View Full Version : Ben Sheets
<b><font size=4>Ben Sheets is ready to be a bona fide ace</font></b>
After battling overexcitement and jitters on Opening Day, Sheets has reeled off two dominating starts. His fastball has been consistently in the mid-90s and his curveball has proven a great equalizer in the two starts against the Astros (remember, they were facing him in consecutive starts). With regard to his changeup, he appears to believe in it enough to throw it in pressure situations. We were all convinced of that when he struck out Albert Pujols with a change on Opening Day. This is the year that Sheets moves to the 15-win plateau, or higher. Let's just make sure his back stays healthy!
slamers
04-21-2004, 04:14 AM
After battling overexcitement and jitters on Opening Day, Sheets has reeled off two dominating starts. His fastball has been consistently in the mid-90s and his curveball has proven a great equalizer in the two starts against the Astros (remember, they were facing him in consecutive starts). With regard to his changeup, he appears to believe in it enough to throw it in pressure situations. We were all convinced of that when he struck out Albert Pujols with a change on Opening Day. This is the year that Sheets moves to the 15-win plateau, or higher. Let's just make sure his back stays healthy!
it was great to see sheets pull off another win last night. 3-0, 20 k's... 3.xx era, etc. great start, i hope he keeps it up.
He did pitch a real good game and I do think he will keep it going and have a great season.
<b><font size=4>Sheets offers rude welcome home</font>
Brewers starter gets the better of Sexson</b>
Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Ben Sheets made his fourth start of the season Tuesday night at Miller Park and found himself pitching against a close friend, a former teammate and his landlord.
All three were named Richie Sexson.
In six innings, Sheets retired the Arizona first baseman three times, twice with runners in scoring position, and set the course for a 4-2 Brewers victory before 10,244 fans at Miller Park. In addition to earning his third straight victory and dropping his earned run average from 3.14 to 3.10, Sheets might have prompted some changes at the house he is renting from Sexson this season.
"I think his rent is going to go up," Brewers leftfielder Geoff Jenkins said.
Sexson, who struck out twice in a 0-for-4 return to his former home park, had other ideas. In a pregame meeting with reporters, he joked about Sheets' "big slobbery dog," a bulldog named Bruiser, "probably slobbering all over my floors."
"I'm kicking him out," Sexson joked after the game.
<b>Throwing well</b>
Sheets, who showed no signs of the back problem that forced him out of a start last week in Houston, limited the Diamondbacks to two runs and five hits in a 92-pitch performance aided by some solid defense. He struck out four and did not allow a walk.
"He threw well," Sexson said. "I got ahead in the count and he was able to drop a curveball for a strike. When he starts doing things like that, you know he's in a groove."
The groove was established early, but not easily. After giving up a one-out single to Roberto Alomar in the top of the first inning, Sheets labored through an 11-pitch confrontation with Diamondbacks leftfielder Luis Gonzalez, who fouled off five 2-2 pitches before striking out.
"That was two warriors going at it," Brewers pitching coach Mike Maddux said, calling it "a great battle."
With Gonzalez on the bench, Sheets faced Sexson for the first time since spring training, when the lanky first baseman homered off him. With the count 2-2, Sheets air-mailed a 97-mph fastball to the backstop, enabling Alomar to move into scoring position.
With the count full, Sexson was called out on a curveball that looked low and outside.
Sheets had an easier time in the second inning, when he retired the side on seven pitches.
"Having a quick inning there was big," he said later.
After throwing 13 pitches to get three outs in the third, he needed just six to retire the side in the fourth.
"That was a big part of the game," Brewers shortstop Craig Counsell said. "They had good at-bats in the first inning, but Ben had quick innings after that and was able catch his breath a little bit and keep his pitch count down. That's big. That's the name of the game. That pitch count thing is huge."
<b>Trouble in sixth</b>
Leading by a 1-0 margin, Sheets ran into trouble in the sixth. With one out, he hit Alomar with a fastball that broke the 10-time all-star's hand and sent him to the disabled list. Gonzalez followed with a ground-rule double that brought Sexson to the plate.
With the count 2-1, Sexson ripped a comeback to the mound. Sheets fielded the ball and trapped pinch runner Matt Kata off third base for the second out.
"I don't even know how my glove got there, to tell you the truth," Sheets said. "If you've seen me enough, you know I'm not real good at balls back up through the box. Maybe it just bounced in my glove. I don't know."
Neither did Sexson.
"Ben's all of a sudden become an athlete," he said.
Brewers manager Ned Yost, who finds hope in the fact that Sheets' back pain is higher this year than last, guessed that Sheets wouldn't have made that play last year. In any event, Sheets' happiness about the play quickly disappeared when Alex Cintron ripped a changeup for a two-run double.
"That play was good, but it didn't matter because they all scored anyway," Sheets said. "Sometimes that's the toughest thing, when you make that great pitch and realize you still have got that last out to get. Cintron hit a changeup, but I'm not going to complain because I got a lot of outs with it tonight."
<b>Feeling good</b>
Sheets had no need to complain at all. Jenkins' two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, followed by some deft relief work by Dave Burba, Luis Vizcaino and Dan Kolb, made him a winner.
"I felt good tonight," Sheets said. "It's good to get off to a good start. But I've had good starts before. Now, I've got to put together a full season."
SlushyBOB
04-21-2004, 03:28 PM
Good for Sheets!!! (and for me since he's on my money league fantasy baseball team!)
Amen to That. I have him on one of my Fantasy teams too.
SlushyBOB
04-22-2004, 02:38 PM
I've got Halladay, Zito, matt morris, Sheets, and Peavy in my starting rotation with Kris Benson, Adam Eaton, and Johan Santana (him and Peavy rotate in and out). So far Sheets has given me more points then all of them except Halladay!
I've got Halladay, Zito, matt morris, Sheets, and Peavy in my starting rotation with Kris Benson, Adam Eaton, and Johan Santana (him and Peavy rotate in and out). So far Sheets has given me more points then all of them except Halladay!
That sounds like a small league like the one I have him with Schilling,Oswalt,Beckett,Morris,Willis,Webb and Prior on the DL
Baseball Guru
04-22-2004, 07:23 PM
I've liked Sheets since he pitched a three-hit, complete game shutout against Cuba to help Team USA earn the gold medal:thumbsup:
Hope he has a great season....
<b><font size=4>Fit as a fiddle</font></b>
Right-hander Ben Sheets reported no problems with his back after pitching six strong innings Tuesday night and making three deft fielding plays. Sheets had to leave his previous start with back tightness, a condition he fought most of last season.
"He was all over the place," said manager Ned Yost. "He was diving off the mound for balls, making all kinds of play. I couldn't believe he caught that one ball that Richie (Sexson) hit."
Entering play Wednesday, Sheets was tied with Florida's Dontrelle Willis and Houston's Roger Clemens for the league lead with three victories.
SlushyBOB
04-23-2004, 06:19 PM
That sounds like a small league like the one I have him with Schilling,Oswalt,Beckett,Morris,Willis,Webb and Prior on the DL
It's a ten team league. I had Zito and Halladay as keepers from last year.
<b><font size=4>Sheets in Yankees' rumor mill</font>
But GM Melvin isn't 'motivated' to trade</b>
Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin received a phone call from the East Coast this week regarding the availability of right-hander Ben Sheets.
Before any fans in Cudahy choke on their cornflakes, let it be known that the call came from a reporter and not from a bunker at Yankee Stadium.
With the Yankees off to a stunningly sluggish start, the buzz in the Bronx is that principal owner George Steinbrenner will browbeat general manager Brian Cashman into making a trade as a way to snap the club out of this slump.
Sheets' name hit the New York rumor mill weeks ago, along with those of Arizona lefty Randy Johnson and Cincinnati centerfielder Ken Griffey Jr. The Yankees apparently like Sheets' age (25), potential and relatively modest contract ($2.425 million).
Melvin, who once worked as a farm director under Steinbrenner, said he has not been contacted by anyone with the Yankees. What will he say if such a call comes through?
"It's the same thing I said in spring training; I'm not motivated to trade Ben right now," Melvin said.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?t=37526 target=_blank><font color=green>Ben Sheets 18 Strike Outs game Thread</font></a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?t=37566 target=_blank><font color=green>Ben Sheets NL Player of the week Thread</font></a>
For the Secound week of May.
aTrUeCUBsFaN
05-18-2004, 12:34 AM
Ben Sheet is a good pitcher. I would not be surprised for the Yankees to contact the Brewers about him soon. Not saying that he will be traded, but the Yankees' rotation is not consistence, he could be on their mind. I would be happy for him to leave the division.
<b><font size=4>Sheets burning batters with extra gas</font></b>
Informed that the "pitch speed" indicator at Miller Park has clocked the fastball of Ben Sheets at increased velocities from past years, Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost broke into a mischievous smile.
"The (radar) gun is lying," said Yost. "We want everybody to think Ben is throwing 98, 99 mph, when he's really only throwing 88, 89."
Yeah, right. Tell us another one.
It's no secret around the National League that Sheets is throwing harder than in his previous three seasons with the Brewers. Much harder, in fact.
Not that Sheets was ever a soft-tosser. The 25-year-old right-hander regularly got his fastball to the plate in the mid 90s (mph) in the past. This season, however, he has approached the century mark on many occasions.
During his franchise-record 18-strikeout game against Atlanta last Sunday at Miller Park, Sheets' fastball registered 98-99 mph a few times and hit 96-97 with regularity.
Why is Sheets throwing a couple miles per hour harder in 2004?
"A little better mechanics and a lot more health," said Brewers pitching coach Mike Maddux.
Sheets is the first to admit he is feeling much better physically. He was tormented throughout much of last season by lower back discomfort, the result of two bulging discs that created pain on a sliding scale.
Sometimes the discomfort was manageable. Other times Sheets' back barked like a pack of hound dogs chasing a fox.
"My back has been hurt but you've got to go out there and perform," said Sheets, who pitched miserably over the final two months (1-6, 6.01 ERA) of the '03 season to finish with an 11-13 record and 4.45 ERA.
"I was doing OK the first four months but everybody said I was throwing bad because of the homers (29 allowed for the season). Then, I threw the ball terrible the last two months.
"Anybody who has had back problems knows it's tricky. If you haven't had back problems, you have no idea. I'm not talking about a sore back or a stiff back. I'm talking about something in there that really hurts.
"This year, I have more peace of mind. If you're not worrying about your back, you can worry about the things you need to worry about."
<b>Workouts altered</b>
Oddly enough, Sheets' increased velocity could be the result of an off-season workout regimen that had to be altered because of his back problems. Leery of doing a lot of lower body work as in past winters, he concentrated more on upper body weights.
When Sheets reported to spring camp in Phoenix, he was noticeably broader across the shoulders.
"I worked out my upper body for the first time ever," he said. "I always just did lower body work but I couldn't because my back was hurting so bad. I wanted to do something. I'm stronger."
Realizing he also must keep his back and lower torso limber, Sheets continued the Pilates program he began last season. He does those exercises at least twice between pitching appearances and usually three or four times a week.
