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Making nice Disgruntled Sheffield makes amends with teammates
VERO BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Gary Sheffield made amends with his teammates Saturday, although he said he won't be happy if he starts the season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. "We got our issues out front," Sheffield said, referring to critical remarks about his teammates, attributed to him, that appeared in Baseball Weekly this week. "They know where I'm coming from and we've got it behind us now." Sheffield said he was misquoted in the article, which included attacks on teammates Darren Dreifort, Eric Karros, Shawn Green, Kevin Brown and Carlos Perez. "Those who know me know I don't have to knock teammates," Sheffield said. "It doesn't do any one any good and it's not Gary Sheffield." Reliever Jesse Orosco said Sheffield talked to each of the players mentioned and assured his other teammates he would not be a problem in the clubhouse. "It's good to have Gary back," Orosco said. "Whatever happened happened. ... Everyone seems to be fine. We're happy to have Gary here." Though how long Sheffield stays remains to be seen. Sheffield said he expects to be traded soon and expressed an interest in playing for either the New York Yankees, Mets or Atlanta. Sheffield said there still was a possibility that he'd start the season with the Dodgers even though that would bother him. "Baseball is baseball to me. If I see a white ball I'll hit it," he said. "Wearing this uniform I won't be happy, but I'll go out and do my job." Sheffield has attachments to the three teams at the top of his list. His family is from Atlanta; his uncle, Dwight Gooden, plays with the Yankees and Sheffield has known owner George Steinbrenner since the slugger was 5 years old; and Sheffield grew up following Gooden and the Mets in the '80s. "I've looked at all the situations and what is better for me," he said. "And any is the best for me. I can hit third in anybody's lineup." One stipulation Sheffield made was that he would rather not be traded for another star, such as the Mets' Mike Piazza or Atlanta's Chipper Jones. "Why would I want to go to a place where I have to replace the fan favorite?" he said. "I want a fresh start where I don't have to be a fan favorite." Los Angeles manager Jim Tracy said seeing Sheffield in a Dodgers' jersey was a welcome sight, not a distraction. "He's doing his work," Tracy said. "That's all you can expect as a manager. ... What's there to be concerned about. You win or lose games between the lines. Morale is wonderful." Tracy added that he came out of a closed-door meeting with Sheffield on Friday satisfied with the outfielder's attitude. Tracy said that the players have welcomed Sheffield as much as could be expected. Indeed, Sheffield was talking to teammates during practice and in the locker room Saturday, after being largely ignored a day earlier. "They're doing just fine out there," Tracy said. "The work ethic and energy we're getting day to day is exactly what we're looking for."
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