Sheets, Spurling, Balfour, Parra - Latest: Partial Tear

[brewers255]

What if they find the severity of sheets to be out more than 6 weeks. Do they try and find a good SP or do they not make anymoves at all?

[rluzinski]

You can't expect everyone to share your same measured, unemotional response to this. Some only care to predict/discuss the team's reaction to the injury, some come to vent, others come to vent at the venters. That's cool.

 

I don't expect every post to be stripped of all emotion. Hell, I have emotional responses to the goings of this team all the time. My personal preference is for it not to become on of the the primary purposes of these boards, however. If you go to other Brewer message boards, the majority of threads are either ripping Brewer players to shreds with childish puns (TurnBLOW!!!! JenKKKKins LOL!!!) or people constantly predicting a Brewer collapse (The Brewers will lose their 3.5 game lead in 2 days!). If that's really how people want to enjoy the Brewers, they don't even need to come here to do it.

 

If someone wants to complain, let them and let it pass.

 

Provided it's not getting in the the way of a real discussion, that's exactly what I should do. Knowing is half the battle, right?

 

What if they find the severity of sheets to be out more than 6 weeks. Do they try and find a good SP or do they not make anymoves at all?

 

I don't think a move would be absolutely necessary but I could see Melvin getting another reliever so that he can easily free Villy up for the rotation.

[LUKE232323]

To me "injury-prone" means anyone that has shown a historical tendency to being injured, and to me it does not matter if that injury is related to lack of physical condition or just lack of luck. With basically 3.5 years of random injuries, it's time to add Sheets to that list.

 

Regarding how it actually effects us, if he's out six weeks I think we are in a much bigger world of hurt than Nedly, obviously. If you pull Yo out of the pen you lose a reliable (granted small sample) option there, put more pressure on CV and the unproven Parra and Balfour. The pressure on all five starters rises to eat up innings as well.

 

It's just majorly frustrating because the Sheets injuries tend to be backbreakers. With the Cubs breathing down our neck and essentially Bush being the only other consistent performer LATELY in the rotation, I think we should all be praying this is only a 2 week stint on the DL.

 

Anyone know when today we will hear the news?

[Fatter than Joey]

Knowing is half the battle, right?

 

Wars can be won, fighting half the battle -- General George Custer.

[1992casey]

Given the list of injuries, I guess I can live with the 'injury prone' designation. However, given the nature of the injuries, I'd hesitate to predict future injuries because of them.

[whizkid]

I don't expect every post to be stripped of all emotion. Hell, I have emotional responses to the goings of this team all the time. My personal preference is for it not to become on of the the primary purposes of these boards, however. If you go to other Brewer message boards, the majority of threads are either ripping Brewer players to shreds with childish puns (TurnBLOW!!!! JenKKKKins LOL!!!) or people constantly predicting a Brewer collapse (The Brewers will lose their 3.5 game lead in 2 days!). If that's really how people want to enjoy the Brewers, they don't even need to come here to do it.

 

Brian and the moderators have reigned some rants in and of course banned some people, but their vision of Brewerfan seems more inclusive of varying points of view and posting/content styles than yours. I suggest we let them set the parameters on these things.

[Invader3K]

Thank you for that post, whizkid.

 

Sports are about emotion and excitement. Sheets has been injured multiple times in the past several years, and the severity of those injuries has varied. Sheets gets paid a lot of money to be the staff ace, and it's not exactly unwarranted if people get upset that he's once again been struck with some freak injury. To expect a rational discussion when there's no rational explanation for Sheets' injury history is being a tad over hopeful, IMHO.

[gregmag]

Given the list of injuries, I guess I can live with the 'injury prone' designation. However, given the nature of the injuries, I'd hesitate to predict future injuries because of them.

 

I think this is exactly right. As Russ said before, deciding who's "injury prone" depends on what you mean by "injury prone." Sheets' series of injuries definitely frustrates me, but if the things that shelve him are essentially random and unrelated, I don't think I'll factor them into thinking about his next contract very much.