"I guess it helps," said Sheets, who has a deceiving 4-3 record and 2.86 ERA after suffering a loss Saturday night in Pittsburgh.
"Basically, it's 'core' exercises, so we decided to try it. It's something you've got to do but I enjoy it. As long as it works, I'll keep doing it."
At this point, it would be foolish for Sheets to change anything in his routine, including the daily heat treatments on his back. While the 18-strikeout performance against Atlanta put him on the national radar, Sheets had been working up to it with a string of impressive outings.
<b>No free passes</b>
In his second start of the season against Houston, Sheets pitched six shutout innings and logged 10 strikeouts, a career high at that point. And though Sheets always has been one of the better control pitchers in the league, it became evident his command of pitches had reached a new level.
Beginning with that outing against the Astros, he went five starts without issuing a walk. That spell was broken May 5 in Cincinnati when Sheets uncharacteristically walked four batters in six innings, but he also reached the 10-strikeout level again.
After a solid eight-inning outing (seven hits, two earned runs) against Montreal, Sheets took the mound a week ago ready to do something special. Brilliantly mixing in the killer curveball that hitters fear more than his heater, the Louisiana native completed his three-hit masterpiece by recording the final six outs, and eight of the last nine, via strikeouts.
And you want to talk about command? Of the 116 pitches Sheets threw against the Braves, 91 found the strike zone. That's 78.4%, for those scoring at home.
"Without a doubt, stuff-wise, he's as good as anyone," said Brewers catcher Chad Moeller, who was behind the plate for Arizona on May 8, 2001, when Randy Johnson struck out 20 Cincinnati hitters in nine innings of a game the Diamondbacks won in 11 innings.
"Before I got here, I just knew he had a pretty good fastball and was known for his curve. I didn't know he had the kind of velocity he has," Moeller added. "And he's young; he's still improving."
Which should be a scary thought for enemy hitters. Because the Olympic hero was rushed to the big leagues in 2001 and quickly was thrust into the role of staff ace, people forget Sheets was a mere 22 when he arrived in Milwaukee.
<b>Primed for breakthrough</b>
In the interim, Sheets has pitched on some very bad teams, while still managing to win 11 games each season. Assuming his chronic back pain remains manageable, the breakthrough year he has craved could be in progress.
"He's a better pitcher," said Yost. "His stuff is better and his command is better. But, at this stage of the game, you don't get hugely better. You just get a little better, then you stay consistent with that.
"That's what (Tom) Glavine, (Greg) Maddux and (John) Smoltz did in Atlanta. They got to the point where they were good and they stayed there. They had bad games but they were consistently good, year in and year out."
Whether Sheets evolves into one of the game's top strikeout pitchers remains to be seen. During his first three seasons with the Brewers, he averaged 6.44 strikeouts per nine innings. Through 10 starts this season, he is humming along at a 9.41 clip.
Among NL starters, only Johnson (11.57 per nine innings), Houston's Roger Clemens (10.99), Chicago's injured Kerry Wood (10.48) and the Astros' Andy Pettitte (9.72) have higher strikeout ratios. None of those pitchers could match the command displayed by Sheets (1.5 walks per nine innings), however.
As for his increased velocity, Sheets said, "You can tell by looking at hitter's swings. When they're not on your fastball, you can tell.
"Right now, it's as good as I've thrown for a while. But I have to keep doing it. Until you do it for a full season, you haven't done anything.
"I'm still young; I still think I'm getting better. I'm maturing and I know the hitters better. I just want to keep it up."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?t=38202 target=_blank>Giving something back</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?t=38205 target=_blank>Sheets and Overbay to be given watches for winning the player of the week award</a>
<b><font size=4>Pitching for dollars</font></b>
Jeanine Kissenger of Brookfield, Wis., pledged $100 for each of Ben Sheets' eight strikeouts in Thursday's win as part of the 96.5 FM WKLH Miracle Marathon. Sheets matched the donation, and the funds will benefit the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
<b><font size=4>Sheets misses start due to viral infection</font></b>
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets missed Tuesday night's scheduled start against the Los Angeles Dodgers because of a viral infection and inflammation in his inner ear.
``Last night, he was real dizzy, to the point of nausea,'' manager Ned Yost said before batting practice. ``He's been in with the doctor since 10 or 11 this morning, and they were doing tests on him to find out what it was. My guess is, he'll miss a turn.''
Sheets missed a rematch with Jeff Weaver, whom he beat 3-1 with seven innings of four-hit ball and eight strikeouts last Thursday in Milwaukee. Sheets, who had an 18-strikeout game in Atlanta last month, is 5-3 with a 2.71 ERA and has not walked a batter in six of his 11 starts.
Doug Davis, Wednesday's scheduled starter, faced the Dodgers on three days' rest.
<b><font size=4>Notes: Sheets suffering dizziness</font>
An inner-ear infection leaves pitcher on the sidelines</b>
LOS ANGELES -- Ben Sheets stumbled into the Dodger Stadium clubhouse about two hours before what was supposed to be his 12th start of the season, his hair a mess.
"At least now I have a good reason to look like this," he joked.
No, it was not the Los Angeles nightlife. After a few miserable days of symptoms of vertigo -- extreme dizziness -- Sheets spent four hours Tuesday at an ear clinic and was diagnosed with vestibular neuritis, a viral infection causing inflammation in the nerve of his middle ear and affecting 80 percent of his balance mechanism.
Sheets' illness sent the team scrambling. Left-hander Doug Davis was bumped up to pitch Tuesday on three days' rest in Sheets' place.
The team also placed lefty Chris Capuano on the 15-day disabled list to make room for top pitching prospect Ben Hendrickson, who may start in Davis' place Wednesday.
The scramble was nothing new for Brewers manager Ned Yost and pitching coach Mike Maddux, who have not enjoyed a consistent five-man rotation since Capuano was originally injured April 18.
"We started doing it in pencil, that's for sure," Yost said of his calendar of starting pitchers, which he tracks weeks in advance on a yellow legal pad. "We used to do it in pen."
Sheets, who is 5-3 with a 2.71 ERA this season, was listed as day-to-day.
Yost was hopeful that Sheets would make his next start, but bouts of vertigo can linger. After third base coach Rich Donnelly suffered similar symptoms last season, he spent time researching the ailment at the library and found more questions than answers.
"The more I read about it, the less I knew," said Donnelly, 57. "Everything you read says the symptoms are dizziness. Well, no kidding. They don't know what causes it, and they don't know much about treating it."
In a pair of scary incidents, Donnelly had to leave the two games in a span of four days last April after experiencing dizziness. He had a CAT scan while the team was in Miami playing the Marlins. Donnelly also received medication for an inner-ear infection and said it took "a good 10 days" before he felt normal.
"It's a terrible feeling," he said. "Awful."
Sheets was laid up on a couch in the Milwaukee clubhouse after the team's 3-2 loss to the Dodgers on Monday with his head covered by a pillow.
"He started feeling real dizzy [over the weekend]," Yost said. "It got real bad yesterday. He couldn't do anything."
<b><font size=4>Sheets feeling much better</font>
He could return to mound Tuesday at Anaheim</b>
Los Angeles - The decibel level increased in the Milwaukee Brewers' clubhouse Wednesday afternoon, which meant one thing: Ben Sheets was feeling better.
Sheets, who missed his turn in the rotation Tuesday night because of an inner-ear infection that caused severe dizziness, walked without wobbling, joked loudly with teammates, rode an exercise bike and played a brief game of catch with trainer Roger Caplinger.
"You can tell Ben is feeling better," manager Ned Yost said. "But I still don't see any reason to push him.
"I think he'll be ready to pitch the first game of the series in Anaheim (Tuesday). We'll have Doug Davis ready to pitch the last game in San Diego (Sunday) on his regular day. Right now, that's what I'm planning to do."
Working in Sheets' place on three days rest instead of the usual four, Davis worked six scoreless innings Tuesday night as the Brewers won, 4-1. He struck out three batters and gave up four hits and two walks.
After working out of trouble in the second and third innings, the lefty faced the minimum nine batters in his final three innings of work.
"I think that was the first time I've ever started on three days," Davis said. "My arm felt really good. I wasn't really tired.
"In the second and third innings, I was rushing a little bit. I was trying to make a perfect pitch and I got behind guys. That's what happens when you do that. But I was able to make good pitches to get out of it.
"When I got to about 80 pitches, I started to run out of gas a little bit. But overall I felt really good."
The victory improved Davis' record to 4-4 and earned him the respect of his teammates.
"He really stepped up," catcher Chad Moeller said. "That was another one of Doug's performances of just getting outs when he had to and keeping hitters off-balance."
Davis recorded a personal first in the third inning, striking out Paul Lo Duca on a cut fastball that hit the Dodgers catcher on the forearm - after he swung.
"I've never struck a guy out like that before," Davis said. "I was glad the umpires saw it and I was glad they said he swung."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=278806#post278806 target=_blank>Ben there, done that</a>
<b><font size=4>Weekend rotation</font></b>
Sheets was feeling even better on Wednesday, a day after doctors diagnosed an inner-ear infection as the reason for the dizziness that kept him out of Tuesday's start.
But if he returns to the rotation after only one missed turn, it will not come this weekend. Yost announced that right-handers Victor Santos and Wes Obermueller will pitch the first two games at San Diego, possibly followed by Davis on Sunday. Sheets is questionable to start Tuesday's series opener against the Anaheim Angels.
<b><font size=4>Sheets update</font></b>
Right-hander Ben Sheets, scratched from a start Tuesday due to a viral middle-ear infection, will throw in the bullpen today. Barring any unusual circumstances, he will start the series opener Tuesday night in Anaheim.
"He'll be fine," Yost said. "I even toyed with the idea of starting him (Saturday) and the last game in Anaheim (Thursday). But if he has any problems, that just doesn't make any sense. We'll just throw him on the side and get him ready for Tuesday."
<b><font size=4>Sheets figures in</font></b>
Good news on the health of right-hander Ben Sheets played into Friday's roster moves.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Liefer, a left-handed hitting utilityman who can play first and third base and the outfield, the Brewers designated Double-A catcher Kade Johnson for assignment. To clear a spot on the active, 25-man roster, the team returned right-hander Ben Hendrickson to Triple-A Indianapolis.
The latter move signaled good news for ace Sheets, who missed his last start after experiencing extreme bouts of dizziness because of a viral inner-ear infection.
Yost said he toyed with the idea of starting Sheets as early as Saturday but settled on Tuesday's series opener at Anaheim. Yost called Sheets "a lock" to make that start.
"I think Ben really wants to pitch before that," Yost said. "He'll be fine."
To be sure, Sheets will throw off a bullpen mound before Saturday's game.
Hendrickson threw a bullpen session on Friday afternoon and will travel back to Indianapolis on Saturday. He is scheduled to start on Monday against Scranton.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=281012#post281012 target=_blank>17 innings yield milestones, trivia</a>
<b><font size=4>Wasteful offense sabotages Sheets</font></b>
When they didn't have anything, they couldn't squander it. The new Milwaukee Brewers created a new problem for themselves Sunday: waste.
