The Royals hoped Sheridan, a .300 hitter in the minors, would be their regular right fielder for the 1980s. Given the opportunity, he was unable to put a lock on the job due to his inability to hit lefthanders consistently, and to injuries. Released by the Royals, he won an everyday job in Detroit but remained just a so-so hitter. Teams gave up on his potential when he hit .216 over his last two seasons.
Each of his three home runs in LCS play came in dramatic situations in winning causes. In 1985 his ninth-inning pinch homer tied Game Two; in Game Seven his long solo shot in the fourth inning for the second run of the game proved important in the Royals’ series-clinching 6-2 victory. And with the Tigers in 1987, his two-run, eighth-inning HR won Game Three. Manager Roger Craig denied him a chance to repeat his heroics in the 1989 World Series, benching him in favor of Candy Maldonado.
