deft fieldwork paid off. In the end, he would make history in the playoffs, but some he would like to forget. He hit his 300th career home run in July 21. Alou lead the team in average in their two series against the Atlanta Braves and Florida Marlins. He also supplied the only scoring by homering in April 2, against the Brewers, and in May 7, against Florida.

However, during the post season, he showed no signs of a slump. On June 12, he became the first player in major league history to win three 1-0 games in a season with a home run, when he solos to beat the Braves, 1-0. He ended up with 22 home runs and 91 RBIs. Twenty-three of his 36 homeruns gave the Dodgers the lead or tied the game, and he also extended his career seasons with twenty or more home runs to ten. But a late season slump caused Alou's average to drop to .280. He had 36 home runs and 100 RBI while hitting .311. In the 2003 season, he showed flashes of his old self when he batted over .300 for most of the season while driving in runs as he used to. In 2001 Sheffield played with a painful sprained left index finger.

After the disappointing 2002 season, Alou hired a personal trainer and dedicated himself to return to his old form. For one month from June 10 to July 13, he hit .500. He finished up with a disappointing season in his own accounts when he hit only .275 and 15 home runs. Sheffield reached base safely in 123 of 141 games, ending with a .438 on base percentage that ranked him third in the NL, and had the second best home run-hitting ratio (one-for-11.7 at bat). In 2002, Alou once again ended up on the disabled list at the start of the season, and once healthy, he could never really get into a groove as he did in Houston. He also set a team record by hitting his 41st home run, surpassing the old mark set by Mike Piazza. In December of 2001, he inked a 3-year, $27 million dollar contract with the Chicago Cubs. He became the first Dodger to hit .300 with 30 homers, 100 RBI, 100 runs and 100 walks in consecutive seasons.

After the 2001 season, the Astros did not offer Alou a new contract so he in effect became a free agent. 2000 was one of Sheffield's best offensive seasons ever. Once recovered, he returned to the Astros lineup to hit .355 and .331 respectively while driving in at least 108 runs in each season. He finished the season strong hitting home runs in four of his last six games. Alou ended up missing the entire 1999 season. On August 22, Sheffield hit his career sixth grand slam off reliever Steve Montgomery. However, during the offseason, he would be bitten by the injury bug once more when he tore his ACL in a freak treadmill accident. He finished with a team-high 101 walks and a .407 on base percentage.

In his first season with the team, he hit a career high 38 home runs and drove in 124 runs while leading the Astros to a franchise record 102 wins. In his first full season with the Dodgers in 1999, Sheffield batted .304 with 34 home runs and 101 RBI and again was selected to the All-Star Game. In Houston, Alou played the best baseball of his career. He also wiped twenty bags, making this the first time he had reached the 20/20 plateau, and struck out only once for every 11.9 at bats. Before the 1998 season, the Marlins traded Alou to the Houston Astros. He played in a combined 130 games with Florida and the Dodgers during that season, batting .302 with 22 home runs and 85 RBI, despite missing the last 25 games after suffering a severely sprained left ankle. In the end, Alou led the team by hitting .321 with three home runs and nine RBIs in the World Series. In 1998 Sheffield was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Florida ended up winning their first World Series in a nail-biting seventh game which ended on an Edgar Rentería base hit. He also hit 21 home runs with 71 RBI and collected his 1000th career hit off Alan Benes. The Marlins made the playoffs as a wildcard team where they defeated first the Giants and then the Atlanta Braves, and advanced to the World Series. He had 14 outfield assists, which ranked third in the league. Prior to the 1997 season Alou signed as a free agent with the Florida Marlins, where he led the team with 23 home runs and 115 RBIs. Sheffield wasn't only a great hitter but a deft fielder. For the next two seasons, he would enjoy stellar seasons at the plate in Montreal, however losing a number of games due to injury. The following season, Sheffield led the 1997 World Champions Marlins with a .424 on base percentage and 121 walks.

In 1994, he returned to get the game-winning hit in the All-Star Game. He also broke ten of the Marlin's individual club records and made his third All-Star berth. He recovered though, and by 1994 was one of the best hitters in baseball, hitting .339. This was his first full year without going on the DL. Alou suffered a severe ankle injury in 1993 that would rob him of his speed and force him to become strictly a corner outfielder. Sheffield had his career-best numbers in 1996, after hit 42 home runs with 120 RBI, 118 runs, 163 hits, and 142 walks in 161 games. In 1990, he was traded to the Montreal Expos where he would later play under his father while he managed the Expos. Still he ranked third on the team with 19 stolen bases and third with 55 walks.

