04/10/04 Houston (Redding) @ Milwaukee (Sheets)

[RobertR]

Good job by Yost as well. Sheets can take nothing but positives from this outing and Yost recognized it and removed him at the proper time.

 

Robert

[RyDogg66]

Well, just got back from my second game of the year, and here is a quick report -

 

Ben Sheets - What can I say. From the get go the guy was absolutely filthy with legitmate #1 starter stuff. He was not only locating that fastball (that started at around 95-96 in the first) at the knees, but when he did get it up the Astros just could not catch up to it. I really hope this start silences a lot of his critics that like to post that the guy is over rated and only a #3 starter, etc. I really hope that this start was a bit of a coming out party for Ben and we will see more of this in the future. He seemed to tire abit on the 6th, bit his one of his last pitches touched 98mph...impressive. The best start by a Brewer pitcher I have ever seen.

 

The Bullpen - Jeff Bennet was solid, as his numbers indicated, living around the 91-92 mph mark, topping out at about 94. Vizcaino pitched well, just that mental error in the 9th when he didnt cover 1st.

 

Pods - My score card shows 0-4, but let me tell you, in the first and the fourth be BLASTED the ball to dead center both times, and the ball, which has not carried well to right or center in either game just died out there. An 0-fer but good contact. The defense was just so-so. The play on the Ausmus liner was bad, but the line drive in the OF is the toughest play to make.

 

Counsell - A nice hit and run single, and his last out was well hit, but in his first 3 ABs he looked pretty bad.

 

Ginter - Much like Pods, Ginter SMOKED the ball ever time up. He hit two bombs to dead center that were just too damn high and Palmeiro caught them both at the wall. I really hope he plays his way into the starting lineup soon.

 

Jenks - usual self. on base 4 times, two nice hits.

 

Overbay - still love this guy. Both singles late in the game were clutch

 

Helms - I stood up for his third AB because I could tell something was about to happen, and you knew it was out by the sound of the ball on the bat. Nice game.

 

Grieve- I think he'll be fine at the plate - his defense gets worse and worse. I think he dropped a foul ball early in the game.

 

Moeller - He and Bennett will be a much better combo than last years guys - whoever they were.

 

That's about it. Again MVP goes to Sheets. Day and Night difference between today and yesterday. Sheets was ahead of about every batter and didnt go to a three ball count until Berkman in the fifth. If our pitchers can throw strikes, we will be ok. Great game.

[wickedheat]

That gun was reading several MPH high today, as I figured it was and Darron and Bill mentioned. Sheets wasn't throwing 96-98.

 

Who cares though? He was focused, pissed, and was flat out dealing!!!! GREAT game to watch, as Sheets was very impressive.

 

Just saw the highlights on ESPN...and I was surprised that they were decidedly pro-Brewer; Showed 6 of Sheets' 10 K, Hems' digger but also his 3-R HR, Pods' 3B error, but also the game-ending DP. A little respect for Sheets and the Crew from SportsCenter. Yes!

[batman]

I can't remember the last time I saw Sheets pitch that well... might be never. His fastball was consistently in the mid-90s and his curveball was nearly unhittable. He got ahead of hitters, kept the ball down in the zone, and didn't seem to lose his focus for even a batter. *That* was the ace we all wish we had...

 

And this offense continues to impress. I just wish they could have been this dominant on opening day in front of the huge crowd. Still a great game, though... I'm sure we'll forget it by September, but I bet this is going to prove to be one of the team's best performances in 2004.

 

Hop on the bandwagon, folks!

~Bill

[DHonks]

I can't remember the last time I saw Sheets pitch that well... might be never.

 

One knock I had on Ben last year was that he rarely "dialed it up" to the mid to upper 90s. We all knew he could do it, but he tended to try to be too fine with the 90 mph heater. I didn't like hearing them talking about how he had scrapped the 2seamer. I think a combination of the two is better.

