Ben Sheets has always been thought of as the "Brett Favre" of the Brewers. They were both easy-going southern boys never afraid to speak there mind, and they were the leaders of their respective teams. But after each of their respective offseasons, it appear they may have one more things in common: Screwing their former teams.Favre's screw-ups have been well-documented on this site, and I'm kind of in a good mood right now so I won't bring it up. As for Sheets, he can't find a job, and now it looks like he's headed for surgery. A surgery that could keep him out of action until the second half of 2009. A surgery which would likely cost the Brewers the Class A draft pick they were going to receive if he signed with another team before the June draft. A surgery which the Brewers could be footing the bill for.
The only positive in this whole situation is that Sheets didn't accept arbitration with Milwaukee and then decide to have the surgery. So that saves us a cool $12 million. Still, Melvin has offered Sheets two deals to return to Milwaukee - arbitration, and an incentive-laden deal in January - and Sheets declined them both. As if to say he never wanted to pitch in Milwaukee again. I've thought this whole Sheets free-agency process has been sketchy from the start, and now he's going to cost the Brewers money and a draft pick.
So while Sheets' shenanigans aren't nearly as bad as Favre's were, yet, it's still sad to see another former Wisconsin great turn their back on their former team.
9 comments:
Just because Sheets purportedly didn't accept an incentive-laden deal in January doesn't mean that he "never wanted to pitch in Milwaukee again." This notion that Sheets is "pulling a Favre" is completely over the top. You're criticizing the guy because he got hurt while helping the Brewers make the playoffs for the first time in 26 years? Some loyalty you're showing there. Sheets was no doubt a tease the last few years and certainly was a disapppointment after the big contract due to the injuries. But, I really don't get why he gets hammered so much, here and elsewhere. Athletes get hurt. Injuries are part of the game. Sheets was a workhorse for this team early in his career. That is what I will choose to remember about his career as a Brewer. And let's not forget his last start for the team. We now know that he was injured, not hurt. He was headed for free agency, but his team was fighting for a playoff berth. So he took the ball, sucked it up, and pitched through the pain to try to help the Brewers on the final weekend of the season. That took heart, regardless of the performance not being great. He wanted to help his team make the playoffs and risked further injury. That start may be the reason why he is headed for surgery now instead of signing a big contract. He risked millions to try to get this team into the playoffs. ... Also, Sheets is a "Type A" free agent. "Class A" is Brevard County and Beloit and the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
Typical, Sheets screwed us by getting hurt all the time and now he is screwing us by being hurt again. Perfect ending!
Yeah, I'm not sure I'm with ya here Winks. This is nothing like the Favre situation. He declined the offer in January because he wanted more years.
Also I thought he agreed to a contract with the Rangers but failed the physical thus nulling the contract and the reason he is having surgery. Maybe Im wrong, but I thought that was the gist of it.
Anyway, I am disappointed that this is going to cost us a first round pick that we would get if he was signed by a team who hasn't signed a higher type A player. I also get that in big games Sheets has sort of disappeared. But he did stick with the crew threw some of our bad years and definately has a hand in the success the team has had lately.
But... I don't see how he has turned his back on the Brewers. He has never knocked the organization or demanded we trade for certain player, or aired his dirty laundry on national TV.
It really sucks that the Brewers will likely lose those two draft picks, but man it's nice that they won't have to pay Sheets $12 mil. to sit on the DL all of 2009. That would have been disastrous!
Funny thing is I had written "Type A", but the Haudricourt e-mail I linnked to said "Class A", so I went with that.
I guess what I should have said is that I don't mind if we pay for Sheets' surgery as long as he is a member of the Brewers. Sign with us, we'll pay the surgery, come back in July. That's fine with me. I just don't think the Brewers should be on the hook for the cost because Sheets and his agent were so adament about looking elsewhere.
Just come back home, Benny.
And when I say come back, I clearly did not mean for $12 mil. I agree with Milk Bone on that one.
Winks, who cares if we have to pay for his surgery. How much can shoulder surgery really cost? Lets say worse case $25,000 for the surgery and $10,000 for rehab. I'm pretty sure the Brewers have wasted away money in dumber ways, AKA paying Weeks over 2 million this season. Thats alot better than $12,000,000 we wouldve been paying him this season.
I think most of the outcry with this post is that nobody can be compared to Favre.
It does seem like Sheets doesn't want to come back to the Brewers, but for him to pull a Favre he would have to not be returning Manny Parra's phone calls or something.
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