He's also clearly one of the best, but that didn't help him much when he had to overcome the Astros and his teammates' generosity on the same afternoon. While seven hits and four earned runs in six innings isn't vintage Sheets, it's not vinegar either.
Even reasonable support would have left him with a 6-3 record, but his friends managed to waste nine base runners and score just twice before he left. The Brewers have been anything but reasonable lately where Sheets is concerned.
He was careless enough to give up a hit in nine innings in his last start, and he probably should have been grateful that he didn't take the loss. He didn't get the victory either, but then he's received credit for only two of those since April 20 when he was 3-0.
Nineteen earned runs in his last nine starts should put a pitcher on the path to the All-Star Game, and it's likely to for Sheets as long as he's not in therapy by then. At least he had a whole locker room with which to commiserate Sunday after the Brewers lost not only a series sweep but also a chance to soar four games over .500 for the first time in three years.
"We're all frustrated," said Brewers manager Ned Yost.
Maybe some more than others. Saturday night's hero, Keith Ginter, stranded more people than a Christmas blizzard, but it was Sheets who could be forgiven if he'd chewed a hole in his locker. He took refuge in the obvious instead.
"We had a chance to get a sweep, and we didn't do it," he said. "I don't think we played well in any aspect of the game today. I felt OK. I didn't throw the best I could, obviously. I was getting behind a couple of batters, and they were making me pay."
He got ahead of seven of them enough to strike them out, while walking only two and watching his offense leave runners in scoring position in all but one of the innings he pitched. Before Geoff Jenkins lost track of the rotation and hit a ball over the right field wall in the fifth, the Brewers had gone 19 straight innings without providing a single run for Sheets.
Deprivation like that can attack a man's motivation. In Sheets' case, it might make him too determined.
"You feel like you have to be a little more perfect," he said. "There's no room for error out there. Sometimes you catch yourself trying to do too much, but we had a chance in the end."
About seven of them actually. The Brewers went down in order only twice all afternoon while taking minimum advantage of 11 hits, six of them for extra bases. Yost had to admit it's hard to do less with more, particularly where his ace is concerned.
"He still had enough good stuff to win the ball game. He was throwing the ball pretty good. He just made a bad pitch once or twice, and our inability to be able to field a ball or two just put him in a hole.
"It's hard to say how you can go out one day and throw a one-hitter and not get any runs and then only get a couple the next day. The thing about it was his stuff was plenty, plenty good."
Good enough for most people anyway. Just not for Sheets.
<b><font size=4>Sheets pitching, runs needed</font></b>
Ben Sheets certainly deserves a better fate than his 5-4 record would indicate. Geoff Jenkins' two-run home run in the fifth inning, was the first time in 20 innings that the Brewers had scored a run with Sheets on the mound. Sheets had a win, a loss and a no-decision in those three starts. In his last 11 starts, the Brewers are averaging just 3.5 runs a game.
<b><font size=4>Astros vs. Sheets</font></b>
Ben Sheets had an eight-game winning streak against the Houston Astros snapped today. He had not lost to the Astros since April, 11 2001. Prior to today's loss Sheets was 8-2 vs. Houston with a 3.04 ERA in 12 starts. The Brewers are now 8-5 in Sheets' 13 starts.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?t=39191 target=_blank>Campaign trail</a>
<b><font size=4>Sheets makes best of start</font>
Starter learns to dominate even on bad days</b>
MILWAUKEE -- Looking for a sign that Ben Sheets has grown from a pretty good pitcher into one of the National League's best?
His teammates point to the fact that he can still dominate without his best stuff.
"You have to be able to do that," said catcher Chad Moeller, who handled Sheets in the Brewers' 4-1 win over the Twins on Friday night. "You have to compete on those days because you're not always going to have everything."
Friday was one of those days. Sheets struggled to keep his curveball out of the dirt early in the game, and during his six-inning, 102-pitch stint he never really established control of his fastball.
But he limited Minnesota to four hits and one run and won the game. That was all that mattered to manager Ned Yost, who watched his share of developing aces as the Braves' bullpen and third base coach from 1991-2002.
"In all those years there were days that Greg Maddux didn't have his best stuff, that Tommy Glavine didn't have his best stuff," Yost said. "You don't have your great stuff every night. You have to still find ways to compete, find ways to win. It's very important. That's part of getting over the hump of being a mediocre pitcher to being an outstanding pitcher in the National League."
As good as Maddux and Glavine?
"He's getting there," Yost said. "Those are No. 1, No. 2 guys on a good team. Benny is the No. 1 guy on a pretty good team."
Moeller has caught his share of aces, from Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson in Arizona to some of the Twins' up-and-coming arms during Moeller's tenure with that organization from 1996-2000.
Sheets improved to 6-4 with the win, but his importance to the Brewers' surprisingly good starting rotation shows up further down the stat line. Through all of Friday's games, Sheets ranked second in the NL with just 1.4 walks per nine innings, third with 95 strikeouts (one better than Roger Clemens), fourth with a .202 batting average against, fifth with a 2.59 ERA and seventh with 94 innings pitched.
His breakthrough season has included an 18-strikeout performance against Atlanta on May 16 and a near perfect game at Anaheim on June 8. Sheets was seven outs away from perfection in that game and eventually allowed only one hit in nine shutout innings, but got a no-decision in a contest that went 17 innings.
In his last two starts, Sheets has been less sharp. He has pitched just six innings each time, and against the Astros on June 13 surrendered a season-high four earned runs.
"He's off a little bit," Yost said. "It's hard to be razor sharp every time out. But his stuff is still more than good enough to help us win ballgames. We're getting to the middle of the summer and he's been on a steady five-man rotation for a while now."
The Brewers rank fourth among NL clubs with a 3.80 ERA, the lowest it's been this deep into a season since 1992, the team's last winning season. Before Wes Obermueller toed the rubber at the start of Saturday's game, Brewers starters were 23-19 with a 3.85 ERA.
<i>From the Huntville Times</i>
<b><font size=4>Sheets unfolding strong year, and he's not alone</font></b>
Former Huntsville players having major impacts
OK, it's not Chicago or Denver, where Mario Encarnacion sipped from that proverbial major league cup of coffee. But if one must toil in the minor leagues, there could be worse fates than to be a Cancun Lobsterman.
Or even a Columbus Clipper, like Jeff Deardorff, even if your path to the majors is blocked by another former Star, Jason Giambi, or any of a number of New York Yankee gazillionaires.
This "Stars Search'' series, as part of this 20th season of pro ball here, has caught up with a number of past Huntsville players and their after-baseball lives.
With the season at the halfway point, at least in terms of the minors, it seemed appropriate to search for a number of ex-Stars still in the game, to look at their progress.
According to Sports Network, there are 94 former Huntsville players still playing pro baseball. Twenty-four are current major leaguers.
Here's a quick look at some of the most notable major leaguers who graduated from Huntsville and their numbers (their season in Huntsville in parentheses):
Mark Bellhorn (1996), Boston second baseman, .266, 7 HR, 39 RBIs.
Jason Giambi (1991), New York Yankees first baseman, .242, 10 HRs, 30 RBIs.
Ben Grieve, Milwaukee outfielder, .268, 4 HRs, 17 RBIs.
Ramon Hernandez (1998) catcher, San Diego, .270, 7 HRs, 25 RBIs.
Scott Spiezio (1996), Seattle first baseman, .230, 7 HRs, 25 RBIs.
Miguel Tejada (1998), Baltimore shortstop, .300, 10 HRs, 50 RBIs.
Tim Hudson (1998), Oakland pitcher, 7-2, 2.78 ERA.
Ben Sheets (2000), Milwaukee pitcher, 6-4, 2.59 ERA.
Todd Van Poppel (1991), Cincinnati pitcher, 2-1, 4.53 ERA.
Sheets and Hudson are bidding for All-Star Game selections and Tejada has picked up where he left off after his big-money signing with the Orioles two years after his AL MVP selection. Giambi badly sprained an ankle a month ago and has been on the disabled list, another complication in a season that also saw him caught up in the BALCO steroids controversy.
Other ex-Stars who are position players in the majors are: third basemen Tony Batista (Montreal) and Eric Chavez (on the DL at Oakland), outfielder Geoff Jenkins (Milwaukee), catcher Cody McKay (St. Louis) and second baseman David Newhan (Baltimore).
Other ex-Stars pitching in the majors now are: Doug Davis (Milwaukee), Eric DuBose (Baltimore), Chad Fox (Florida), Tim Harikkala (Colorado), Chad Harville (Houston), Hideo Nomo (Los Angeles), Tanyon Sturtze (New York Yankees), Luis Vizcaino (Milwaukee), John Wasdin (Texas) and Jay Witasick (San Diego).
Here's a look at some of the more notable ex-Stars who continue in the minor leagues:
Danny Ardoin (1998), catcher Oklahoma (AAA Rangers) .296, 7 HRs, 29 RBIs.
Ryan Christenson (1997), outfielder Albuquerque (AAA Marlins) .313, 1 HR, 3 RBIs.
Mike Coolbaugh (1997), third baseman New Orleans (AAA Astros) .237, 10 HRs, 25 RBIs.
Jeff Deardorff (2002) first baseman Columbus (AAA Yankees) .290, 12 HRs, 44 RBIs.
Mario Encarnacion (1998), outfielder Cancun (AAA Independent) .253, 1 HR, 7 RBIs.
Bucky Jacobsen (2002) first baseman Tacoma (AAA Mariners) .315, 18 HRs, 65 RBIs.
Mickey Lopez (2000) second baseman Tacoma (AAA Mariners) .281, 6 HRs.
Brian Moon (2003) catcher San Antonio (AA Mariners) .212, 0 HR, 5 RBIs.
Jeff Pickler (2001) second baseman Oklahoma (AAA Rangers) .288, 0 HR, 16 RBIs.
Noochie Varner (2003) outfielder Tucson (AAA Diamondbacks) .299, 3 HRs, 15 RBIs.
Ernie Young (1994), outfielder Buffalo (AAA Indians) .310, 15 HRs, 52 RBIs.
Pete Zoccolillo (2002) outfielder Oklahoma (AAA Rangers) .321, 13 HRs, 52 RBIs.
Derek Lee (2003) pitcher New Hampshire (AA Blue Jays) 1-3, 3.12 ERA.
Brian Mallette (2001) pitcher Louisville (AAA Reds) 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 4 saves.
Kelly Wunsch (1999), pitcher Charlotte (AAA White Sox) 1-0, 3.38 ERA.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=286533#post286533 target=_blank>Rotation notes</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=286539#post286539 target=_blank>Network gig</a>
<b><font size=4>Sheets rumors just a sham</font>
Melvin says he's not ready to trade pitcher</b>
Denver - Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin has been getting plenty of telephone calls recently about the availability of right-hander Ben Sheets.
Funny thing is, those calls haven't been coming from other GMs.
"I've already told them we're not moving Sheets," Melvin said.
Melvin has been fielding calls from reporters, mostly in New York and Boston. With the Yankees and Red Sox in their annual battle to acquire help for the stretch run, rumors have continued to spread that Sheets is on their shopping lists.
