Sports

MONEY BALL – SHEFFIELD, YANKEES AVERT CASH CLASH

Gary Sheffield, upset again over the structure of his contract, had been refusing to participate this spring training in several team functions, a person familiar with the subject told The Post. However, Sheffield met Saturday with George Steinbrenner and, according to two sources, was placated by The Boss.

Sheffield was demanding he be paid interest on the $4.5 million that is deferred without interest annually from his contract, a source said. In protest, Sheffield had not been cooperating with requests this spring from Yankee-owned YES, rejecting the network’s appeals to do promos and to participate in shows and interviews, a source said. Sheffield also had been threatening not to attend the welcome home dinner in New York at the start of the season, a source said.

However, Sheffield felt appeased enough by his conversation with Steinbrenner that he sat down to do an interview with YES yesterday and said in downplaying the issue, “when you see me doing YES promos, you’ll know there is no issue.” It was not known if Steinbrenner was willing to restructure the year-old contract. Sheffield’s business manager, Rufus Williams, said, “I’m not talking about Gary’s contract. There are no aspects. I’m not gonna talk at all.” Yankee officials refused comment.

Sheffield is no stranger to contract squabbles, getting traded from the Dodgers to the Braves after the 2001 season by regularly complaining he was underpaid. And the Yankee-Sheffield marriage nearly ended before it began because, in part, Sheffield was annoyed at the deferrals in his contract.

Sheffield is in the second year of a three-year, $39 million contract. He receives $8.5 million annually with the rest deferred without interest. Sheffield even has $4.5 million deferred without interest on his $13 million club option for the 2007 season. Sheffield fired agent Scott Boras before initiating discussions with the Yankees, and did his deal mainly by himself, with help from Williams and his uncle and Yankee executive Dwight Gooden.

Sheffield shook hands with Steinbrenner on the terms in late November 2003. But upon reflecting what he had done, Sheffield reneged on his promise, demanding $3 million more, less money deferred, interest on the deferrals, award bonuses and a no-trade clause. The Yankees balked and, for leverage, began pursuing fellow free agent right fielder Vladimir Guerrero. In fact, Guerrero was favored anyway by the Yankees’ New York executives, who worried about Sheffield’s past poor behavior. Steinbrenner initially held Gooden personally responsible for the collapse of negotiations with Sheffield.

With no other alternatives in the price range, however, Sheffield ultimately had to return to take the initial deal with the Yankees.

Sheffield is in a strange middle world with the Yankees. He played terrific last year, finishing second in the AL MVP voting. However, he remains tied to the BALCO/steroid inquiry and is returning from shoulder surgery that will keep him out at least in the early spring training games.

Iron Sheff

Here’s a look at Gary Sheffield’s numbers last season:

G AB R H HR RBI AVG

154 573 117 166 36 121 .290