Met Ben Sheets Tonight

[ManOfTheBeer]

I know I don't post much here, but I always enjoy reading what the fellow Brewers fans have to say about the team good or bad. I wanted to share a personal experience tonight which resulted in meeting Ben Sheets.

 

My uncle had a surprise birthday party thrown at Riverfront Pizzeria on Erie St in the 3rd Ward. My cousin, brother, and I were sitting at the bar enjoying a beer when we looked over toward the door and saw a man wearing baggy jeans and a light blue Buffalo Sabres shirt kind of hiding by a wall acting inconspicious. We started trying to get a better look at the guy to determine if it was in fact Ben Sheets. You could kind of tell he wanted to get his pizza and leave. My brother went over to him and asked if he was Sheets. He shook his head no and kept a really straight face before smiling and saying, "Yeah, I am" while laughing a little.

 

We walked right past him to go to the reserved room for the party and as I passed, I said, "Nice game the other day, Ben,". He replied, "Thanks, man" and that was it. As nervous and star-struck as I was, I didn't want to bug him too much or ask for any autograph or something. I just wanted to let him know I recognized him and appreciated his last outing.

 

A few minutes later, he walked into the party room and shook hands with my uncle. My uncle's friend had asked him if he could stop in for a picture. He had his pizza in hand and seemed to be ready to leave. He posed for a picture and made some really friendly small talk with the party for a minute. He made a joke about how it was a good night for pizza and a few drinks or something and then left. Me being a silly fanboy, I looked out the window and saw him climb into his white Land Rover and drive away.

 

I was surprised by his size..I'm 6'1", 205 lbs and was about the same size or even an inch or so taller. His intimidating presence on the mound makes him seem so much bigger on tv. He was really friendly for a guy who clearly was trying to stay low-key. I wouldn't have invited him into the party in fear of intruding on his personal life, but he was very cool and really made everyone's night.

 

Nothing too important to report, but a story I hope some fellow Brewer fans can enjoy hearing. Go Crew!

[pitchleague]

that's pretty neat!

[TooLiveBrew]

You handled that situation was just as classily as Sheets! Well done - I'm sure it's moments like that which make players smile as they drive home, as opposed to feeling like they have to escape. Imho, the classiest thing about Benny is that he's just so much of a 'regular dude'. It's one huge reason that I personally love to root for the guy. Sounds like he really made the party special, and I'm sure your low-key appreciation gave him something to be grateful for, too.

[bigbrewkahuna]

You did right by being low key with him.

With a few beers in me however,I'd be sorely tempted to ask him his opinion of those "Is Sheets An Ace ?" threads on here.

Let Ben settle the issue once and for all.

[brettac1]

He didn't tell you his arm was "cashed", did he?

 

(inside joke)

[ManOfTheBeer]

Ha ha, no, it wasn't Sharpie.

 

Ben is definitely a low-key guy, not looking for the spotlight or any attention. I figured it would be hard to get any straight answers out of a guy who's made a career in the clubhouse as the resident jokester. He messed with my brother for a second before laughing. I've got a friend who works as a clubhouse attendant for the team who said Sheets is the prankster and is always joking around...except on days he starts. He said no one even goes near Ben before a start because of how intense he is.

 

Thanks for the reassurances that I handled the greatest encounter of my life with smoothness. I now understand what a mancrush is like, as I've been jazzed up from the minute long episode since. Thanks for reading, everyone!

[BCZF]

Great story.. The fact that he picks up his own pizza, to me makes me chuckle.. I mean, why not delivery? Or DeGeorno?

[sgtcluels]

Neat. It's good to see him have some humility and isn't above the "fan". Very classy guy, he touched my arm walking past me at the last brewers Block Party.. I haven't washed it since.

[goirish2107]

i know this is somewhat unrelated, but your comment about being star-struck and nervous happened to me as well. i was biking to a friends house and happened to pass by wes helms' old house when he was still on the team. he was out doing yardwork so i thought i'd say something, which i decided was going to be something like "big fan man, good luck". well, even though im not twelve, and wes isn't anything special, as i passed i waved and said something so unintelligible i can't think of any way to spell it here. so i kept going on my embarrassed way. at least he waved back.

 

great story on ben, i'd love to meet him. he seems like the guy on the team i'd most want to be friends with.

[BrewCityUnit]

Great story.. The fact that he picks up his own pizza, to me makes me chuckle.. I mean, why not delivery? Or DeGeorno?

 

Riverfront Pizzeria doesn't deliver. Sheeter must live in the Third Ward

[T B0NE 10]

we gotta resign this guy

[brewcrewnation]

A lot of the brewers live in those condo's in Brookfile near rudy isle. Lyle Overbay lived there and when ever wedrove by we did the O chant. I found out were Robin lived in the last 80s, so once a year i drove by and one time he was outside.

[hawing]

Riverfront Pizzeria on Erie St in the 3rd Ward.

 

Can you 'eat in' there? If so, I nominate this as the venue for the 2008 Winter Meeting. http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/smile.gif

 

Not to mention I'm hungry for pizza now.

[ManOfTheBeer]

My ex works near Ruby Isle and once pointed out a condo where a Brewer lived, according to her friend. When she couldn't remember his name, I pressed for more info. She told me she thought he was a pitcher and his name started with a W. Between her spotty memory and my rattling off various Brewers' names, we decided it was Wes Obermueller. That immediately bummed me out that it was Wes Obermueller, the Brewers' answer to former Buck Marty Conlon. Even though they're probably nice guys, it's just hard to get pumped up about them.

 

Hawing - Riverfront does have a nice "Eat In" section, including an outdoor patio on the river. The bar was very classy as well. It would make a fine place for any gathering. The pizza was fantastic, specifically the taco pizza (with refried beans on it!).

[brewcrewkid14]

I actually met Ned Yost and Doug Melvin at Maryvale in one of Ned's first (if not his first) spring training as a Brewer manager.

 

I got a picture with them and everything, and even Gord Ash was there (who I didn't recognize until it was too late). Usually I have that picture hanging on my bulletin board, but after a certain game on August 28th I took it down in frustration. I don't think I'm putting it back up anytime soon either.

 

They were both very nice people though, and even talked some baseball with me, even though I was like 13 at the time.

[windiv07]

Great story. Players appreciate how you handled it.

 

Kevin Seitzer moved here from KC the year after we did the same. I ran into him at the old Chuckie Cheese on 124th & North Ave (both our kids were having birthdays & were in the ball bin). We both worked for the Royals in ours pasts (his career was somewhat more colorful, high profile, and greatly more compensated than mine) so it was easier to strike up a conversation with him. Nevertheless friendly as it was, it was brief.

 

If all fans handled it the way you did, we'd see players around town in public much more.