There is much banter between Milwaukee Brewer fans and baseball fans alike about the chances of Milwaukee retaining (former) “ace” Ben Sheets. For many dismal seasons, Sheets symbolized the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel for battle-tested Brewer fans.

The scoop:

 Milwaukee, winter 1998: The Tom Trebelhorn era was long behind us, and the Phil Garner era was also coming to a close. Having just moved to the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers were hoping to turn things around. “It’s always darkest before the dawn,” some fans would say, while other fans and their sports allegiance fled south to Chicago for more lush pastures. Milwaukee winters are renowned for decimating vegetation, and many of the faithful hoped it would do the same for the hometown team’s staff. Easily putting behind them a 74-88 year, Milwaukee welcomed winter like no baseball town should: with open arms.

June 2^nd, 1999: The groundwork was laid for a 73-89 season. “The Milwaukee Brewers select Ben Sheets, pitcher, NE Louisiana University.” The words reverberated through Brew Town’s nooks and crannies. The kid has ace potential, but much of the city knows nothing about the 21-year-old Benny. Standing 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 225 pounds, the title “savior” had seen more favorable characteristics, but never a more enviable right arm. The kid who struck out 20 Louisiana Tech batters prior to being drafted would soon be in a Milwaukee Brewer uniform, with a few stops in between. The dawn seemed a little closer for Brewer fans.

Summer, 2000: The grandest stage known to man, The Olympics. Countrymen train for years on end, working towards nothing more than a possibility to represent the motherland. For some nations, the Olympics are viewed as a lifeline, a peek into issues the World had been ignoring. For others, it was another chance to dominate the limelight for another four years. Undoubtedly, this was an affair that meant much more than sporting events and sportsmanship. The entire World would watch a select few, the best available, compete at the highest and purest level attainable. Certainly, a 20-something minor league pitcher would crumble, right? Nay, said Ben Sheets. Pitching 22 innings in the 27^th Olympiad, yielding only 11 hits, Sheets pitched Tommy Lasorda’s Team USA into the gold medal game. Who else would get the nod for Team USA? Ben got nearly all of the outs by way of the ground ball, shutting out powerhouse Cuba, 4-0. Ben Sheets brought Gold home to America, at the ripe age of 22. The dawn seemed that much closer again for Milwaukee.

April 5^th, 2001: The greatly anticipated debut of Ben Sheets was here. All these Olympic heroics and college legends were, as many Wisconsinites though, about to be validated. The kid with 20 Ks in one game in college and a gold medal in his back pocket would take the mound against the Houston Astros. Sheets pitched 6 rock-solid innings, striking 8 out while issuing 0 free passes. The lone blemish, an Adam Everett RBI single, tacked one run onto his career numbers. Jose Cabrera and Mike DeJean would slam the door on Houston, giving Ben Sheets his first career victory, a 9-3 win. The city had seen the second coming, some had thought. Sheets dazzled Houston’s hitters while sending a message to the baseball nation: Milwaukee is here. We aren’t a punching bag anymore. The proverbial dawn was right around the corner. 

Fast forward a few seasons. “The kid is letting himself go,” some would say. A few pounds heavier and a few miles/hour less on his fastball, Sheets was still a Brewer, and owner of the biggest contract in franchise history. He continued to dominate the National League, but lackluster run support had him sporting records hovering below .500. Soon back problems and ear infections would manifest in the Adonis’ body. Numerous DL stints caused Sheets to miss large portions of consecutive years, changing his reputation from “dawn-bringer” to “susceptible sissy”. Nonetheless, a highly anticipated 2008 season would begin in Milwaukee, Sheets or no. Ben would start opening day, to be held at Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley field. Benny kept the Baby Bears at bay until Eric Gagne coughed up the lead on a Fukudome round-tripper. “The good guys win in the end” rang true this day, as the Brewers beat the Cubs, 4-3, in extra frames.

The culmination of 25 fruitless seasons was coming: a playoff berth. The best time to be a Brewer fan, ever. “The new ’82 crew” some would call them, and the brand of baseball was somewhat similar. “The Brewers are unbeatable in the short series. Look at our 1-2 punch,” was a popular saying around Wisconsin. The combo of Sabathia/Sheets could carry the team deep into October, and it might even include a parade or two. But it was not meant to be, as Sheets succumbed again to injury, and failed to make one start in the playoffs. The season ended in Milwaukee, with Sheets in a familiar place: the shelf. Sheets filed for free agency this off-season, seemingly ending his ties with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The real talk:

Sheets is garbage, and it’s a shame I’m just realizing this now. Don’t get me wrong, he showed flashes of greatness. 18 Ks vs. the Atlanta Braves (a game I was in attendance for) proves that. The man K’d 264 batters a few seasons back. He showed potential. Potential and actuality are completely different things. He got the biggest contract in club history at the time, and couldn’t even show up to work for the biggest games in Brewer history, the 2008 NLDS. Letting Ben go will be symbolic of the namby-pamby Brewers passing and the wall bangers’ rebirth. Send Sheets, his injuries, sub-par baseball and the stigma of being the Milwaukee Brewers packing.

Please, Doug Melvin, please do not resign Ben Sheets. Don’t even offer him a contract. Sheets milked the Brewers for all they are worth, and didn’t even come up big. Sheets has no place in the 2009 rotation, and that is where Yovani Gallardo steps in. Yovani and Benny are nearly indistinguishable, on the stuff-side of equation. Mid 90s fastball, hit the corners but can blow you away, with decent off speed and high K numbers. You can’t have carbon copies in the rotation. Let the Dodgers and Tommy Lasorda cough up the $20 or $30 million he’ll ask for.

Who can we replace him with? How about someone who is a free agent and has better numbers, for cheaper? Jon Garland. If you’re going by sheer record (a very inaccurate representation), Garland wins hands down. Do you take Sheets’ 86-83 or Garland’s 106-89? To be fair, Garland has made 34 more starts than Benny. Record really isn’t reflective of a pitcher’s skill, but I have no time left.

Note for the Ballhawks: Let me know if Benny has ever thrown you a ball. I’ve only seen him toss baseballs to little kids a few times. He is know as one of the hardest Brewer autographs to get, as well. Why sign autographs? We only pay your salary. 

Ben Sheets, take someone else’s money. Sit on someone else’s DL. Miss someone else’s playoff games.