What’s Keeping Sheffield Out of Cooperstown? Apparently, Some Stuff He Rubbed on His Knee

Nine All-Star games and 509 home runs haven’t been enough for Hall of Fame voters. His association with Barry Bonds could be the hitch.

Gary Sheffield hits Wiffle ball pitches from former pitcher Greg Maddux during the 2009 Maddux Harmon Celebrity Invitational at the Spanish Trail Golf and Country Club in Las Vegas on Oct. 26, 2009. Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Statistically speaking, Gary Sheffield should have been voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame already.

In 2024, his 10th year of eligibility, Sheffield again fell short of the necessary 75 percent of votes cast by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) to reach the Hall of Fame. His inclusion now depends on the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee beginning next December, possibly with the Class of 2026.