`WHERE I WANT TO BE' SHEFFIELD HAPPY IN L.A.

It's hard to believe it was just seven months ago Gary Sheffield was demanding to be traded from the Dodgers.

It almost feels like the spring-training incident never happened.

Sheffield has erased the memories by putting up solid numbers on the field and remaining a solid citizen off. So much so, the left fielder has put his multimillion-dollar Florida home on Tampa Bay's shores up for auction next month in order to live in the Los Angeles area year-round.

He made the business decision to make the demands last spring in hopes of getting the contract extension, so he could stay with the Dodgers the rest of his career. That fueled the bad feelings.

Sheffield is in the midst of another good season and has been a significant piece in the team's improbable run through injuries and distractions to remain in the thick of the playoff race with 19 games remaining.

``I feel like I'm in L.A. pretty much all the time, so I might as well get adjusted and get comfortable there,'' Sheffield said. ``And that was the whole thing in spring training. My wife and I were deciding on getting ready to have kids, and why have two big places and go back and forth when you can have just one, and raise a family?

``That's my goal now. I'm a family man. I've never been a family man in my whole career, so I didn't have to ever ask for a contract. I never had to ask to stay somewhere. I didn't care if I got traded. But things changed in my life. I'm a settled man and I hate moving, and if I feel like I'm going to be moved, move me now so I can make my life a lot easier.''

Now, business decisions and contract talk comes only from Sheffield's new agent, Scott Boras. The old agent, Jim Neader, was condemned for his handling of the contract crisis, particularly letting Sheffield try to negotiate with Dodgers chairman Bob Daly, and was fired.

Sheffield apologized to his teammates, the fans and the organization. He has two years and $22 million remaining on his contract after this season, and he added his negotiating days are over. But he said he'd still be interested in signing an extension if it kept him in Los Angeles for the rest of his career.

``I'm not asking for anything,'' Sheffield said. ``I want to be a lifetime Dodger. I will say that. But as far as going to them again, I won't do that. I'm going to just play and that's it.''

As per Dodgers policy, the club won't comment on whether they will pursue an extension with Sheffield after the season.

However, when Sheffield's contract demands became public in the spring, Daly didn't say he wouldn't talk about it. Daly said he couldn't make a decision until after the new collective-bargaining agreement is completed. The current CBA expires after the season and some executives fear the financial landscape of baseball could change drastically if a luxury tax is implemented.

``I love L.A.,'' Sheffield said. ``I'm going to let Scott take care of the business side and I'm going to take care of the baseball side. That way, when I step off the field at the end of the season, they can say, 'That man earned his worth. He went out there and earned it.'

``And I'm going to play hurt, I'm going to play healthy, and I'm going to play whatever. I'm going to be out there so you don't have to worry about me coming out of the lineup. I'm going to be in there and I'm going to put up whatever I need to.''

Sheffield, a six-time All-Star, remains one of the most feared hitters in the league despite a torn ligament in his left index finger. It's hampered his swing since late April, though it's difficult to notice.

Sheffield is second on the Dodgers with a .311 average, 34 homers, 88 RBI, 85 runs scored, 23 doubles, a .595 slugging percentage and 124 games played. He leads the team with 81 walks. With a strong finish, Sheffield could bat .300 with 30 homers and 100 walks, 100 runs scored and 100 RBI for the third straight year. The only other player in franchise history to do it once was Duke Snider in 1955.

``I just want people to know that if I can get through what I got through this spring training and play the way I play, what that says,'' Sheffield said. ``How many times do you have to prove that? And I've been playing 13 years and all you want is to say, OK, this is where I want to be.''

Sheffield has also received credit, in a peripheral way, for enabling Green to put together one of the best seasons in franchise history. Green has rebounded from a sub-par 2000 season to lead the Dodgers in nearly every major offensive category. He's already hit a club-record 46 homers and his 116 RBI are the most in 39 years.

Just how much Sheffield is responsible for cannot be measured and is open to debate.

A month ago, manager Jim Tracy switched Sheffield and Green in the batting order, sending Sheffield to the cleanup spot. Green is batting .341 (59 for 173) with 17 homers, 39 RBI and 41 runs scored batting in front of Sheffield. When not in that spot, Green's stats are .281 (105 for 374) with 29 homers, 77 RBI and 67 runs scored in more than double the at-bats.

``I think the guys we have, we have a good combo in the middle of the lineup,'' Green said. ``You also have (Paul) Lo Duca hitting right behind you, so the middle of the lineup is very good. When the middle of the lineup comes up, they can't pitch around anybody.''

Sheffield, 32, said earlier this season he could play for another eight years and is looking at hitting 500 homers as a long-term personal goal, but winning a second World Series title is his motivation.

When he asked for the contract extension in the spring, he said he wanted to restructure the existing deal to provide payroll flexibility for the Dodgers. Sheffield said that offer still stands because of the club's complicated payroll situation.

The Dodgers have guaranteed $82.3 million to 13 players next season. Pitchers Chan Ho Park and Terry Adams are free agents and there is talk the Dodgers will pursue Oakland center fielder Johnny Damon, also a free agent, in the offseason.

``Money isn't the most important thing,'' Sheffield said. ``Winning isn't everything either, but that's what I want to do. That's the only thing I want to do, baseball-wise, because I'm a good enough player that I'm going to get my money. So why worry about something you know you're already going to get.

``So my thing is I can't be a selfish player because you're a talented player and things are going to come to you. You have to look out for others because you will get rewarded at the end when you're sitting up on the podium getting that ring.''