Melvin said he couldn't be any clearer about his unwillingness to trade the ace of his starting rotation.
"I wouldn't trade Ben Sheets," Melvin said. "He's part of what we're trying to do. There's no way I'd (trade him)."
Melvin is one of several general managers trying to figure out if he should be a buyer or seller in the trade market this season, or neither. The Brewers entered play Wednesday night 41/2 games behind NL Central leader St. Louis, which lost for the third consecutive day to Pittsburgh.
The deadline for trading players without requiring waivers is July 31, and Melvin said he would wait to see how the Brewers do the next couple of weeks before deciding if he should make moves.
"It's too early," Melvin said. "We might be a buyer or a seller, or neither one. When we play the Cubs and the Astros and the Reds in the next few weeks, that will give us an indication of what we should do.
"I like the way the team is playing. To do something just to say we're doing something isn't appropriate."
The Brewers could use more run production in right field and a left-handed relief pitcher but it is unlikely they would make an acquisition of note. For one thing, the budget does not allow the addition of significant salaries. And Melvin isn't about to trade any of the top prospects in his highly regarded farm system.
"Last year this time, I was preparing to sell," Melvin said. "But that was a different club. We had a lot of older players in their free-agent year, like Eric Young, Curtis Leskanic and Mike DeJean. It made sense to move them.
"We don't have that this year."
If the Brewers decide they need more stability in the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation than that provided by Wes Obermueller (3-3, 6.79 earned run average), they are more likely to summon right-hander Ben Hendrickson from Class AAA Indianapolis. Hendrickson turned in another gem Tuesday, going nine innings and allowing only five hits and one run, walking none and striking out nine.
Hendrickson, who made a spot start for the Brewers in Los Angeles in early June, is 7-2 through 15 starts at Indianapolis and is the active leader in the International League with a 2.48 ERA.
"We know that he's there if we decide the pitching needs a boost in the fifth starting spot," Melvin said. "We're not pressured into doing it. It might be something we consider at some point."
<b><font size=4>A star among many stars</font></b>
DENVER -- Online balloting for the All-Star Game ended at midnight ET on Wednesday, but no Brewers were expecting a starting gig.
Someone is going to represent the team in Houston on July 13 at Minute Maid Park, either through player balloting or the online Final Vote, or by decree of National League manager Jack McKeon.
Who will it be?
Most players polled agreed that the obvious answer is ace right-hander Ben Sheets.
"It's got to be Ben," said infielder Wes Helms. "Second in the league in ERA? He's been lights-out for us. He should have won more games; we just didn't score runs for him. He's played good enough to go."
What about first baseman Lyle Overbay, closer Dan Kolb and even left-hander Doug Davis?
Kolb has converted 22 of 23 save opportunities, posted a miniscule 0.93 ERA, allowed just 23 baserunners in 29 innings and had not allowed a run in June. Kolb has not allowed an extra-base hit this season and has given up just one walk in his last 20 innings spanning 22 games.
Davis has a 3.34 ERA and was one of just 12 pitchers in the NL with at least eight wins and ranked eighth with 105 innings pitched.
"Shoot, it's always been a dream," Davis said. "Ever since I've been playing baseball, at least. You always want to be in the All-Star Game, to be there on the sideline with your camera for the Home Run Derby."
The most deserving player watching the All-Star Game on television could be Overbay, who leads the Majors with 30 doubles and ranks in the top 10 in batting average and RBIs.
"It would be something," Overbay said. "But there are about six first basemen in front of me with as good, if not better, stats. And they're probably more deserving."
He was talking about first basemen like St. Louis' Albert Pujols, who leads fan balloting. Philadelphia's Jim Thome leads the Major Leagues with 26 homers, Cincinnati's Sean Casey leads the NL along with Barry Bonds with a .352 average and Colorado's Todd Helton is right behind at .341. Houston's Jeff Bagwell is having a down season, but he has the hometown advantage.
"Sometimes your position can hold you back," Helms said.
The 2004 NL and American League All-Star teams will be unveiled on ESPN at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, July 4. The 16 elected starters will be announced along with 46 pitchers and reserves. Following the announcement, fans will have the opportunity to select the final position player for each league's 32-man roster on MLB.com. Milwaukee left fielder Geoff Jenkins won the Final Vote last year.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?t=40021 target=_blank>Sheets and Kolb Make All-Star Game</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=294093#post294093 target=_blank>Yost, Melvin reflect on season so far</a>
<b><font size=4>Sheets tries and fails to leave bat behind</font>
Hitting didn't make him an all-star, he figures</b>
Houston - Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets was packing his equipment bag at Miller Park Sunday afternoon to go to the All-Star Game when clubhouse manager Tony Migliaccio walked up, assessed the situation and asked a question.
"Ben, do you want me to get your batting helmet and a bat to throw in there?" Migliaccio asked.
Sheets, whose .118 batting average this year is a drop-off from his career mark of .123, laughed. "Heck, no," he said. "They're not going to let me hit. They've got better guys than me to send up there."
Within moments, Sheets was out the door.
Migliaccio looked across the room and saw closer Dan Kolb packing his bag for the trip to Houston. Migliaccio went to the storage room and, moments later, Kolb left for the airport - with Sheets' hitting tools in his bag.
"You just never know what can happen," Migliaccio said. "If something weird happens and he does end up hitting, I don't want him to have to borrow stuff to go up there."
Sheets, a two-time all-star who closed a stellar first half with a victory over Cincinnati Saturday night, is 9-5, has thrown 16 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, leads the majors in earned run average (2.26) and is almost certain to get a call from National League manager Jack McKeon tonight.
"I hope he uses me on the mound and not at the plate," Sheets said. "I don't care if I get in or not. But if I do get in, I want to get some outs. It's not hard to get up for this thing."
<b><font size=4>Invigorating introduction</font></b>
Asked what he enjoys most about his previous all-star experience, which came during his rookie year in 2001, Sheets said: "I like getting announced on the (foul) line (in pre-game introductions). That's my favorite part. Just being around the guys and all that talent is pretty cool, too."
Kolb, one of nine first-time all-stars on the NL roster, finished his first half of the season on a depressing note Sunday when he gave up a pair of homers - his first extra-base hits of the season - during a 9-6 loss to the Reds.
The defeat was doubly disappointing for Kolb, whose father, Dan Sr., was in the stands watching him pitch a major-league game for the first time.
"That was not the best game to show him on his first time," Kolb said. "It had nothing to do with him being there. Honestly, that didn't cross my mind when I took the mound. I just didn't have my stuff.
"It was one of those things. I didn't want to do it on that day. It was my worst day of the first half. If I only have one bad day in the second half, I'll take that."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=294751#post294751 target=_blank>A planned approach</a>
<b><font size=4>Sheets ponders back in the future</font>
Surgery possible to alleviate bulging discs</b>
Chicago - With the help of a strict exercise routine, regular massages, countless heat packs and an occasional anti-inflammatory, Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Ben Sheets has done a pretty good job of overcoming his chronic back problems this season.
But they are never far from his mind.
Sheets, who celebrates his 26th birthday today, has been battling bulging discs in his lower back almost from the time he arrived in the Brewers' clubhouse as a rookie in 2001. Although Sheets' results this season have been outstanding - he leads the major leagues in earned run average (2.28) and is on pace to obliterate his personal record for victories in a season (11) - the back problem hasn't gone away.
"It bothers me from time to time," he said. "It doesn't feel great. When I pitch, it feels good because I get it loose."
During festivities surrounding the All-Star Game last week in Houston, Sheets mentioned to a handful of National League teammates that he is contemplating undergoing surgery during the off-season to correct the problem.
"It depends on how long it would take (to rehab)," he said. "There is no doubt that it could (require surgery). Right now, it's OK. I'm going to stand pat as long as it feels all right."
One of the players Sheets talked to was Arizona left-hander Randy Johnson, who was hindered by a herniated disc that limited him to 14 appearances in 1996 and underwent surgery in September of that season. Using a technique involving a surgical microscope and microsurgical tools, doctors repaired the disc through a 1-inch incision in Johnson's back. In the year following the surgery, Johnson posted his first 20-victory season.
"I rehabbed my back all through the off-season and when I went to spring training in February, I was pretty much ready to go," Johnson said. "I worked as hard as possible, but there were a lot of questions that weren't answered until I got back on the mound. Once I did, everything was OK."
Johnson said the rehabilitation made him a smarter pitcher. "One of the things you realize is how important your core is," he said. "A lot of pitchers tend not to think about that.
"A lot of the exercises I was doing during rehab seemed kind of futuristic at the time. Everybody is doing them now. I'm glad I had a head start in that. I think it definitely made me a better pitcher."
Asked if he would recommend the surgery to another pitcher, Johnson said: "I can't answer that, because everybody's symptoms are different. I didn't have a choice. I had sciatica running down both my legs and I could barely touch my toes. But I know people who have two bulging discs who are just fine. Everybody is different."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=295953#post295953 target=_blank>Forward thinking: Brewers plan to try to keep top pitchers</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=296683#post296683 target=_blank>Start talking</a>
<b><font size=4>Yost says Sheets healthy</font></b>
HOUSTON -- Brewers manager Ned Yost insisted Friday that there is nothing wrong with Ben Sheets.
The team's offense is another matter.
Thursday's 4-0 loss to the Cardinals extended the Brewers' losing streak to a season-high four games and their scoreless streak to 25 innings, which was promptly snapped when Scott Podsednik led off Friday's game with a home run. Sheets was tagged for a season-high nine hits and surrendered more than three earned runs for just the fifth time in 20 starts this season.
"This isn't said with any disrespect, but I don't think he had his best fastball tonight," outfielder Jim Edmonds said. "He's usually throwing 97, 98. Tonight he was topping out at 94. That's something you have to ask him. But we were able to do some things early, then Jason [Marquis, the Cardinals starter] shut them down."
Yost deflected the suggestion that Sheets is ailing.
"He missed location on some of his pitches," Yost said. "It happens. You're not going to have blazing stuff every night. There's nothing wrong with him."
The offense? Now that's ailing.
Going into Friday's game against Roger Clemens and the Astros, only the offensively challenged Montreal Expos ranked below the Brewers among National League teams in runs scored, hits, runs batted in, strikeouts and slugging percentage. And only the San Diego Padres had hit fewer home runs than the Brewers' 90.
More troubling had been the Brewers' struggles in the clutch. They went into Friday's game batting .238 with runners in scoring position and .239 with the bases loaded.
"I don't look at what stats say," Yost said. "I'll look at opposing players' stats to get the right matchups, but as far as our guys, I don't look. I look at what's going on on the field."
Lately, it had not been good. The Brewers had lost 13 of their last 19 games while scoring 50 runs, an average of 2.6 per night.
They were shut out in a brief two-game series against the Cardinals, the Brewers' first back-to-back shutouts since Sept. 9-10, 2001 at Houston and versus St. Louis. Podsednik's leadoff homer avoided the team's first back-to-back-to-back shutouts since May 3, 5 and 6, 1972.
