Veteran slugger Gary Sheffield has officially retired from baseball according to George A. King III of the New York Post.

Sheffield was hoping that he could make a comeback and play one more season with the Tampa Bay Rays.  During the Winter Meetings in December, the outfielder/designated hitter said he wanted to play in Tampa.  He went as far as having dinner with Rays’ manager Joe Maddon.

“I had a meeting with the Rays, and they’re going to get back to me, and it’s out there now that they’re talking to me and hopefully something comes about.  I wanted to play last year, and the Nationals made a pitch all off-season.  The Giants, the Rangers, all these teams were coming after me, but then all of a sudden, oh and the Diamondbacks, and so when it all came down to it, it was about situations came up where they’d sign another player and then all of a sudden when I was getting ready to sign somewhere else, the player turned down a deal somewhere else and he became an Arizona Diamondback and at the last minute, you know, obviously he’s younger, so they went that route.  I got a call on the 18th of April and asked me to come play every day right field without no Spring Training and I was like, ‘No, I’m not going to do that.’  I have to have time to have Spring Training just like everybody else.”

The meeting was not a formal courting by the Rays, rather it was more of a get-to-know-you type of situation.

He later said on the ESPN 1040 interview that he felt “a little disrespected” that he did not get a call back from the Rays.

The 42-year-old Sheffield last played for the New York Mets in 2009 where he hit .276/.372/.451 with 10 home runs and 43 runs driven in while playing 100 games.  He finishes his career with 509 home runs, 1676 RBIs while hitting .292/.393/.514.  With 500+ home runs he should be able to qualify for the Hall of Fame, but we’ll see in a few years.