It also is a little unnerving that his changeup and curve were both coming in at 83 mph. He needs more variety

[clancyphile]

Agreed. Later on, we can stretch Sheets out. But today was a good rebound from Opening Day.

[RyDogg66]

One knock I had on Ben last year was that he rarely "dialed it up" to the mid to upper 90s. We all knew he could do it, but he tended to try to be too fine with the 90 mph heater. I didn't like hearing them talking about how he had scrapped the 2seamer. I think a combination of the two is better.

It also is a little unnerving that his changeup and curve were both coming in at 83 mph. He needs more variety

 

Ah yes, only at Brewerfan.net will you find criticism and skepticism after such a dominanting performance. The hitters Sheets faced were baffled all day long. I hope he does exactly what he did today every start from now on. Watching him pitch in person, you really could see the Astros shaking their heads after swinging and missing repeatedly.

 

Ben said he threw all 4 seamers. If they are all unhittable and topping off aroung 95-97 mph I really don't care if he throws no-seamers.

[DHonks]

Ben said he threw all 4 seamers. If they are all unhittable and topping off aroung 95-97 mph I really don't care if he throws no-seamers.

 

By no means RyDogg66 was I meaning to criticize Ben. I love it when he throws that hard. What I mean is that he won't always look as dominant as he did today, and on those days, being willing to utilize the 2-seamer could be beneficial. And my criticism of the changeup is not that I don't like it. I really like seeing it, especially how it fools hitters for strike three. But it'd be nice if he threw something in the high 70s. Great one today. Hard to dominate the Astros hitters like he did.

[scoop53714]

Not sure if this has been covered but...

Sheets hit 99 at least 3 times on the in house radar. I was at the game and he was 96-99 all day. It was awesome!

 

Ninety freakin Nine. Thrice.

[scoop53714]

Wicked Heat....why do you think Sheets wasnt throwing 98-99?? No one else was hitting those numbers. Redding was 92 tops. Viscaino hit 95 once i believe. Sheets was several mph better than anyone else who threw.

[DuWayne Steurer]

There's been talk that the Miller Park gun reads 2-3 MPH faster than a "normal" gun. That being said, Sheets was obviously dealing today, whether he was throwing 95 or 98, he was unhittable, so I don't think the exact numbers matter nearly as much as the results.

[spbrew]

I went today and had a great view in 110. Let's just say my chin is still planted firmly in my chest. Ben was masterful!

 

The gun might have been "fast", but 1 pitch today read 100 on the board. That's 97 on a "slow" gun.

[bjkrautk]

I was also at the game....I would've posted earlier, but I was hoping to catch footage of Pods and the triple (he almost got to the ball...it looked like it went off the tip of his glove,) since I had the worst possible angle on the play....right behind it! (My grandmother needs a walker, so I was able to get tickets for the outcropping in Rt. Center -- in front of the furniture set (used to be the hot tub)! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/happy.gif

 

I read where the TV guys thought the radar gun was overestimating Sheet's fastball; I'm hesitant to agree, since the gun in St. Louis showed the same thing for opening day. Sitting in the OF, I can also say that Grieve should have been able to get to that foul ball early in the game. I'd like for Grieve to do well, and I know it's early....but a .786 OPS and below-average defense isn't going to hold down a starting spot.

 

Enough negativity though....I'd rather focus on Sheets being outstanding today.

[tlpc4]

Also, Sheets has looked pissed out there. I've never seen this focus from him before.

 

I was unable to catch much of the game on TV, but in the inning I did catch I noticed this right away.

 

I have always maintained hope for Sheets as an ace, but I was always leery of his demeanor on the mound. Today he looked like a different pitcher.

[colbyjack]

Most stadiums use Juggs guns, which are typically 2-3 mph faster than what a pitcher actually throws. Higher radar readings always get bigger reactions, so why would stadiums use the more accurate, Stalker guns? That would easily explain why the Miller Park & Busch stadium guns had the same readings.