 

Brian and the moderators have reigned some rants in and of course banned some people, but their vision of Brewerfan seems more inclusive of varying points of view and posting/content styles than yours. I suggest we let them set the parameters on these things.

 

This statement strikes me as very ironic, because you're using a point about inclusiveness and expressive freedom to tell another poster what he can't or shouldn't say.

 

The moderators have actual power to discipline people for posts they deem destructive to the community norms, and they quite wisely use that power sparingly. The rest of us have no power -- we just have opinions, and sometimes we have opinions about one another's tone, rhetoric, or attitude. Just because somebody's tone, rhetoric, or attitude is within the bounds of community norms doesn't immunize it from discussion and even criticism by other posters. By the same token, if I say you're being too critical or pessimistic -- or even ironic -- you're free to ignore me.

 

Greg.

[rluzinski]

To me "injury-prone" means anyone that has shown a historical tendency to being injured, and to me it does not matter if that injury is related to lack of physical condition or just lack of luck.

 

But if we want to know if any observed pattern has a tendency to continue, what we are really trying to find out is if the pattern is being caused by some underlying factor if it is just random. Baseball fans seem to be hard wired to conclude that no pattern is ever a result of just luck. In actuality, random patterns are occurring everywhere we look. The hard part is often trying to figure out which ones aren't random, not the other way around.

 

We all know that Sheets has had an injury riddled 2.5 seasons. No one needs to point that out or create a bulleted and dated list of injuries. The real question is if Sheets' injury history suggests a higher probability for future injury, compared to an average starting pitcher. Now, a reasonable could person could argue that it does and I can accept that. But the argument never even gets that far. We might have some interesting discussions on the subject if it did.

 

but their vision of Brewerfan seems more inclusive of varying points of view and posting/content styles than yours. I suggest we let them set the parameters on these things.

 

Sure, which is why I prefaced my statement with, "It's my preference..." Ultimately, Brian's vision for bf.net is what matters but that shouldn't stop me or anyone else from expressing their preferences.

[bjkrautk]

To take the thread in a different direction:

 

Does Balfour have any options remaining? I'm guessing that, if he did, he'd still be in Minnesota.

 

Is he up for good, or will he have to clear waivers?

[1992casey]

Grant's out of options. He spent the winter on the 40-man roster and went through waivers to be outrighted at the end of Spring Training. I think it's safe to say he's upped his value since then.

 

Re the board dynamics discussion, I agree with both Geno's post and Russ' subsequent response. The staff and mods are basically looking to avoid thread-starters whose sole purpose is to vent/rant.

 

In a thread like this, some emotion and venting is natural. If venting and ranting were to 'take over', there'd probably also be some other issues (e.g. condescension) to go along with it.

[Fike85]

Per JSOnline: It's only a Partial Tear.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers received good news on pitcher Ben Sheets today as the ultrasound test performed this morning showed only partial tearing in a tissue band holding the tendon of his right middle finger in place.

 

That most likely means that Sheets will miss closer to a two-week period than the six weeks he could have missed had the tissue been completely torn.

[Oldcity]

Well now the link says 4-6 weeks? Much worse if that's the case...

[don1481]

And now the question becomes: Do you still go with Yo in Sheets' spot or do you put Villy in? Or, does Parra become a legitimate option here?

[ryanbraun75]

i wouldn't use gallardo that much. I really hope that they give Villy a chance but id also like to see parra get a start too. I think that saving his innings is a very good idea and im concerned if he pitches too much.

[Sheets4theHOF]

I think the way to go is leave villy where he is. Next year he'll be in line to be a starter, but his current role is an important one.

 

Next have Yo take Sheets spot until Ben is back. Now this will probably will pile up too many innings for yo to potentially pitch in the playoffs, but actually making the playoffs isn't a sure thing right now with the surging cubs.

 

Parra is now the long man, unless dessens ever gets healthy (or better put the brewers ever want him to be healthy).

