Ben Sheets Appreciation Thread

[jimmyjeromehardy7]

If IT happens tomorrow, how special is it that Ben Sheets will possibly be the winning pitcher. You can talk all about his injuries, etc. but when he is on, he is one of the best. I still get goose bumps thinking about his 18 K game. And believe one day I will see him pitch a no-hitter.

I moved to the Chicago area 13 years ago and during the early years I remained a Brewer fan but without internet, the MLB package it was hard to follow the team and by early July it was time to focus on the Packers. Benny became my favorite Brewer before he was officially a Brewer. His gold medal winning game in the Olympics had me excited for the 2001 season. He lived up to the early expections despite being on not so good teams. When he signed the long term contract I was finally excited that the Brewers were going to turn it around and build around their ace. A few days after the signing I purchased my first Brewer jersey, a #15 Sheets.

Now he has reached the end of that contract and nobody knows what the future holds. But tomorrow I hope the fans show Benny what he means to Milwaukee. I was there for the Jenkins sendoff and this should be no less. I will be at the game and hope the other 40 some thousand share in the appreciation for #15.

Lets go Brewers!

[fondybrewfan]

I will forgive everything Ben has ever done if he goes out tommorrow and throws a gem. By the time the game starts we very well may know if we can clinch tommorrow. How many hours are left?

[Ennder]

It would be very fitting to have Ben clinch the playoffs for us and even more fitting to see Yost not be the manager for it since he sabotaged Sheets career in a very Dusty Bakerish way.

[razzzorsharp]

I will be there cheering for Ben. If by chance tomorrow is the day "it" happens, so help me I will be overcome with emotions ala a little girl who got her pigtails pulled.

[Schlitz001]

Benny giving the Brewers 200 IP this year is a big reason they are in the position that they are in. Like Jenkins, he's been there through thick and thin and has never really complained. He is a class act and deserves a Jenkins like sendoff and then some for what is likely his last regular season game as Brewer.

[silversurferr]

Good guy. And here is his chance for a slice of MIlwaukee folk hero immortality.

[craigharmann]

I would really like to see him not leave. I think between he and CC, he's got the better chance to be a Brewer next year. I would love to have both, but just don't see how feasible that is. But I hope he does great and gives a hugely gutting performance. I love the fact that he's not on a pitch count, just let him pitch as long as he feels good. And I think with things being the way they are, he's going to try to pitch until his arm falls off.

[bcf5575]

i will appreciate him even more this evening after 7 innings of 1 run ball.

 

this is such a huge start. not only for getting to the playoffs, but for the brewers chances in the playoffs. (not to get ahead of ourselves here, but) clinch tonite and CC doesnt need to pitch tomorrow. That sets it up so it is a rested CC game 1, sheets game 2 if healthy. otherwise what is it - bush and yo games 1 and 2? maybe CC on short rest again for game 2 instead of Yo?

 

which would you rather have? this game is huge - c'mon Benny!

[Oldcity]

The way things have gone lately, I am not even that nervous about Sheets tonight. I just have that feeling things will work out--sort of the way you knew Yo would pitch well and that McClung would finish off that game yesterday.

[hauser42]

One game does not make up for the amount of games he has missed over his career with the Crew. I do hope he nuts up and gets the job done for the Brewers today. My gut tells me that Benny gives up some early runs today and Brewers can not get enough runs to over come it. The team has been on a run but today could be the little bump in the road that doesn't allow the Brewers to set itself up for the playoff run. I still think they will get in no matter what happens today.

[Roscoe Chill]

Obviously he shouldn't be out there today, so I appreciate the fact that he'll be some other team's problem starting next year.

[TheCrew07]

usually I'm not one to pile on, but I feel pretty much the same as NDOG, he's really disgusted me the last 4 years getting injured at the worst possible times. I know it's it not his fault, the statistical arguements, and so on... I simply don't care. He's not worth money or the heartache.

[Invader3K]

I appreciate him for trying, but I resent him for not performing when it's counted most.

[rm121978]

Just got back from the game (yes, left after 6th and damn glad I did). Was very good to see Sheets get booed when he left the game. A frequently injured .500 pitcher who never came up big when it mattered. I hope the fans of his new team enjoy watching his skills deteriorate even more as he falls apart.

[JJHardy7]

Obviously he shouldn't be out there today, so I appreciate the fact that he'll be some other team's problem starting next year.

 

It's great for you to point out the obvious after it's happened.

