645
08-19-2004, 11:31 PM
This year, the Brewers starting rotation is very good. While it's not yet on the level of "greatness" like some other pitching staffs can be described, their pitching staff regularly gets the job done when called upon. Unfortunately, the lack of run support the pitchers receive usually prevents their starters from getting what's most important ? a win. Even if they don't get the run support they deserve, two starters on the rotation have really stood out this year. Ben Sheets and Doug Davis have showed so far that they are the real deal, and truly a powerful #1 and #2 starter combination in the game. Perhaps most importantly, they have also shown that their successes for the club in the past weren't a fluke and they can indeed pitch.
Ben Sheets
Ben Sheets is the ace of the staff, but as of this writing ( 8/16/04 ) he does not have the most wins on the team. That doesn't mean anything. Among other NL pitchers, Sheets has the third best ERA on the list at 2.74, and he is also third on the strikeouts list with 184. He has at least 3 strikeouts in every game he has started, and averages 7.66 strikeouts a game. Earlier this year, he struck out 18 Braves on May 16 th . This amazing performance led many Brewer fans (and non Brewer fans) to believe that Ben Sheets was indeed the real deal. No longer was he "The Olympic kid who never panned out", Ben Sheets was here to stay. Sheets has had 14 more starts after that performance ? and 5 have been winning causes. A quick look at his WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched), Sheets is 2 nd in the NL with 0.98 ? just behind future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson.
Ben Sheets stats are indeed impressive, and he is better this year than many people have expected. He has turned eyebrows, included those of Geoff Jenkins, the Brewers current leftfielder. After Sheets' dominating May 16 th performance, Jenkins said: " ''I've seen some pretty good outings, but that's definitely got to be the most impressive. He was just power all day, using his fastball, curveball, just mixing pitches. It seemed like he didn't throw a ball all day.'' Sheets has a hard overhand curveball and he also likes to use his overpowering mid-90s fastball. The latter which many unfortunate souls are caught looking for the third strike whenever Sheets takes the mound. He also mixes in a changeup which can fool hitters after he blows a fastball by them. If Sheets was on a club that didn't rank so low in run support given to its pitchers, than he would have a lot better record today. Right now, he's 9-8, but if something does click and he starts to get runs?his record may look a lot better at the end of the season. When all is said and done, Sheets has evolved into a dominating pitcher ? one that can truly scare opposing batters.
Doug Davis
Doug Davis is the type of pitcher that won't overpower you with fastballs or wow you with his incredible stuff. But this is a guy who gets the job done. He leads the team in wins with 10, and in June became the first Brewer lefty to win five games in that month. Davis just signed a two year contract extension, after he proved to Brewer management that his small successes last year were likely not a "flash in the pan". The past few years have been tough for Davis , as he was released by two teams during 2003 and after that, his future was in doubt. He pitched well for the Brewers last year, well enough to warrant his return to their rotation in 2004. Davis has a low ERA (3.67) and has 125 strikeouts so far this year ? the 10 th best in the NL. His stats are very good, but like his stuff, they aren't overpowering. So what? Davis is a guy who puts in a solid performance almost every time he takes the mound and when he's not walking guys, he can be a terror to score runs against. Davis and battery mate Chad Moeller work very well together, with Moeller routinely calling for a high fastball to blow away batters on a two strike count. For the most part when Davis is on?it works.
Earlier this year, Peter Gammons proclaimed on Baseball Tonight: "Ben Sheets and Doug Davis are becoming dominating pitchers."* He couldn't have been more right. Sheets as a #1 starter and Davis as an effective #2 starter are becoming a powerful combination and something that opposing teams do not like to go up against. But, like all other Brewers' starters, Davis struggles to get run support in his good outings. He has a 10-9 record, which is the best on the team, but (like Sheets and even Victor Santos) it may have been even better if he got the run support he deserved.
Davis mixes a few pitches; namely a high-80s fastball, an occasional changeup, a slightly above average curve and a stronger than expected cut fastball to strike batters out with. He has a good pickoff move and hides the ball from batters well. When Davis takes the mound, he even has the look of a guy who batters don't want to go up against ? a 6'4, 213 pound lefty. Davis has evolved from the type of guy who would routinely be trolling around for work but could never find it, to a potential stalwart in the Brewers rotation for many years to come.
The Future
When all is said and done, Sheets and Davis may not have more than 30 wins combined given the Brewers lack of run support for them, but as long as they can put in solid outings, have the bullpen also put in a good performance when the ball is handed to them and have the offense score a few runs, a win may be in the offing (thus leading to a no decision for the starter). It's interesting to note that in many cases, the Brewers' starters lose games that they only gave up 1, 2 or even 3 runs in. Again, a lack of run support can really hurt effective starting pitching and mask their true worth to a team.
There is no doubt that many people thought Ben Sheets would be a good starter this year. But he isn't just good ? he's dominating. The biggest surprise may be in Doug Davis, a pitcher that many thought would prove that last year's small successes were indeed a fluke and he'd eventually wind up on the waiver wire, traded or struggling to find work. The exact opposite happened: Davis was rewarded for his consistency with a two year contract extension. If anything can be said about Ben Sheets and Doug Davis it is that they routinely put out impressive performances every time they take the mound to start a game. Whether or not they get the run support they rightly deserve is a question that Brewer's hitters will have to answer. Either way, Ben Sheets and Doug Davis were truly a pleasant surprise for the Brewers this year and most importantly, a light in the darkness for a team that's struggling each day to get a win to inch it closer to .500.