Yet the Brewers entered the weekend with a .500 record thanks to a Sheets-led pitching staff that has picked up the slack. Milwaukee starters had a 4.00 ERA, fifth-best in the NL, and a .252 opponents' batting average, second-best.
With the offense pressing to score runs, is there a danger that the pitchers will press, too?
"I don't think they do, especially Ben," said catcher Chad Moeller.
"It's natural to, but I don't think our guys are," Yost said. "They feel a definite sense of responsibility, knowing that have to go out there and keep the score down to give us a chance to win. That's true for any team."
Television cameras caught a brief back-and-forth between Sheets and Yost after the Brewers manager took his starter out of Thursday's loss. It was not exactly a blowup, but Sheets was clearly agitated.
"He was just frustrated with us not winning that game," Yost said. "He was frustrated with himself as much as anything."
Are the offensive woes wearing on the pitchers?
"Everything wears on the pitchers," Yost said. "It should. I would love got out and have a four-run, five-run first inning every night, but that's not the case. That's part of being professional."
<b><font size=4>Long drought for Sheets</font></b>
Ben Sheets has been Mr. Dependable among the starting pitchers this year, but his patience might be waning after his latest outing. Sheets pitched six strong innings on Friday, but two costly errors by his teammates led to four unearned runs. Instead of leaving with a 4-0 lead, Sheets exited a tie game that the Brewers wound up losing.
Sheets is the ace of the staff, the pitcher the club looks to for stopping a losing streak. However, since the All-Star break, Sheets is 0-3 with a pair of no-decisions in five starts. Those are the kind of numbers that can tax a pitcher's patience.
"We're not just not winning for Ben. We're not winning on nights when anybody's pitching, and that has to stop," Yost said. "I think everyone's frustration level is high right now. We have to find a way to get better. The way we're playing right now is not acceptable."
<b><font size=4>Should they walk him?</font></b>
Though Sheets has an excellent track record against the Cubs, he has a hard time finding ways to get Sammy Sosa out on a regular basis. Sosa is hitting .448 off of Sheets with four home runs and seven extra-base hits in 29-at-bats. No other Cub has more than two home runs off of Sheets.
<b><font size=4>Talk about hard luck...</font></b>
Despite a 2.35 ERA at home, Wednesday's starter Ben Sheets is winless since the all-star break. Perhaps his turn against the Cubs will change that. Sheets is 7-4 lifetime against the Cubs with a 2.92 ERA. He didn't lose against the Cubs until last season and probably should have a better record than his 1-2 mark against Chicago this year.
In fact, Sheets' 9-9 record is a joke. The Brewers average 3.18 runs a game when Sheets takes the hill. That ranks Sheets last in run support among the 91 starting pitchers that have thrown enough innings to qualify for that statistic.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=307986#post307986 target=_blank>Ben Sheets and Doug Davis: A Powerful One-Two Punch</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=322071#post322071 target=_blank>Brewers have pair of aces</a>
<b><font size=4>Back specialist to examine Sheets</font>
Pitcher might have off-season surgery</b>
St. Louis - Milwaukee Brewers ace Ben Sheets expects to learn shortly after the season whether he will need surgery to repair two bulging discs in his lower back.
Sheets, who will make his final 2004 start today against St. Louis, has been bothered for a few years by pain and discomfort in his lower back. The problem plagued him throughout the 2003 season, often preventing him from throwing between starts.
Sheets, 26, has pitched well this season, though you wouldn't know it by his 11-14 record, the result of a dearth of run support. He ranks among the league leaders with a 2.80 ERA, 253 strikeouts and .225 opponents' batting average.
According to assistant general manager Gord Ash, team physician William Raasch performed tests on Sheets and concluded that surgery might be beneficial, if not necessary, at some point. Sheets will go to Dallas on Oct. 11 to see specialist Drew Dossett for a second opinion.
"I want to see what he has to say," said Sheets. "He might tell me just to rehab it. I could keep doing this (pitching without surgery), but why not see if they can fix it?"
Sheets takes frequent treatment on his back but said he never knows from day to day how it will feel.
"Sometimes it hurts a little, sometimes a lot," he said. "It varies even within the same day. It's just off and on. Right now, it feels pretty good."
When Sheets traveled to Houston for the All-Star Game, he conferred with Arizona ace Randy Johnson, who had surgery on bulging discs in his lower back in 1996 while with Seattle and bounced back the next season in full health.
Should Dossett conclude that surgery is the best remedy for Sheets, Ash said a procedure would be scheduled immediately.
"If the doctor feels it's necessary, we think it's an appropriate time to get it done and get on with it," said Ash. "Dr. Raasch is completely on board with that possibility.
"Nobody can guarantee anything until after the surgery, but all indications are that he could be back in four months and be OK for spring training. This particular surgery has been perfected, and they've had a lot of success with it."
As might be expected, Sheets is a bit uneasy about the prospect of surgery. But he said he was prepared to do whatever Dossett suggests.
"He's the expert, not me," said Sheets. "Any surgery worries you. I want to see what he has to say."
yagsy
10-29-2004, 02:03 PM
Wait, did he have the surgery? Cause according to this he pitched his last regular season game against the Cardinals today? So this article is old. Am I missing the date of when this article was written? Did he actually have the surgery..
So many questions...
I love Ben Sheets, I hope he returns to full health to truly anchor that Brewers team!
It is an old story. I've been try to catch up some of more interesting story of the past mouth.
He did have the Surgery and it did go will.
yagsy
10-29-2004, 04:04 PM
:clap: Great news!!! I'm so glad that he's going to be okay. :clap:
Many thanks for posting, I enjoy reading the many articles!
<b><font size=4>Sheets has back surgery</font>
He should be ready for spring training</b>
St. Louis - When back specialist Drew Dossett examined Milwaukee Brewers ace Ben Sheets on Monday, he was astounded that Sheets was able to perform as he did during the 2004 season.
"It's quite remarkable that he was able to pitch like that and not miss a start," Dossett said. "He must have a high tolerance for pain."
Sheets is counting on being pain-free in 2005 after Dossett performed surgery Tuesday in Dallas to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. Dossett performed a 30-minute microscopic lumbar discectomy, which is medical jargon for removing the piece of the disc that was impinging a nerve.
Dossett said he "fully expected" Sheets to be completely recovered in time for spring training.
"I have no qualms about saying that," Dossett said. "The surgery went very smoothly."
That's good news for the Brewers, who watched Sheets emerge as one of the top pitchers in the National League this year. He was 12-14 because of an ongoing lack of run support (19 runs in his 14 losses) but set a franchise record with 264 strikeouts and ranked among the league leaders with a 2.70 earned run average, .226 opponents' batting average, 237 innings and five complete games.
Sheets will remain in Dallas until the end of the week, then return to his home in Baton Rouge, La., to begin work with a personal trainer. He is expected to resume his regular throwing program sometime in January.
"There was no question whatsoever" about the need for Sheets to have surgery, Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said.
"(Team physician William) Raasch indicated there had been enough of a change since last season that it was only a matter of time before he needed surgery. You want to do it with an eye to the long term.
"Who knows what he will be able to do in an even better physical state?"
Beyond bothering Sheets during games, the back condition often prevented him from doing work between starts, general manager Doug Melvin said. Instead, Sheets focused on therapy and rehabilitation.
"You have to give him a lot of credit for going out and pitching the way he did with it," Melvin said. "You can always get fooled but after hearing the doctor talk about it, I'm not concerned."
Melvin said he had preliminary talks with Sheets' agent, Casey Close, and still planned to make a multi-year contract offer at some point, assuming a complete recovery.
"We'll discuss a long-term deal but we might wait until the spring to see how his rehab goes," Melvin said. "I'm confident he'll be OK but the thing about successful surgeries is they're not completely successful until you're back on the field."
<b><font size=4>Ben Sheets undergoes successful back surgery</font>
All-Star righthander expected to be ready for spring training</b>
MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Brewers all-star righthander Ben Sheets underwent successful back surgery today, it was announced by Executive Vice President and General Manager, Doug Melvin.
Sheets, 26, had a lumbar disc herniation repaired by Dr. Drew Dossett in Dallas, Texas in a 30-minute operation.
The procedure, a microscopic lumbar discectomy, was uneventful according to Dr. Dossett.
Sheets will remain in the Dallas area until the weekend before returning to his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to begin his rehabilitation program. He will begin his normal off-season throwing program in January and is expected to be ready for the opening of spring training in February.
Sheets was 12-14 with a 2.70 ERA in 34 games, all starts, in 2004. He set a franchise record with 264 strikeouts this season in 237 innings.
<b><font size=4>The ultimate fan</font></b>
Beyond pitching for the Brewers, ace Ben Sheets is a fan of most major sports. He scheduled a two-day trip to Milwaukee last week, taking in the Packers’ Monday night game against St. Louis at Lambeau Field and the Bucks’ contest against the Lakers at the Bradley Center the next evening.
In between those events, Sheets squeezed in a practice session by the Marquette Golden Eagles, accepting an invitation from coach Tom Crean.
“It was a good couple of days of sports,” Sheets said. “How can you pass that up?”
Sheets said the early signs are good after back surgery to repair a herniated disc. The sciatic pain that periodically shot down his left leg is gone, and he has begun a rehabilitation program that will lead to resuming his regular throwing sessions in January.
“It’s doing good,” Sheets said. “I think I’ll be able to do my throwing in January as usual. It’s been a big load off my back, literally.
<b><font size=4>Brewers holding tightly to Sheets</font></b>
Thanks in part to reports out of the Boston area that indicate Ben Sheets is a free agent after next season, many Milwaukee Brewers fans fear the team is going to trade its ace pitcher.
No way.
First of all, despite those reports, Sheets is not a free agent next winter. He doesn’t qualify for that status until after the 2006 season.
More important, general manager Doug Melvin has no intention of trading Sheets, who emerged as one of the top pitchers in the National League last season.
“I’m not going to trade Ben Sheets,” said Melvin. “He’s untouchable. You can print that.”
OK, we have.
So, what’s up next for Sheets? Melvin spoke with his agent, Casey Close, at the winter meetings and agreed that a one-year deal would be worked out until Sheets shows in spring training that his surgically repaired lower back is not a hindrance.
Assuming Sheets is healthy, the sides will hammer out a multi-year extension before the beginning of the season. The deal will go at least through the 2007 season, buying out the first year of Sheets’ free agency.
After making $2.425 million last season, Sheets, 26, is in line for a big raise through salary arbitration. He ranked among the league leaders with a 2.70 earned run average, a franchise-record 264 strikeouts and 237 innings pitched.
With virtually no run support - the Brewers scored a total of 19 runs in his 14 losses - Sheets finished with a 12-14 record. Sheets, however, is recognized as one of the top young pitchers in the game, and the plan is to tie him up long-term as an integral part of Melvin’s rebuilding plan.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=354604#post354604 target=_blank>Four submit arbitration numbers</a>
<b><font size=4>Pain-free Sheets expects no letdown</font></b>
Reminded that pitchers and catchers report to the Milwaukee Brewers’ spring training camp in exactly one month, Ben Sheets did not waver with his reply Friday evening.