[Ranier]

Sheets is a loser....he has failed every single time it's been important. Whether it's been from injury or a weak heart.

[Ennder]

I'll never understand the hatred much of this site has for Sheets but thanks for all the games you made for the team Ben. I don't really want to re-sign him or Sabathia so I hope that was the last game he pitches for us.

[sbrylski]

Just got back from the game (yes, left after 6th and damn glad I did). Was very good to see Sheets get booed when he left the game. A frequently injured .500 pitcher who never came up big when it mattered. I hope the fans of his new team enjoy watching his skills deteriorate even more as he falls apart.

I think you're looking for the North Side Baseball website.

 

Left after the 6th in as tight a playoff race as possible, booed your own players, a career Brewer in potentially his last game in Milwaukee. I don't care how good he was at baseball or how often injured, this attitude is the type of fan that brings the fan base down in status.

[RU Rah Rah]

I'm so ambivalent about Ben. He has contributed a great deal over the years (including this one), and he has pitched a bunch of truly outstanding games. And yet . . .there's just something that nags at me about his performance in critical situations (whether they are extended periods, or particularly important individual games). When the chips are down, he just isn't reliable -- whether it's because of physical or psychological frailty, or some combination of the two, I'm not sure.

[Roscoe Chill]

It's great for you to point out the obvious after it's happened.

 

I'm posting that I'm glad Ben Sheets "pitched" his last game as a Brewer today and will become some team's multi-million dollar problem/mistake/source of frustration. If that is now obvious to someone like you JJHardy, then hallelujah. It's hardly an opinion of mine that was formed today, just reinforced.

 

EDIT: And furthermore, when I said it's obvious he shouldn't be out there, I'm also saying he's not healthy. So, Sheets gutting it out and deciding to give it a go possibly cost the Brewers the game before it even started. Giving him credit for finally going out there when he isn't right, well, isn't right for the team, and was a premature kudos to Sheets.

[Ennder]

Sheets had the 8th highest VORP of any pitcher going into today's game, hard to call that a mistake. He earned his money this year. He rated out higher than pitchers like Haren, Peavy, Webb. Only 30 pitchers in baseball will have thrown more innings than him this year or 1 per team. Yeah it sucks he couldn't finish out the season but after the previous few years I didn't expect him to be able to break 200 IP.

 

I don't want to re-sign him but I think whatever team does will probably be happy enough with him. Pitchers are just too risky at that age to sign to huge long term contracts.

[giffted1]

I'm probably one of the few, but I'm sad too see him go. He, like Jenkins signed an extension with a pretty crappy team in Milwaukee at the time. It's a shame that he's been held back by injuries in the past, and its a shame that he'll likely be remembered for those injuries rather than his success as a Brewer. He's had a great season, and I'd bet no one is more disappointed with his recent outings than he is.

 

I hold out hope that he can make up for today's outing sometime in October and wish him the best wherever he pitches next year.

[JJHardy7]

Left after the 6th in as tight a playoff race as possible, booed your own players, a career Brewer in potentially his last game in Milwaukee. I don't care how good he was at baseball or how often injured, this attitude is the type of fan that brings the fan base down in status.

 

On TV, I thought he was cheered. I could be wrong, but that's what I thought happened from Brewers fans.

 

I'm posting that I'm glad Ben Sheets "pitched" his last game as a Brewer today and will become some team's multi-million dollar problem/mistake/source of frustration. If that is now obvious to someone like you JJHardy, then hallelujah. It's hardly an opinion of mine that was formed today, just reinforced.

 

Well it's obvious I've been saying don't sign Sheets forever NDOG. What is VERY obvious is the fact you made your post after Sheets screwed up. It's very easy and obvious to do that after it happens. Your post to me was pretty much 'I told you so after the fact' type of deal. Rip on me if you want, but that's what it is. I can't stand Sheets, but I'm not going to make a post like that AFTER the fact. I don't want Sheets back, but you could be a great manager NDOG if you knew what was going to happen before it happened. I vote NDOG for the 2009 manager and I think that's pretty obvious.

[Roscoe Chill]

Actually I posted that when he had pitched two innings, when it was obvious he wasn't well, but it wasn't after the fact. Your attack has nothing to do with anything other than who wrote the post (me). Piece of work dude.

[M Skjellyfetti]

If Ben really is gone, which it seems like he will be, I hate to see him go even though it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to bring him back. I've been a Sheets apologist for a while now, and I'll certainly miss him when he's gone.

 

P.S. Can't we all just get along?