In 1986, Alou was the second overall pick in the amateur draft, chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates. A torn ligament in his left thumb limited him to only 63 games. It was there that baseball scouts noticed his tremendous bat speed and speed on the basepaths. Injury plagued him again in the 1995 season with the Marlins. Alou, who was more interested in playing basketball during his youth, did not play organized baseball until he attended Canada College in California. At the time of his injury Sheffield had a career high .584 slugging percentage; ninth in the league. . His shoulder bothered him again, and he spent two stints on the disabled list with a bruised rotator cuff and an irritated labrum in his left shoulder.

Alou is married to wife Austria Alou; they have three sons: Perico, Kirby and Moisés Jr. During the 1994 strike shortened season, Sheffield hit 27 home runs in only 87 games, breaking a Marlins season-record. His father Felipe, the Giants' current manager, as well as uncles Matty and Jesús, all had long and admired careers in the major leagues. He had an average season driving in only 73 runs with 17 stolen bases, and his on base percentage was still in the mid to high 300s. He comes from a family in which baseball is a way of life. He made history as the first player from a first year expansion team to start an All-Star Game. Moisés Rojas Alou (born July 3, 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an All-Star outfielder in Major League Baseball who currently plays for the San Francisco Giants. Sheffield began 1993 with the Padres but was traded to the Florida Marlins midseason.

Partially torn calf. He was honored by The Sporting News with the Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year awards. Dislocated shoulder. Sheffield led the league with a .330 average, and hit 33 home runs with 100 RBI and a .385 on base percentage. Fractured fibula & ankle. He made a run at becoming the first National League Triple Crown winner since Joe Medwick in 1937. Torn labrum. Unhappy in Milwaukee, Sheffield was traded to the San Diego Padres before the 1992 season.

Torn ACL. In 1991 he was limited to only 50 games because of lingering wrist and shoulder problems. Recently, Moisés admitted in an interview with ESPN, that he urinates on his hands frequently to prevent blisters. He also had a team high 25 stolen bases. Moisés' best friend and favorite team mate is Jeff Bagwell of the Houston Astros. He broke out in 1990 with the Milwaukee Brewers, batting .294 with 67 RBI. Many of the horses are named after present and past team mates. He is one of the most feared right handed hitters in all of baseball, known for his pre-swing waggle and unmatched bat speed.

Moisés owns nearly 100 race horses in the Dominican Republic. Sheffield has posted high-caliber numbers wherever he's played. Alou's parents divorced when he was only a young child. . During most of his youth, Moisés lived with his mother. He bats and throws right handed. However, father Felipe said young Moisés didn't shed a tear. He has since played for the San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees as a right fielder.

As a child, Alou was attacked and nearly killed by a dog. Sheffield was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers as an infielder. 1998 Silver Slugger Award. He was born in Tampa, Florida, where he played on the same high school team as his uncle, Dwight Gooden. 1994 Silver Slugger Award. Gary Antonian Sheffield (born November 18, 1968) is an American baseball player. 1994 NL Comeback Player of the Year. The Red Sox fan had his season ticket revoked, while Sheffield was not penalized by major league baseball.

NL All Star 2005. Although most baseball commentators concluded that Sheffield had done nothing wrong, the incident drew headlines because of the melee in 2004 involving players and fans during a Pistons-Pacers NBA game. NL All Star 2004. After he threw the ball, he appeared to consider entering the stands to confront the fan, before stadium security staff appeared. NL All Star 2001. Sheffield pushed the fan back prior to throwing the ball into the infield. NL All Star 1998. On April 14, 2005 at Fenway Park, while playing for the New York Yankees in a game against the Boston Red Sox, Sheffield was involved in an incident where a fan apparently struck him in the face while Sheffield was attempting to field a ball hit to the outfield.

NL All Star 1997. [1]. NL All Star 1994. However, he claimed that at the time he used the product, he did not know that it contained steroids. Sheffield has recently been linked in media reports with the controversial Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, and admitted to having used a BALCO product that contained a steroid. Led National League in batting average (1992).

4-time Silver Slugger Award (1992, 1996, 2003-04). 9-time All-Star (1992-93, 1996, 1998-2000, 2003-05). New York Yankees (2004-present). Atlanta Braves (2002-03).

Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2001). Florida Marlins (1993-98). San Diego Padres (1992-93). Milwaukee Brewers (1988-91).