“I’ll be ready,” he said.
That’s wonderful news to concerned Brewers fans who wondered how Sheets has responded to surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back after the 2004 season. According to Sheets, his back feels so good at this point that it’s almost scary.
“I think it’s already better than it was last year,” said Sheets, one of 14 players who gathered at Miller Park to attend a dinner for the club’s sponsors and suite holders.
“It feels great. There’s no pain.”
It was the sometimes agonizing pain that finally convinced Sheets to have surgery last fall in Dallas. The bulging disc often pressed on his sciatic nerve, causing shooting bolts of pain down his leg that were almost unbearable at times.
“The pain was the No. 1 reason I did it,” Sheets said. “The second reason was the doctor was so confident about doing it.”
For the first time, Sheets revealed that he came close to missing his turn in the rotation on more than one occasion in 2003. And he admitted he often pitched in extreme discomfort last season.
“There were plenty of close calls, especially two years ago,” Sheets said. “If I could go out there, I wanted to go. But my back hurt a lot more last year.”
That should be a scary thought to enemy hitters, because Sheets threw the ball as well as any pitcher in the National League last season despite that painful condition. He ranked third in the league with a 2.70 earned run average and 237 innings pitched, and second with a franchise-record 264 strikeouts.
Only an atrocious lack of run support (19 runs in his 14 losses) doomed Sheets to a 12-14 record.
Now, assuming the rest of his rehabilitation program goes off without a hitch, is it possible the Brewers’ version of Louisiana Lightning could throw the ball even better?
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll try my best to raise the bar even higher. It’s possible to pitch better. Pitchers have had way better seasons than that before.”
To avoid further discomfort this year, Sheets should keep his wallet out of his back pocket. Already making a nice salary, he is about to become very wealthy, thanks to baseball’s salary arbitration system.
When figures were exchanged Tuesday, Sheets requested a $6.5 million salary for 2005 and the club offered $5.5 million. No matter where the final number falls, he’s going to get a sizable raise from his $2.425 million salary of a year ago.
“That’s nice to know,” he said. “I’m already doing well. The next contract is my only guaranteed contract. You’re never guaranteed another one. You get what you can in one year.”
General manager Doug Melvin said his plan was to reach agreement on a one-year deal with Sheets before spring training, then see how he pitches in exhibition play. Assuming the 26-year-old right-hander is healthy, Melvin will try to work out an extension that buys out at least Sheets’ first year of free agency in 2007.
“I haven’t thought about it,” Sheets said. “I haven’t even got an offer (for this season). I’m open-minded to anything. We’ll see what happens.
“People like multi-year deals, but I have enough confidence in myself that I’m going to go out and pitch well. What the future bodes, I don’t know.”
Sheets has made it clear that his No. 1 priority is to pitch for a winning team, something he has yet to experience in four seasons with the Brewers. Thus, it was with great interest that he watched the moves the team made over the winter with new owner Mark Attanasio poised to take control.
“We’ll see. We needed some right-handed sock and we’ve added two pretty good right-handed hitters,” Sheets said, referring to outfielder Carlos Lee and catcher Damian Miller.
“I think the moves we made were good. I hope so, but we’ve got to go out and do it. I’m hoping those moves made us better.”
<b><font size=4>Contract no joke to Sheets</font></b>
MILWAUKEE -- Ben Sheets was in the mood to joke around.
Until the issue of his unsettled contract came up, that is.
Sheets, the Brewers' fun-loving ace, is coming off a breakthrough season in which he set a franchise record for strikeouts and ranked among baseball's best in ERA, strikeouts and innings pitched.
He did it all while struggling with sometimes severe pain in his back caused by a bulging disk. He had surgery to correct that problem immediately after the season, and expects to be ready to go when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on Feb. 19.
"I'll be ready," he said. "I'm mad they didn't tell me to [have the surgery] earlier. I feel a lot younger."
Is that possible? Sheets is, in many ways, the Brewers' biggest kid, joking about everything from fantasy football to his hitting -- ahem -- prowess. On Friday, when he was in town for the team's since-postponed Brewers On Deck event, he was asked about the record $18 million contract awarded by the Astros to Roger Clemens.
"They offered me that. I didn't want it," he deadpanned. "They wanted me to be a pitcher, and I wanted to hit for the rest of my career."
Then there was this, when Sheets was asked about new Brewers slugger Carlos Lee:
"It's weird you mention his name, because [manager] Ned [Yost] mentioned that Lee's going to hit in the No. 5 hole, behind me. They say he can hit, so I should see some good pitches."
Never mind the fact that the only way Sheets sees a good pitch is if someone lobs a softball in his direction. The 26-year-old clubhouse clown was having fun holding court on Friday.
Then someone mentioned his contract.
Sheets, who is eligible for arbitration for the second time, exchanged salary figures with the team last week. He and agent Casey Close proposed a 2005 salary of $6.5 million, while the team offered $5.5 million.
If both sides cannot come to an agreement, they will participate in an arbitration hearing in February. Sheets, who earned $2.45 million last season, sounded resigned to doing just that.
"That's what it's looking like," he said. "That's the nature of the game."
Often deals are struck soon after figures are exchanged. Clemens and the Astros settled near the midpoint between Clemens' record request of $22 million and the team's proposal of $13.5 million.
"That's not the case for everyone," said Sheets. "We're prepared. We've already got together our case."
He and Close have quite a case. Sheets' 2.70 ERA and 237 innings pitched ranked third in the league, and he trailed only Arizona's Randy Johnson with 264 strikeouts, a Brewers franchise record. Sheets also made his second All-Star appearance.
Ever modest, Sheets nonetheless hinted that he would have liked to hear a multi-year offer from the Brewers. General manager Doug Melvin has said that he would like to sign Sheets to a one-year contract and check the health of the pitcher's surgically repaired back in Spring Training. Then both sides could begin talking about a long-term deal. Sheets would be eligible for free agency following the 2006 season.
"In the end, it's me," said Sheets. "The next contract I sign is the only one that's guaranteed. Why not maximize while you can?"
<b><font size=4>Cat and mouse</font></b>
Melvin has not gone to a hearing with an arbitration-eligible player since taking over as the Brewers' general manager in September 2002. That streak could end with pitching ace Ben Sheets, who requested a $6.5 million salary for this year, $1 million more than offered by the club.
"We've had pleasant conversations with (Sheets' agent) Casey Close, but it's been no-go so far," said assistant general manager Gord Ash. "It's hard to say what's going to happen until the market develops."
That market consists basically of two other pitchers, Houston's Roy Oswalt and Minnesota's Johan Santana, both of whom have service time similar to Sheets' four seasons with the Brewers.
Santana filed for $6.8 million and the Twins offered $5 million. Oswalt is asking for $7.8 million, compared with the Astros' figure of $6 million. Both pitchers had 20-victory seasons, with Santana claiming the Cy Young Award in the American League.
Playing for competitive teams, Santana (43-18, 3.47) and Oswalt (63-27, 3.11) have been big winners in the majors. Playing on mostly dreadful teams, Sheets is 45-53 with a 3.92 ERA.
The Brewers and Sheets have an arbitration hearing scheduled for Feb. 15.
"That gives us a few more weeks," Ash said. "You always prefer to have a settlement because that's in your control. A hearing is not.
"But you have to settle in an area where you feel comfortable."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=358732#post358732post358732 target=_blank>No progress is made on Sheets, Spivey</a>
<b><font size=4>Brewers, Sheets search for deal</font>
His arbitration hearing is Monday</b>
Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin continued to talk Thursday with the agent of staff ace Ben Sheets with hopes of avoiding an arbitration hearing scheduled for Monday.
"We touched base today and we're going to talk again (Friday)," said Melvin, who has been negotiating with Sheets' agent, Casey Close.
"I wouldn't say we're getting close to a deal but anytime you're talking, you have a chance to reach an agreement. If you don't come up with something at some point, though, you have to go to the hearing."
Sheets, who made $2.425 million last season, filed a request for a $6.5 million salary for 2005. The club countered with a $5.5 million offer.
All players with between three years and six years of major-league service are eligible for salary arbitration. If no deal is struck, the sides plead their cases before a three-person panel, which picks one figure or the other.
Sheets, 26, went 12-14 last season and ranked second in the league with 264 strikeouts and third with a 2.70 earned run average.
"We're still throwing ideas out there," said Melvin, who hopes to offer a multi-year deal to Sheets at some point if he proves in spring training he has fully recovered from back surgery.
Close did not return telephone calls.
<b><font size=4>It's late in the game</font>
Melvin reports no progress on Sheets</b>
Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin is scheduled to travel Sunday to Phoenix to prepare for the opening of spring training.
He'd love to avoid having to reverse course Monday and fly to Tampa, Fla.
That's the scenario Melvin faces if he doesn't come to terms on a 2005 contract with right-hander Ben Sheets, his last remaining arbitration-eligible player. Sheets' hearing is scheduled for 10 o'clock Tuesday morning.
Melvin had not talked to Sheets' agent, Casey Close, as of late Friday afternoon and wasn't sure if the two would talk today.
"There's not any progress," said Melvin, who filed an arbitration figure of $5.5 million, compared with Sheets' request of $6.5 million.
"I can't say we've closed the gap any."
Melvin's best chance to avoid a hearing, after which a three-person panel would pick one figure or the other, might be a face-to-face meeting with Sheets on Sunday in Arizona.
"I might do that," Melvin said. "I've already talked with Ben. Thing is, he leaves it up to his agent. That's the process."
Sheets, who made $2.425 million last year, went 12-14 with a 2.70 earned run average, a franchise-record 264 strikeouts and 237 innings pitched.
<b><font size=4>Brewers, Sheets move closer to a deal</font>
Melvin 'cautiously optimistic' about ace</b>
After weeks of butting heads and making no progress in negotiations, the Milwaukee Brewers moved closer Saturday to a deal with Ben Sheets that would avoid an arbitration hearing with their ace right-hander.
"We're not there yet but we're getting closer," general manager Doug Melvin said Saturday night. "I guess you could say I'm cautiously optimistic. We ought to know something Sunday."
Melvin is scheduled to fly to Phoenix today to begin preparations for the opening of the Brewers' spring camp next weekend. If he doesn't reach an agreement with Sheets before Monday, he'll travel to Tampa, Fla., to be on hand for a scheduled arbitration hearing Tuesday morning.
By closing the gap substantially Saturday, the sides were on the verge of a deal before ending negotiations for the day. Melvin plans to talk again via telephone with Sheets' agent, Casey Close, after arriving in Phoenix.
"I'll call Casey as soon as I get there," Melvin said. "We just continued talking (Saturday) and there was some movement. I hope I won't have to go to Tampa."
Close has not returned telephone calls seeking comment on the negotiations.
Sheets, who made $2.425 million last season, filed a salary request of $6.5 million in his second year of arbitration eligibility. The Brewers countered with an offer of $5.5 million.
Players with between three years and six years of major-league service are eligible for salary arbitration. Hearings are conducted by a three-person panel, which is obligated to pick one side's figure or the other.
