“The guy generates the most awesome bat speed I’ve ever seen—he doesn’t just hit balls, he kills them.”
—Braves manager Bobby Cox

“All I tell Gary is, if he can look in the mirror and say to himself he’s happy with what he’s doing, then he’ll be fine.”
—Former Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden

“More than anyone I’ve ever known, Gary has a burning desire to be great. Not good. Great.”
—Gary’s high school coach Billy Reed

“Ever since I’ve known him—I think he was five or six, hanging out at the playground, watching Dwight and me play—he’s pushed himself hard.”
—Former major leaguer Vance Lovelace

“The most frustrating thing for me was not getting out of Gary what I know is inside him. But he wasn’t the most helpful guy to get it out of him either.”
—Former major-league manager Tom Trebelhorn

“When I first saw him in high school, he reminded me of a young Eddie Murray.”
—Baseball executive John Young

“He likes to win. His commitment to the team is above everything else.”
—Former teammates Jeff Conine

“Gary is the one guy that can hit a home run at any time on any pitch.”
—Former major-league manager Don Baylor

“I believe Gary can do pretty much whatever he puts his mind to—if he’s healthy.”
—Former Dodgers GM Kevin Malone

“He’s a guy who can change a game with one swing.”
—Former All-Star Charles Johnson

“He gives it his all every day.”
—Pirates manager Jim Tracy

“He’s one of the most dynamic and consistent hitters in baseball.”
—Braves GM John Scheurholz

“We didn’t have that real star bat. Sheffield brings that to us. He’s a force.”
—Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski

“This is one of the ultimate bats in baseball and one of the ultimate people in baseball."
—Tigers manager Jim Leyland

"He's a terrific teammate. All the players loved him. I've never heard a player say a bad word about Gary Sheffield."
—Former Marlins manager John Boles