5/1/07 Cardinals (Looper) @ Brewers (Sheets): 7:05 PM CDT

[MadisonBrewerBlue]

brewers lineup from jsonline

 

Rickie Weeks 2B

J.J. Hardy SS

Prince Fielder 1B

Bill Hall CF

Johnny Estrada C

Geoff Jenkins LF

Kevin Mench RF

Tony Graffanino 3B

Ben Sheets P

[bucksman4]

This sounds like a challenge. Will Sheets look like the Sheets of a few years ago, go out and dominate causing the bucksman to put his tail between his legs, or will Ben lay an egg, or worse, leave the game early, causing a poster of some disdain on this thread to reign victorious over one of our most noted statheads in rluz. Tickets are still available at Miller Park for tonights contest. Come on out Brewer faithful and see which poster will eat cake, and which will eat crow. To be honest, my moneys on Ben.

-Don

 

Very uplifting post. Unfortunately, I sound like the person who will eat crow if he loses and am labeled as a Ben hater. But as much as anyone here, I want to see the Brewers win a lot of games and believe it or not.....witness success from Sheets!

 

Just because I am honest with my critiques and say things that cause others to feel as though I'm trolling, I certainly hand out my share of recognition for players who deserve it. I have felt as though Ben Sheets' perfomance in the last few years has not been up to the standards of an ace. Frankly, our 2nd, 3rd, and sometimes even 4th starters have outperformed him. Does that mean I hate Sheets or am a troll if I point that out? Or if I feel he is one of the most overrated Brewers in team history does that make me unknowledgable of the game? I'm sorry, but it takes more than a 95 mph heater and 12-6 cutveball to convince me someone is worthy of 'ace' status. I look at performance out on the field. Right now, no one can argue that he isn't our #3 best starting pitcher. If you do, then I have a right to call into question your baseball knowledge.

[cruiserx43]

For all of you who feel Ben needs to get back to striking people out to be back at his norm, just remember that back before 2004 he really wasn't a big strikout guy if I remember correctly. I was at the 18K performance and was thinking, "since when does Sheets K so many people?" That year was his big coming out party, but to say he needs to be striking people out to be back to normal may not be 100% accurate.

[jloos19]

That's great news to see Weeks back in the lineup. I'm still wondering why Mench keeps starting in RF over Gross and Hart, who both hit righties better than Mench does. Ah well, Mench has been hitting well enough so I can't complain too much.

[Time for a Miller]

Anybody else think that Corey Hart should bat lead off if Weeks isn't in the line up?

 

I do not feel that bad about Counsel up there since he sees a lot of pitches, but after the first at bat he doesn't do enough to be hitting in front of the run producers.

[BillScottCanRake]

I look at performance out on the field. Right now, no one can argue that he isn't our #3 best starting pitcher. If you do, then I have a right to call into question your baseball knowledge.

 

http://www.avclub.com/content/files/images/DVD-%5BJerk,-web-large%5D.article.jpg

[TheBwaz]

http://www.axminster.co.uk/images/products/TORSVA170_l.jpg

 

I thought JohnDoe213 was Sparky? Does he have 2 accounts?

 

Anytime you say something along the lines of "he sucks and will never be any good", well, you are gonna hear about it. Tomorrow is another day after all.

[vacin8r]

I was just making my previous post to kinda fan the flames a bit, but in all seriousness, your basing Sheets' status as a #3 pitcher based on injuries he no longer has and a mediocre start to the season. Sample size is a phrase bandied about on here a lot and one would think all of the posters would get it by now. Is JJ Hardy a better power hitter than Bill Hall? Hes got 2 more HRs and a SLG thats .081 higher. No sensical person would try to make that argument.

 

Suppan and Capuano are solid pitchers, but people usually regress to their career norms(although Cappy being younger is much more likely to have a breakout season which doesn't do that). Sheets is also likely to be closer to his career numbers by seasons end. If all that happens, Sheets would most likely be our best pitcher, followed by Capuano, then Suppan(unless Bush can convert his good peripheral stats to on the field results, in which case, he'd be ahead of Suppan).

 

Bringing up salary is also unfair. To be honest, I don't think a single pitcher on this team is overpaid based on what contracts looked like this past off season. Does Sheets get paid that much more than Gil Meche? Again, Id rather have Sheeter. The way baseball works is that players who have reached their free agent years get a heck of a lot more money than those that havent. Sheets has put in his time, and recieved some of that cash. So too one day, will Capuano, Fielder, Weeks, Hardy, and others. Many of them will probably sign deals we say are overpaying them, but that is the nature of the beast.

 

Do we here overrate Sheets? Probably, but we overrate a lot of our guys. I wonder during a certain infamous thread how many of us actually wondered if Bill Hall could pitch. We also regularly put the trade values of our own players way over what they actually are. Its called being a fan, and when you visit a site called brewerFAN.net, I guess its to be expected.

-Don

[TooLiveBrew]

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/roll.gif

 

 

hilarious (to pic)

 

 

 

tooooooo slooowwwww

[SlideBernieSlide]

Quote:

---

We never win when Sheets pitches. If we need to win 1 game to get us to the post-season, I sure as heck hope it falls in the spot where Soup or Cappy pitches!!!