The Brewers exchanged figures in January with four arbitration-eligible players but the other three - second baseman Junior Spivey, outfielder Brady Clark and reliever Brooks Kieschnick - agreed to terms before their hearings were held.
After Kansas City's Jeremy Affeldt won his hearing Saturday, only six players remained in arbitration - Oakland's Juan Cruz, Cincinnati's Ramon Ortiz, Baltimore's John Parrish, Minnesota's Johan Santana, Tampa Bay's Jorge Sosa and Sheets.
Sheets had a deceiving 12-14 record last year, mostly due to an anemic attack by the Brewers. With an average of 3.53 runs per start, he had the second-worst run support in the National League (Los Angeles' Odalis Perez was last with 3.30 runs per game).
More indicative of the way Sheets pitched was his 2.70 earned run average, third in the league behind San Diego's Jake Peavy (2.27) and Arizona's Randy Johnson (2.60). With a franchise-record 264 strikeouts, Sheets ranked second behind Johnson (290) in the NL and was tied for third with 237 innings pitched.
Sheets turned in one of the most dominating pitching performances in the majors in 2004 when he struck out a franchise-record 18 hitters in a three-hit, 4-1 victory over Atlanta at Miller Park on May 16.
Melvin said at the very beginning of negotiations that he wanted to negotiate a multi-year contract with Sheets, 26, before the start of the 2005 season. Because Sheets had post-season surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back, however, Melvin wants to see him pitch in spring training first to assure he is completely healthy.
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?t=47844 target=_blank>Sheets signs one-year deal</a>
<b><font size=4>Sheets ready for leading role</font></b>
MILWAUKEE - As he approaches his fifth season as a starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, Ben Sheets can look back and recognize one thing he has missed in a career that includes two All-Star Game appearances.
"I'm looking for someone to get under their wing," the right-hander said before heading to Maryvale, Ariz., to prepare for the start of spring training Saturday. "I don't think I'm old enough to do that."
While Sheets, 26, might not meet his own age and experience requirements, circumstances dictate he now play the role of the veteran who takes an inexperienced rotation under his wing and guides it through the rigors of a 162-game season.
That's what happens when you're coming off a Cy Young Award-caliber season in every statistical category but one, the won-loss record. But Sheets' 12-14 record last season certainly isn't the proper reflection of pitcher who struck out 264 and finished with an earned run average of 2.70. Those are the numbers of the leader of the staff.
"I like to pitch," said Sheets, who hasn't missed a turn in three seasons despite a nagging disc problem in his back that was surgically repaired in the offseason.
"It would have been nice to have a solid veteran around, but, unfortunately, we didn't. This is my fifth year, and we didn't have that. It would have been nice because we have some young guys coming up."
It is those "young guys" who will help fill the final three spots in the Brewers' five-man rotation, arguably the key ingredient if the team is to end a run of 12 straight losing seasons.
Left-hander Doug Davis, who was 12-12 with a 3.39 ERA in his second season as a regular member of a big league rotation, is the second piece in the pitching puzzle.
Right-hander Victor Santos, who won eight games prior to last year's All-Star Game but only three after, is the leading candidate for the third spot.
But all guarantees are off for the final two spots, where as many as seven pitchers will compete.
"We have some numbers now," general manager Doug Melvin said. "Is the quality there? That will be determined by their performance."
Only one pitcher in that group qualifies as a veteran - right-hander Rick Helling, who is one of Melvin's low-cost, high-ceiling gambles. Helling, a 20-game winner for Texas in 1998, did not pitch in the majors last season.
Another flyer is veteran right-hander Gary Glover, who made an impression in a September call-up last season as a starter and a reliever.
What remains is a list of prospects whose major league experience is limited.
The biggest curiosity in the bunch is likely to be Jose Capellan, the hard-throwing right-hander acquired from Atlanta in the trade for closer Dan Kolb.
The two left-handers acquired from Arizona last winter in the Richie Sexson trade - Chris Capuano and Jorge de la Rosa - are coming off questionable seasons; Capuano because of injuries that limited him to 17 starts, and de la Rosa because of five ineffective starts in September.
Right-hander Ben Hendrickson is considered the frontrunner for the fifth spot after making nine starts last season, when he was named the MVP of the Class AAA International League after going 11-3 in 21 starts for Indianapolis.
The most veteran of the group is right-hander Wes Obermueller, whose greatest asset might be his bat, which would make him a valuable member of the bullpen because manager Ned Yost would not have to use a regular pinch-hitter to get him in or out of the lineup.
Still, the indisputable leader of the rotation will be Sheets.
"I'll prepare the same, I'll play the same," Sheets said. "I'm going to take the ball and go full bore. I enjoy it. I enjoy the game."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=361549#post361549post361549 target=_blank>Mailbag: Sheets coverage</a>
<b><font size=4>Sheets upbeat, pain-free on Day 1</font>
Right-hander enjoys first day of camp with teammates</b>
PHOENIX -- Ben Sheets is two steps into the room, and already he's screaming.
"Keischnick! Let's get on the computer!"
About an hour later, after the Brewers' ace and reliever Brooks Kieschnick had plundered a laptop for whatever was so urgent, Sheets is tossing a football around the clubhouse. Then more screaming.
"Yeah! Yeah!" Sheets bellows, racing toward a television.
The real target is Iowan Wes Obermueller, who is trying desperately to watch his Hawkeyes face the No. 1-ranked University of Illinois in a midday basketball game.
"Illinois! That's my team, baby!"
No, it's not. Sheets is from Louisiana, and cares as much about Illinois (he made sure to emphasize the "s") as he does about the British decision to ban fox hunting. It's all about getting under Obermueller's skin.
Judging by the huge smile that washes over Sheets' face while Obermueller buries his, Milwaukee's 26-year-old ace was feeling spry as Brewers pitchers and catchers officially reported Saturday for the start of Spring Training. Sheets has plenty of reasons for feeling good.
For starters, he enjoyed a breakthrough 2004 season despite pitching with searing pain in his lower back and one functioning leg. Sheets set a franchise record with 264 strikeouts -- second in the National League to Randy Johnson's 290 -- and ranked third in the league with a 2.70 ERA.
That performance led to a one-year, $6 million contract for 2005 that was settled one day before a scheduled arbitration hearing. It was the richest one-year deal for a pitcher in Brewers history.
But all of that is secondary to Sheets, who is the kind of guy who says, "It's not about the money" and you genuinely believe him. The real reason Sheets is feeling so good these days is that he can strut around the clubhouse and not feel every step in a bulging disc in his lower back. He underwent back surgery in October and hopes to pitch 2005 pain-free.
"But look at the stats, and I didn't have a bad back," he said. "I made 34 starts. Look at Brett Favre. Does he feel great on the days in between [games]? Probably doesn't have many."
Sheets says that in 2004 he did not have any. The bulging disc caused numbness in his left leg, and there were days when he was unable to move his left foot.
Sometimes he could barely walk, yet he finished in the NL's top 10 in more than a half-dozen categories, including strikeouts, ERA, fewest walks per nine innings (1 2/3, second), complete games (five, tied for second), innings pitched (237, tied for third) and strikeouts per nine innings (10, tied for third).
Along the way, Sheets pitched some legendary games. On May 16, he tossed a three-hit complete game at the Atlanta Braves and set a franchise record with 18 strikeouts. Three weeks later, he pitched nine scoreless innings, allowing one Vladimir Guerrero single, in an eventual 17-inning win at Anaheim.
"Last spring, it was tough to know what Ben was capable of," said catcher Chad Moeller, who gets heaps of credit from Sheets for the duo's success in 2004. "By the second game of the year, against Houston, it was like, 'This guy really has something different.' That's one of the best fastballs in the game and probably the best curveball. That's Cy Young stuff."
Considering that he essentially was pitching on one leg, how did he do it?
"I don't know," Sheets said. "My left leg didn't work. It was my left leg, so it just had to hold me up a little bit."
Sheets says he is certain that had the numbness affected his right, push-off leg, he would have required in-season surgery. Instead, he was able to finish the year before undergoing surgery in Dallas on Oct. 12.
"It's quite remarkable that he was able to pitch like that and not miss a start," Drew Dossett, a back specialist, told a Milwaukee newspaper after performing the surgery. "He must have a high tolerance for pain."
Judging by the way he was running around the clubhouse on Saturday, the procedure was a success. But the Brewers have vowed to be careful with their young ace, and will limit his participation in throwing and fielding drills.
Better to have Sheets healthy and ready to go on April 1 than on March 1, manager Ned Yost said.
"It's like a wrecked car," Sheets explains. "It's fixed, but it ain't new. I just gotta be smart about it. It would be too easy to go out there thinking everything's feeling good and not thinking anything can go wrong."
While Sheets and his teammates prepare for the Brewers' 36th season, negotiations will begin between his agent, Casey Close, and Brewers officials on a multiyear contract. Sheets is eligible for free agency in 2006, and assuming the back is healthy, the team would like to lock him up now.
General manager Doug Melvin made that clear weeks ago, and was happy to avoid an arbitration hearing with Sheets. Sheets had asked for $6.5 million in arbitration while the team offered $5.5 million, and until about 24 hours beforehand, it appeared both sides were headed to Tampa for a hearing.
Then, in the final hours, Sheets agreed to settle at the midpoint.
"How can you talk about a multiyear deal after going through something like that?" Sheets said. "I didn't see it happening. They knock you down [in an arbitration hearing] and then come right back and say, 'Oh, you're a big part of this. We want you long-term.'"
Both sides have declined to set a timetable, and Sheets said he was open to the idea of negotiations extending into the regular season. He and Close will wait for the Brewers to make the first move.
"I'm not going to go beg for one," Sheets said. "Whenever it's time, they'll reward you."
<b><font size=4>Holdout</font></b>
Yost and the team's medical staff will be very careful this spring with ace Ben Sheets, who underwent surgery in October to relieve a bulging disc in his back. Yost said Sheets would be held out of all fielding drills, and would not throw live batting practice along with other pitchers on Monday.
<b><font size=4>Taking it slow</font></b>
Ben Sheets threw a 10-minute side session on Monday but did not throw live batting practice along with the rest of the pitchers. Sheets underwent lower back surgery in October and is feeling fine, but the Brewers have decided not to push him. Sheets is also being held out of all fielding drills.
"We're working him in slow," Yost said. "He'll probably do one more 10-minute session on the side, and then he'll fit right in."
<b><font size=4>Cutting them up</font></b>
Sheets fits right in with Jay Crawford, the host of ESPN's morning show "Cold Pizza." Sheets was up at 6 a.m. to appear on the show, which was broadcast on tape delay in Phoenix. Brewers players gathered in the clubhouse to watch.
The players got a big laugh early in the interview when Sheets lazily wiped his eyes right in the middle of an answer, as if he had just awoken to find himself in the middle of a television studio. But he warmed up when asked about the arrival of slugger Carlos Lee, Milwaukee's projected cleanup hitter.
"I know he's going to give me some more protection in the lineup, with me hitting third," said Sheets, who is one of the worst hitters in Major League Baseball but loves talking up his game.