 

That said, as a few others have noted, even if Sheets was pitching 94-95 consistently in this game, that's outstanding. I was extremely skeptical of him throwing so hard in his first start, as it seemed obvious to me that he burned out quickly, even if he was still throwing heat in the 4th inning when he was removed. It was nice to see him maintain that velocity with outstanding command through 6 innings today. Very impressive.

[Highroller720]

I had to listen on the radio today. And Uecker said that Sheets was around 96-98. And he said after one pitch that the TV gun read 96 and the miller park gun said 99.

[igor67]

I don't think there's any shame in having been skeptical of Ben. Lot's of pitcher's never reach their potential, and Ben is getting to a now or never point. The fact he got focused and mad about his past performance is fine, that he did something about it is even better. Maybe he's got enough in his repitoire now between the 2 and 4 seamer, curve, and change-up that he can have atleast two working OK for him every start. Maybe he's finally gotten to the point that he knows what works for him. We can only hope, and anticipate his next start.

 

How many victories were people predicting for April? Looking slightly ahead those Giant pitching match-ups don't frighten me at all. And now Worrell or Nen in the bullpen. Sure Bonds might take over a game, but regardless of how the last Astros game goes I feel good about that series.

[endaround]

Let's be serious. In two games this season, Sheets had one poor game and one outstanding game. Seems inconsistant to me. Hey, that matches his past where he had good and bad games on his way to being an average pitcher! Average pitchers have great games all the time and until Sheets even matches what D'Amico accomplished in a strech as a Brewer you may not want to hold shelf space for the Cy Young award.

[spbrew]

By the same logic...

 

If Ben has been an average pitcher based on good and bad outings, than having a bad outing and outstanding outing should account for slightly better than average. I'll take it.

 

Yesterday was the best da of Ben's career, quit raining on the parade.

[scoop53714]

Sheets rocks. After sitting there watching him light up double 9's several times at MP I am not sure there is a starter in the league that I would be willing to trade Sheets for Straight up. If he can maintain that velocity he is in the league of Prior/Wood/Beckett/Johnson and others. Prior might be the only guy in his class if he stays on course.

[Al the Thinking Man]

The difference between 96 & 99 is well within the 5-10% error threshold police radar guns have. This is one reason why cops very rarely give tickets if you are 1-10 mph above the speed limit, as it is easy to say that the gun could be in question.

 

Consistently yesterday, Ben was 93-95, and he did have a small amount above 96. The majority was in that 93, 94, 95 range. That's plenty fast if you have a breaking ball working.

[xisxisxis]

Sheets rocks. After sitting there watching him light up double 9's several times at MP I am not sure there is a starter in the league that I would be willing to trade Sheets for Straight up.

 

I think you just confirmed you are a 13 YO girl with the mental capacity of Al's cocker spaniel.

[scoop53714]

give me a list then smart guy.

 

You go on record saying you only actually watch the Brewers 35% of the time and then run your fat mouth. Give me a list of other starters who are around Sheets age that are showing they can hit 99 on the gun through 6 innings. We are all waiting.

 

In fact they dont even have to be his age. They just need to be in MLB. Go ahead. Fire away. Give me a list of Starters who you would be willing to trade Sheets straight up for given the fact that Sheets just showed that he is young and basically unhittable when he can spot his pitches. Are you willing to deal Bens arm away right now?? I am not.

 

Lets have the list smart man.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I can't believe people are proclaiming Ben the 2nd coming after ONE (count em', one) dominating start. Yes it was fun. Yes, I hope he keeps it up. But lordy, let's let him do it for more than one six inning stretch, considering over his 3+ year career he's actually been a slightly below average pitcher.

 

After ONE dominating start, putting him in the class of guys like Prior is just plain silly.

[endaround]

6 pitchers?

 

Well lets see...

 

Oswalt, Hudson, Mulder, Prior, Wood, Vasquez, Webb.

 

Theres 7.