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Gary Sheffield
| Biography |
Gary Antonian Sheffield was born on November 18, 1968, in Tampa, Florida. His mother, Betty, was the older sister of Dwight Gooden, who was just four years older than Gary. Gary’s father owned a pool hall in Tampa. He invited Betty to move in with him, but did not propose marriage. Fiercely independent, the teen chose to raise the boy on her own. Ever since, Gary has had limited contact with his dad.
Gary had big eyes, reddish hair and was always getting into some mischief as a toddler. This earned him the nickname “Bug” from his mom, who never had any other children. When Gary was two, Betty married Harold Jones, who worked in the Tampa boatyards. Harold played an important role in Gary’s life. In fact, Gary was a teenager before it finally sunk in that Harold was not his natural father.
Gary grew up in Belmont Heights, near the notorious Ponce de Leon projects, where shootings and stabbings were common occurrences. He and his family lived in the Gooden home, until 1976, when they moved closer to Harold’s job in Port Tampa. During that time Dwight was like an older brother to Gary. They did everything together, whether Gary wanted to or not. Many was the time when Dwight hauled his butt out of bed in the morning and ordered him to grab a bat to face what—even at age 9, 10 and 11—was a hellacious fastball. If Gary refused, he could expect a fight.
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