Ben Sheets
Ben Sheets is the ace of the staff, but as of this writing ( 8/16/04 ) he does not have the most wins on the team. That doesn't mean anything. Among other NL pitchers, Sheets has the third best ERA on the list at 2.74, and he is also third on the strikeouts list with 184. He has at least 3 strikeouts in every game he has started, and averages 7.66 strikeouts a game. Earlier this year, he struck out 18 Braves on May 16 th . This amazing performance led many Brewer fans (and non Brewer fans) to believe that Ben Sheets was indeed the real deal. No longer was he "The Olympic kid who never panned out", Ben Sheets was here to stay. Sheets has had 14 more starts after that performance ? and 5 have been winning causes. A quick look at his WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched), Sheets is 2 nd in the NL with 0.98 ? just behind future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson.
Ben Sheets stats are indeed impressive, and he is better this year than many people have expected. He has turned eyebrows, included those of Geoff Jenkins, the Brewers current leftfielder. After Sheets' dominating May 16 th performance, Jenkins said: " ''I've seen some pretty good outings, but that's definitely got to be the most impressive. He was just power all day, using his fastball, curveball, just mixing pitches. It seemed like he didn't throw a ball all day.'' Sheets has a hard overhand curveball and he also likes to use his overpowering mid-90s fastball. The latter which many unfortunate souls are caught looking for the third strike whenever Sheets takes the mound. He also mixes in a changeup which can fool hitters after he blows a fastball by them. If Sheets was on a club that didn't rank so low in run support given to its pitchers, than he would have a lot better record today. Right now, he's 9-8, but if something does click and he starts to get runs?his record may look a lot better at the end of the season. When all is said and done, Sheets has evolved into a dominating pitcher ? one that can truly scare opposing batters.
Doug Davis
Doug Davis is the type of pitcher that won't overpower you with fastballs or wow you with his incredible stuff. But this is a guy who gets the job done. He leads the team in wins with 10, and in June became the first Brewer lefty to win five games in that month. Davis just signed a two year contract extension, after he proved to Brewer management that his small successes last year were likely not a "flash in the pan". The past few years have been tough for Davis , as he was released by two teams during 2003 and after that, his future was in doubt. He pitched well for the Brewers last year, well enough to warrant his return to their rotation in 2004. Davis has a low ERA (3.67) and has 125 strikeouts so far this year ? the 10 th best in the NL. His stats are very good, but like his stuff, they aren't overpowering. So what? Davis is a guy who puts in a solid performance almost every time he takes the mound and when he's not walking guys, he can be a terror to score runs against. Davis and battery mate Chad Moeller work very well together, with Moeller routinely calling for a high fastball to blow away batters on a two strike count. For the most part when Davis is on?it works.
Earlier this year, Peter Gammons proclaimed on Baseball Tonight: "Ben Sheets and Doug Davis are becoming dominating pitchers."* He couldn't have been more right. Sheets as a #1 starter and Davis as an effective #2 starter are becoming a powerful combination and something that opposing teams do not like to go up against. But, like all other Brewers' starters, Davis struggles to get run support in his good outings. He has a 10-9 record, which is the best on the team, but (like Sheets and even Victor Santos) it may have been even better if he got the run support he deserved.
Davis mixes a few pitches; namely a high-80s fastball, an occasional changeup, a slightly above average curve and a stronger than expected cut fastball to strike batters out with. He has a good pickoff move and hides the ball from batters well. When Davis takes the mound, he even has the look of a guy who batters don't want to go up against ? a 6'4, 213 pound lefty. Davis has evolved from the type of guy who would routinely be trolling around for work but could never find it, to a potential stalwart in the Brewers rotation for many years to come.
The Future
When all is said and done, Sheets and Davis may not have more than 30 wins combined given the Brewers lack of run support for them, but as long as they can put in solid outings, have the bullpen also put in a good performance when the ball is handed to them and have the offense score a few runs, a win may be in the offing (thus leading to a no decision for the starter). It's interesting to note that in many cases, the Brewers' starters lose games that they only gave up 1, 2 or even 3 runs in. Again, a lack of run support can really hurt effective starting pitching and mask their true worth to a team.
There is no doubt that many people thought Ben Sheets would be a good starter this year. But he isn't just good ? he's dominating. The biggest surprise may be in Doug Davis, a pitcher that many thought would prove that last year's small successes were indeed a fluke and he'd eventually wind up on the waiver wire, traded or struggling to find work. The exact opposite happened: Davis was rewarded for his consistency with a two year contract extension. If anything can be said about Ben Sheets and Doug Davis it is that they routinely put out impressive performances every time they take the mound to start a game. Whether or not they get the run support they rightly deserve is a question that Brewer's hitters will have to answer. Either way, Ben Sheets and Doug Davis were truly a pleasant surprise for the Brewers this year and most importantly, a light in the darkness for a team that's struggling each day to get a win to inch it closer to .500.