There have been a number of individuals from Lafayette, and the Acadiana area, that have played in Major League Baseball over the years.

Obviously, the entire state of Louisiana has produced even more.

As a matter of fact, 246 people born in the state of Louisiana have appeared in a Major League Baseball game, beginning in 1874, with John Peters of New Orleans, who played 11 years, with the likes of the Chicago White Stockings, Milwaukee Grays, Providence Grays, Buffalo Bisons, and Pittsburgh Alleghenys.

All summer, we’ll preview a player from the state of Louisiana that appeared in Major League baseball, starting with players from Lafayette, before spotlighting players from the Acadiana area, and then a few from the state itself.

Yesterday, we spotlighted Chad Ogea.

Today, we feature Andy Sheets.

Born in Baton Rouge in 1971, Sheets, a right-handed hitting infielder, played parts of seven seasons in Major League Baseball, with the Seattle Mariners (1996-1997), San Diego Padres (1998), Anaheim Angels (1999), Boston Red Sox (2000), and the Tampa Bay Rays (2001-2002).

After playing his high school baseball at St. Amant High School, and then his college baseball at LSU, Sheets was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 4th round of the 1992 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Sheets made minor league stops in Appleton, Wisconsin, Riverside, California, Jacksonville, Florida, Calgary, Canada, and Tacoma, Washington, before getting called up to the big leagues by the Indians in April of 1996, at the age of 24.

In his major league debut, on April 22, 1996, Sheets went 0-for-2 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Sheets went to hit a .191 in 110 at-bats, to go along with 9 runs batted in.

In 1997, splitting time between the minors and the majors, Sheets hit a .247 with 4 home runs and 9 runs batted in.

After being traded to the San Diego Padres prior to the 1998 campaign, Sheets went on to have the most extensive playing time of his career, hitting a ,242, to go along with a career-high 7 homers and 29 RBI's in 194 at-bats, while getting playing time at both shortstop and third base.

The Padres traded Sheets to the Anaheim Angels prior to the 1999 season, where he hit a .197 with 3 homers and 29 RBI's.

Sheets signed with the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2000 season, appearing in only 12 games, before playing the final two years of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays, hitting a combined .222 from 2001-2002.

After his playing days in Major League Baseball came to an end, Sheets went play in Japan for 5 seasons, where he hit 95 home runs, and established himself as one of the better players in the league.

In 5 seasons in the minor leagues, Sheets hit a .272 with 53 home runs and 344 runs batted in.

In 7 MLB seasons, Sheets hit a .216 with 19 homers and 113 RBI's.

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