---

 

You see the 2000 Olympics Gold Medal Game? If we get in that playoff type of must win situation trust me we want Sheets on the mound.

[LUKE232323]

Does anyone know what channel this will be on in Madison for Charter cable to get the HD broadcast? Also, if I already have HD service and an HD box will I automatically be able to get this game in HD, or do you pay more as channels get added?

 

Thanks in advance.

[littledoc83]

Suppan and Cappy are winners and Sheets is a loser.

 

 

Sure is a what have you done for me lately type of world.

 

 

 

As for Hart sitting for the third straight game.... (Scratching head)..... just don't get it.

 

 

Good to see Ricky back in there...

[sheethead]

Sheeter dominates, Brewers win 5-2. Man this team is rolling with the media coverage.

 

Keep the foot on the gas and don't stop until November!!

[Lil Dummy]

My gut says neither pitcher is lights out tonight. Looper is due for a letdown, and I think I'd actually lay greater than 50/50 odds that Pujols takes Sheets deep tonight - hopefully with nobody on.

 

Here's to Ben settling down after a shaky first and gutting out seven strong innings in an, ummm, let's say... 6-3 Brewers win.

[Sheets4theHOF]

Quote:

---

Does anyone know what channel this will be on in Madison for Charter cable to get the HD broadcast? Also, if I already have HD service and an HD box will I automatically be able to get this game in HD, or do you pay more as channels get added?

---

 

 

I'm pretty sure Charter doesn't have a FSN HD channel. If they did it would be a different channel then the standard FSN channel.

[Lil Dummy]

One more prediction - if Sheets takes the loss tonight for whatever reason, some deranged madman in a Capuano jersey will try to assassinate him between now and his next start.

[rluzinski]

Right now, no one can argue that he isn't our #3 best starting pitcher. If you do, then I have a right to call into question your baseball knowledge.

 

No, no , no! Don't waste this stuff in an in-game thread. Just bundle up all those bucksmanisms into a big ol' pile and start a thread! Be sure to throw something in there about not being afraid to speak the truth and allude to being a martyr. Don't worry about defining whom you are a martyr to. That's largely irrelevant.

[MadisonBrewerBlue]

brewers are up to #5 in cbssportsline power rankings as of today

[soup can for prez]

Benny is due for a great game

[rluzinski]

For all of you who feel Ben needs to get back to striking people out to be back at his norm, just remember that back before 2004 he really wasn't a big strikout guy if I remember correctly.

 

We should to call what he did in 2003, when he was 24 years old, "normal Sheets"? He has over 500 IP from between 04-06 where he's averaged over a K an inning. I think that's a large enough sample to consider that as his expected performance.

[Lil Dummy]

When Sheets' curveball is working, he's just filthy. Absolutely among the best pitchers in baseball. If the Crew could get a steady diet of that this summer, it'd be a lot easier to keep the rest of the Central solidly in the rear view.

[JET15]

I don't see the lineup out here yet, but maybe I've overlooked it

 

 S. Schumaker rf&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .278 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp C. Duncan lf &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .317 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp A. Pujols 1b &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .250 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp S. Rolen 3b &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .250 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp J. Edmonds cf &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .222 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp A. Kennedy 2b &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .229 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp Y. Molina c &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .250 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp D. Eckstein ss &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .226 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp B. Looper p &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .111 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp R. Weeks 2b &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .247 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp J.J. Hardy ss &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .282 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp P. Fielder 1b &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .270 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp B. Hall cf &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .239 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp J. Estrada c &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .312 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp G. Jenkins lf &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .333 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp K. Mench rf &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .343 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp T. Graffanino 3b.220 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp B. Sheets p &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp .000 

[bucksman4]

You see the 2000 Olympics Gold Medal Game? If we get in that playoff type of must win situation trust me we want Sheets on the mound.

 

I laughed out loud when I read this. You proved my point for me concisely and eloquently in that you have to go back 7 years to find a clutch performance from Sheets. I need only refer to last night to back me up with my Suppan statement about starting in a big game. Oh yeah, and that little, stupid NLCS MVP thing he won last year too. When Sheeter does that, then let's talk.

 

 

By the way, I'm glad I'm amusing you Russ. Is this how you treat everyone who says something remotely negative about one of your favorite Brewer players? Aww...how cute how you defend your boys...

[Weirdos19]

Bucksman, when have we needed a clutch start over the last 7 years? We havent sniffed anything near a playoff run.

 

Hard to fault Sheets for that. I look at the lineups from 2000-2003 and chuckle. Alot of names that fell off the face of the earth after they left Milwaukee.

 

The jury is out on most of the Brewers, in reference to clutch performances. Only a couple have played in the playoffs. Only a few more have been part of a pennant drive.

[bucksman4]

Bucksman, when have we needed a clutch start over the last 7 years? We havent sniffed anything near a playoff run.

 

Yeah, I suppose that is true. But watching the playoffs closely last year and specifically the Cardinals NLCS series, I would prefer the guy who's 'been there, done that' in a key situation in the major leagues. He proved everything I needed to see and more last year when I watched him come up big in the clutch.