Previously, he was the manager of the Round Rock Express (2007), the Astros' Triple-A affiliate, and the Memphis Redbirds (2003–2006).

Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 1st round of the 1981 MLB amateur draft, Sheaffer would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Boston Red Sox on April 9, 1987, and appear in his final game on September 27, 1997.

Sheaffer was a member of the inaugural Colorado Rockies team that began play in Major League Baseball in 1993.

In the middle of the 2003 season, the Memphis Redbirds named Sheaffer as their manager, replacing Tom Spencer.

[2] On November 23, 2009, Sheaffer joined the Houston Astros organization as a catching coordinator in its minor league system.