• In 1992, Gary became the youngest batting champion since Tommy Davis in 1963.
• Gary is one of only a handful of athletes to compete in the Little League World Series and the major league World Series. Others include Boog Powell, Rick Wise, Carney Lansford, Derek Bell and Charlie Hayes.
• Gary’s 1980 Little League team was invited to Yankee Stadium. He still has a picture of the kids posing with Reggie Jackson.
• When Gary began his pro career in 1986, he asked his stepfather to handle his day-to-day finances. Harold refused, telling Gary that if he couldn’t handle a $12,000-a-year salary, how could he expect to deal with a six- or seven-figure paycheck?
• In 1992, Gary and Fred McGriff became the first teammates to homer back-to-back twice in the same game since Ernie Banks and Dee Fondy did it for the Cubs in 1955.
• Gary was named NL Comeback Player of the Year in 1992.
• Gary’s switch to the outfield in 1994 was helped by Marlins coach Vada Pinson.
• Gary’s friendship with Barry Bonds, which began in 1995, coincided with his soaring walk totals. The two sluggers often discuss the virtues of patience at the plate.
• Gary hit two home runs in an inning for the Marlins in 1997.
• As of the start of the 2004 season, Gary was the Florida Marlins’ all-time home run leader.
• Gary led the A.L. in 2005 with a .359 average against left-handed pitching.
• Gary’s next-door neighbor in San Diego was Fred McGriff. The two also had lockers next to each other in the Padre clubhouse. Both players grew up in Tampa.
• Gary fathered two children—Ebony and Carissa—at 16 and 17. His parents raised one, and the other remained with the mother. Gary’s third child, Gary Jr., was born in 1994.
• In 2004, Gary was the target of an extortion plot. A Chicago man named Derrick Mosely threatened to release a sex tape of DeLeon and a professional musician with whom she had a relationship 10 years earlier. Gary went to the federal authorities, and Mosely was charged with extortion.
• Gary is a footwear fanatic. He owns more than 300 pairs of shoes.
• Gary’s cousin, Tim Carter, played for the New York Giants from 2002 to 2006. He was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2007.
• Gary’s book, Inside Power, is due to be published in 2007.
• Gary has amended his position on his steroids use, saying that he was given several substances in conjunction with treatment of a bad knee, but he didn't know what they were.
  
  

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