I don't exactly understand this theory... maybe one of you will. I think he has an IQ of around 8-10.

Sheffield says Latin players easier to control than blacks

ESPN.com news services

Updated: June 3, 2007, 11:29 AM ET



The percentage of African-Americans playing Major League Baseball is at an all-time low and Gary Sheffield says he has a theory why that's the case.

In an interview with GQ magazine that's currently on newsstands, the typically outspoken Tigers designated hitter said Latin players have replaced African-Americans as baseball's most prevalent minority because they are easier to control.

"I called it years ago. What I called is that you're going to see more black faces, but there ain't no English going to be coming out. … [It's about] being able to tell [Latin players] what to do -- being able to control them," he told the magazine.

"Where I'm from, you can't control us. You might get a guy to do it that way for a while because he wants to benefit, but in the end, he is going to go back to being who he is. And that's a person that you're going to talk to with respect, you're going to talk to like a man.

"These are the things my race demands. So, if you're equally good as this Latin player, guess who's going to get sent home? I know a lot of players that are home now can outplay a lot of these guys."

According to a 2005 report by the University of Central Florida Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, only 8.5 percent of major leaguers were African American -- the lowest percentage since the report was initiated in the mid-1980s. By contrast, whites comprised 59.5 percent of the majors' player pool, Latinos 28.7 percent and Asians 2.5.

Gary's hitting the shit out the ball right now, that's all I care

Sheff is the biggest racist in baseball. I dont think I have to say again how much of a dirtbag piece of shit clubhouse cancer this guy is

Damn straight.

The sport where the players have the least control (football) has no Latinos and tons of blacks.
What a piece of work. He must be bitter that he was replaced by Abreu.

Sheff goes deep!

Jeremy Sowers is horrible this year.

sheff loves to use the word axe..and not the axe that cuts down trees

sheff is clearly out of his mind...but I wish the Yankees still had him.

His HOF speech will probably be 30 mins of him bitching about all the people who wronged him over the years....

You think he'll make it? I could see him being one of the few 500+ HR guys to be left out.

well I think he clearly deserves it (he may even get to 3,000 hits if he sticks around as a DH long enough)...but it's possible the writers won't vote for him because of his reputation as a bad guy. It's funny...his teammates and managers usually have nothing but good things to say about him.

The fact that he'll finish with more career BB's than K's is ridiculous considering he swings for the fences every time.

I totally agree. He'll definitely have the resume to be in once he retires. It's amazing to me that his body hasn't fallen apart given how violent his swing is.

I'd like to see him do one of those lumberjack competitions on ESPN.

Maybe he means they're easier to control because unlike a black player who can take the mic and say whatever sensational thing they'd like, a latin player who doesn't speak english can't really do the same thing. if they do, it still has to be translated, and pretty much loses all its bite, and is lacking as a sound clip espn is gonna want to replay 6,493 times.

Reminds me of Dusty Baker's comments 3 years ago when he said that black and latin players have it easier because they are used to, and have the dark skin for, playing in hot weather.

"We were brought over here for the heat, right?"

-Dusty Baker

if only sheff could speak english properly...

the whole "steroid" thing might keep him out as well.

my wiffle ball swing is as hard as sheffs

my whole body aches

It's funny that this story is getting 1/10th the media play it would if anyone else said it because everyone knows Sheff is a complete lunatic.