Ben Sheets is the new Kerry Wood
Ben Godar
I've spent a lot of time bagging on Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. One reason is that, as a Cardinals fan, I drink Cubs futility like sweet nectar. But it's not fair to single the Cubs out when there is another epic Bum just up the I-94 corridor. I'm talking, of course, about Ben Sheets.
Okay, Sheets isn't in the same league as Wood and Prior. At least, not yet. Wood and Prior have been ostensibly MIA since 2003. And since Prior came into the league in 2002, Sheets has logged 220 more innings - equal to one full season.
But like Chicago's dynamic duo, Sheets carries a reputation that far outweighs his production. He was healthy from 2002 through 2004, but '04 was the only season in which he logged 200+ innings and an ERA under 4.00. That's hardly the resume of a #1 starter.
This season, Sheets started only four games, lost three and posted an ERA north of 6.00. Then, in early May, he went onto the same nebulous disabled list Wood and Prior always seem to be on. No clear indication of what's wrong with Sheets, just that he hurts and doesn't know when it will get better. Hey Bucky, everybody hurts.
Brewers fans, we've seen this movie before in a city near you. Few things pull a team under faster than penciling in a supposed ace who just can't get it done. The Brewers have already used 25 different pitchers this season, and you still hear Homers saying it will all work out once Sheets returns. It's just like die-hard Cubs fans who still envision playoffs when Wood and Prior come back, as if that's ever going to happen.
When we've seen a player do great things, it's alluring to think that once they "get healthy" it will all be the same. But just like Shane, once these pitchers walk off into the sunset, they aren't coming back.
I've spent a lot of time bagging on Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. One reason is that, as a Cardinals fan, I drink Cubs futility like sweet nectar. But it's not fair to single the Cubs out when there is another epic Bum just up the I-94 corridor. I'm talking, of course, about Ben Sheets.
Okay, Sheets isn't in the same league as Wood and Prior. At least, not yet. Wood and Prior have been ostensibly MIA since 2003. And since Prior came into the league in 2002, Sheets has logged 220 more innings - equal to one full season.
But like Chicago's dynamic duo, Sheets carries a reputation that far outweighs his production. He was healthy from 2002 through 2004, but '04 was the only season in which he logged 200+ innings and an ERA under 4.00. That's hardly the resume of a #1 starter.
This season, Sheets started only four games, lost three and posted an ERA north of 6.00. Then, in early May, he went onto the same nebulous disabled list Wood and Prior always seem to be on. No clear indication of what's wrong with Sheets, just that he hurts and doesn't know when it will get better. Hey Bucky, everybody hurts.
Brewers fans, we've seen this movie before in a city near you. Few things pull a team under faster than penciling in a supposed ace who just can't get it done. The Brewers have already used 25 different pitchers this season, and you still hear Homers saying it will all work out once Sheets returns. It's just like die-hard Cubs fans who still envision playoffs when Wood and Prior come back, as if that's ever going to happen.
When we've seen a player do great things, it's alluring to think that once they "get healthy" it will all be the same. But just like Shane, once these pitchers walk off into the sunset, they aren't coming back.
posted by Ben Godar at 9:19 AM
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