[rluzinski]

I don't know why they just wouldn't use Yo. There's no good reason not to.

 

That was some serious back pedaling by Ash. It went from 4-6 weeks at worst to 4-6 weeks at best.

[thablingster]

Quote:

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I don't know why they just wouldn't use Yo. There's no good reason not to.

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I agree with that. If they are that concerned about keeping his innings down, just baby him and keep him infront of a guy like Suppan who you expect to suck innings whether he is pitching well or pitching awfully. I'd say let him go now and get him some rest down the stretch when we'll have the extra arms to do it.

[PrimeTime955]

The argument over weather or not Sheets is injury prone or not is stupid and really doesnt matter. Fact is hes hurt and he cant pitch. What does a bunch of know it all's on a message board arguing weather or not he's injury prone going to do to help that. Sometimes you just get hurt, simple as that. Does it suck? Heck yes it sucks but arguing over weather or not our ace is injury prone isn't going to help. Put the effort into a pointless argument into something like backing whoever is going to take his place, which looks like Yo for the moment.

 

Go show us who's going to be our #2 next year Yovanni.

[NYChez]

Does anyone know if Zumaya's injury is the same as Sheets'? It seems like Zumaya has been out for a while.

[DannoMac21]

I believe Zumaya tore the whole ligament.

[TauPentaRei]

well, that about wraps up the wildcard.

 

i have been silently munching crow since ben was around 4 - 3 and i wrote: "I will be a Sheets detractor until I see 20 wins in a season or 2 in a single playoff series" and the crow was tasting great on that cresting wave. crash.

 

looks like it will have to be the latter in my scenario.

[Bernman23]

Quote:

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I'll gladly blame him, this is a baseball injury that has absolutely nothing to do with his other injury. This easily could have happened to any player on the team, its not somehow caused by Sheets being injury prone

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How can you possibly determine for certain that this injury was completely unrelated to other injuries. Injuries on your lower half can even lead to injuries on your upper half. I personally developed one partial knee dislocation (sublaxation). I started favoring my other leg, and then that leg partially dislocated (sublaxed) probably as a result. So then when I got up, I couldn't really bend my knees, therefore I used my arms, and both my shoulders sublaxed. It's often talked about then when pitcher's incur leg injuries, that will contribute to arm injuries because they are putting way too much torque on their arms. Sheets has had groin problems earlier in the year. How do you know that hasn't forced him to put more pressure on his arm? Plus, he's had a lat/shoulder problems. So he can't put too much pressure on the part of his arm closest to his shoulder. So he puts more torque on his elbow up threw his fingers (whipping them for added velocity) and now he tears a finger tendon. You don't know that there isn't a domino effect.

[jlau20]

I was somewhat frustrated when Bill and Brain just said that it's now probably atleast 4-6 weeks for Ben after hearing earlier 2-4, 4 weeks at most.

 

Oh well. I'm sure between Yo, Villy, maybe even Parra but I doubt it that we should be OK.

 

Hopefully it won't be like last year where the fill-ins went 5-17 in the starts Ben and Ohka missed.

 

I'm sure we can pull atleast .500 in the games he was supposed to start, which for all we know could be what he would have done anyways.

 

Lets just all hope that it doesn't turn into atleast 6 six weeks minimum, possibly the season.

[LouisEly]

4-6 weeks = go get someone.

 

Sure, the youth has talent, but as tight as this pennant race is they could use some experience to stabilize them. In 4-6 weeks this 3.5 game lead could easily be a 5.5 game deficit if Capuano and Vargas don't get it together and Yo/Parra start getting tired arms. The time is NOW. Seriously, how much are guys like Moss, Escobar, Irribarren, Dillard, Nelson ever going to contribute behind Hall/Gwynn, Hardy, Weeks, Yo/CV/Parra, Hart/Fielder? Ship a couple of these mid-level guys off for a Band-Aid that can hold everything together for the next 4-6 weeks.