"Oh no," first baseman Lyle Overbay said. "Here we go."
"We have a pitcher's award for hitting, and I'm gonna win it this year," Sheets said. "Wes Obermueller, I'm coming for you! I'm going to get it this year!"
Obermueller, a former collegiate outfielder who actually pinch-hit last season, won the Pitcher's Offensive Performance (P.O.P.) Award in its inaugural season. Sheets finished second despite batting .134, thanks to his nine successful sacrifice bunts.
"I think the other pitchers need to look in the mirror because that's pathetic [that I finished second]," Sheets said. "I'm a terrible hitter."
Sheets admitted that he is "scared to death in the batter's box."
"One time I was playing shortstop in [American] Legion ball and I was DH'ed for," he said. "Maybe I'm left-handed. That's been my problem the whole time."
Crawford asked if Sheets had once been a good hitter in Little League.
"If you consider hitting .200 in Little League good, then I was awesome," Sheets said.
Obermueller said he plans to have his wife bring the P.O.P. trophy to Phoenix when she arrives next week. Let the trash talking begin.
<b><font size=4>Sheets eases into it</font></b>
MARYVALE, Ariz. — With Ben Sheets recovering from offseason back surgery, the Milwaukee Brewers are taking a somewhat cautious approach with the ace right-hander’s workload during early spring training workouts.
For Sheets, that’s a mixed blessing.
While it gives him a reprieve from the tedium of fielding bunts and covering first base during defensive drills at Maryvale Baseball Park, it also means that he will not be permitted to take any swings in the batting cage.
Sheets, a two-time All-Star, established himself as one of the top pitchers in baseball last season. But in four seasons, he has compiled a .095 batting average and readily admits he is also one of the worst hitters in the game.
That doesn’t stop him from bragging about his hitting prowess.
Hours before the Brewers first official pitchers-and-catchers workout of the spring, Sheets appeared on the ESPN morning show “Cold Pizza” and joked about his hitting.
“We have a pitcher’s award for hitting, and I’m gonna win it this year,” Sheets said on the broadcast, which drew laughter when it was replayed in the clubhouse later.
“Wes Obermueller, I’m coming for you! I’m going to get it this year!”
Obermueller, who played shortstop at the University of Iowa and was a pinch-hitter last season, won the award last year.
Amazingly, Sheets took second.
“I think the other pitchers need to look in the mirror because that’s pathetic that I finished second,” Sheets said. “I’m a terrible hitter.”
Host Jay Crawford asked Sheets whether he was a good hitter in Little League.
“If you consider hitting .200 in Little League good, then I was awesome,” Sheets said.
Although he’s sitting out of fielding and hitting drills, Sheets has been working out on the mound.
He threw a 10-minute session in the bullpen on Monday and is expected to throw to hitters later in the week.
“We’re just taking things a little slow with Benny,” manager Ned Yost said. “Most of our guys threw for five minutes on the side and five minutes to hitters. We just had him throw 10 minutes on the side because he hadn’t thrown for 10 minutes yet this spring. In a few days, he’ll catch up to everybody else. He’s going to be fine.”
Yost said he was pleased with the pace and performance at the first workout, which was conducted under partly cloudy skies.
“Normally the first day, you’ve got new guys, they don’t know the fields and they get lost, Yost said. “Nobody got lost. Everybody did great.”
<b><font size=4>Getting closer</font></b>
Ben Sheets is scheduled to throw a 10-minute side session Wednesday. He will take "probably" take a day off, Yost said, then pitch live batting practice for the first time Friday.
The team is taking it slow with Sheets, who underwent surgery to relieve a bulging disc in his back last October.
"He's feeling great," Yost said.
One pitcher was not feeling so great. Sam Narron, a 6-foot-7 left-hander picked off waivers from Texas last September, was sidelined with some tightness in his arm.
"It's nothing," Yost said. "But he was supposed to throw today and we held him out."
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=364249#post364249 target=_blank>GM, owner to discuss Sheets deal</a>
<a href=http://www.addictsports.com/baseball/showthread.php?p=364256#post364256 target=_blank>Golden reunion</a>
<b><font size=4>Sheets' day of firsts</font>
Pitcher throws mound session; speaks with Melvin</b>
PHOENIX -- Call it a day of beginnings for Ben Sheets.
The Brewers' right-hander, who has been taking it slowly in Spring Training after offseason back surgery, threw about 30 pitches in his first mound session of the year. The live batting practice came a few hours after Sheets visited briefly with general manager Doug Melvin, who vowed to begin exploring a multi-year contract extension.
Count outfielder Geoff Jenkins among the Brewers who view Sheets' contract situation as one of the more important issues facing the team this spring.
"It's about as huge as huge can get," Jenkins said.
"He's one of the top 10 pitchers in baseball. It's tough to pass guys like [Roger] Clemens and [Randy] Johnson, but 'Sheeter' is coming into his own. And you look at him -- he's just a great guy. He's the kind of guy you want to build around."
Melvin has already brought up the issue with new owner Mark Attanasio, who made his first appearance at Maryvale Baseball Park on Saturday and called Sheets "the No. 1 decision-point to come to."
Sheets termed Sunday's conversation with Melvin "a drive-by," but it was a first step.
"Literally, it was just a five-second conversation," Sheets said. "I'm not going to even worry about it. If it's there, it's there. If it's not, it's not."
Sheets will make $6 million this season and would again be arbitration-eligible in 2006. But he would be a free agent after that season, and the Brewers would love to lock up their ace through at least 2007. By all indications, Sheets would love to stick with the Brewers' building project.
But first, Melvin wanted some assurances about the strength of Sheets' back, which has been balky for several years. Two weeks into camp, things are looking good, and Melvin may contact Sheets' agent, Casey Close, this week.
"I told him we'll talk about it," Melvin said. "We don't have a timetable."
That's just fine with Attanasio.
"You can be working on a very fast pace, but because some other timetable or expectation is set, people can wonder what's going on," he said. "I saw that first-hand with my purchase of the team."
Attanasio stood behind the backstop while Sheets threw to hitters on Sunday. After a five-minute warm-up, Sheets took the mound for his first look at live hitters and his five-minute, 30-pitch session that included fastballs, curveballs and changeups.
"He was free and easy, but the ball was popping," pitching coach Mike Maddux said.
"If it were up to me, I would be out there throwing for 30 minutes, until I couldn't breathe," Sheets said. "In other springs, the back was so bad, I would be lucky to walk around. So I might actually be ahead of schedule in that sense."
Sheets is the obvious pick to start on Opening Day at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. For now, Maddux has not set a date for Sheets' first Cactus League appearance, and manager Ned Yost conceded that it might not come in the first week of games.
Yost was encouraged by Sheets' performance on Sunday.
"All I needed to see was the smile on his face when he came off," Yost said. "He got a little excited. You could tell, and I had to remind him to watch his effort. The first few pitches, he was really blowing."
Sheets will be evaluated on Monday and could throw another batting practice session as early as Tuesday. He will not appear in either intrasquad game scheduled for this week.
<b><font size=4>Sheets turns down heat</font>
Batting practice outing goes well</b>
Phoenix - Ben Sheets has stared down the toughest hitters in the National League but still had butterflies in his stomach Sunday when he faced his teammates in batting practice for the first time this spring.
"I was nervous," Sheets admitted.
The Milwaukee Brewers' ace right-hander wasn't worried that his surgically repaired back would creak. It's just a different dynamic when facing hitters for the first time after a week of bullpen sessions.
"He got a little excited out there," manager Ned Yost said. "I had to tell him to watch his effort. The first couple of pitches, he was really blowing it up there."
Pitchers are told to throw at about 80% effort during batting practice but it was understandable for Sheets' adrenaline to be pumping. The other pitchers had been facing hitters for nearly a week while Sheets was restricted to side sessions.
"He had gone through surgery, done all the rehab and you're excited to be up there against hitters for the first time," Yost said. "It's natural to hump it up a bit."
Mark Attanasio watched with interest from behind the batting cage but Sheets insisted that he never saw the club's new owner.
"I didn't notice anybody," Sheets said. "I was worried about breathing (normally). That was my first time with hitters. It could have been worse. I felt OK mechanically."
Asked for his assessment of Sheets' session, Yost said, "All I needed to see was the smile on his face when he came off."
The Brewers will continue to take it easy with Sheets, who had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back after the 2004 season. He is still being withheld from hitting and fielding drills and will take at least two days off before facing hitters again.
Yost said Sheets probably would not pitch during the first week of exhibition season, which begins Friday. But he insisted that Sheets would be ready for an opening day assignment April 4 in Pittsburgh.
"If he can pitch six innings on opening day, we're in good shape," Yost said. "We'll get him to where he can throw 75 to 100 pitches (in a game before spring training ends)."
General manager Doug Melvin had a brief chat with Sheets earlier on the subject of opening negotiations for a multi-year contract extension.
"I told Ben we'd get around to him," Melvin said. "We've had some other things to get done first."
Asked about that chat, Sheets laughed and said, "It was a drive-by. We sort of drove past each other."
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<b><font size=4>Nothing new</font></b>
Ben Sheets is scheduled to make his spring debut with one inning of work against the Royals on Thursday. It will be his first appearance since undergoing minor back surgery last October.
General manager Doug Melvin said he has spoken once or twice in the last week with Casey Close, Sheets' agent, but had nothing to report on Sheets' contract front. The Brewers are expected to explore a multi-year deal for their ace, who would be a free agent after the 2006 season.
"It's not like you say, 'OK, negotiations have started,'" Melvin said. "I imagine that when Casey is down here, we will be able to do something."
Melvin said he expected to meet in person with Close in Arizona after March 15.
<b><font size=4>New dance partner</font></b>
Right-hander Ben Sheets, who is taking things a bit slowly this spring following off-season back surgery, will make his spring debut this afternoon against Kansas City.
Sheets is scheduled to throw one inning or 25 pitches and will be followed to the mound by Wes Obermueller, BrooksKieschnick, Andy Pratt, Jeff Housman and Rigo Beltran. Yost is not certain when Sheets will make his second start.
"He'll get his inning out of the way and we'll see how he feels," manager Ned Yost said.
After working successfully with catcher Chad Moeller for most of last season, Sheets will throw to catcher DamianMiller.
"It's Miller's day to catch," Yost said. "We're kind of alternating those guys. We're not setting (catchers) up with certain pitchers yet. We're trying to let Miller catch as many guys as he can."
<b><font size=4>Sheets scores in debut</font>
Brewers ace has successful first appearance since surgery</b>
PHOENIX -- It was tough to tell what left Ben Sheets more breathless: his successful spring debut or Brett Favre's decision to play at least one more season.
Sheets may be one of the Brewers' biggest Green Bay Packers-backers, but on Thursday his focus was mostly about baseball. The right-handed ace and his surgically repaired lower back passed an important first test, as Sheets tossed a scoreless first inning against Kansas City at Maryvale Baseball Park.
"The only thing different is that I can actually move around a little bit," Sheets said.
He struck out the first batter he face