What the Nats can learn from Ben Sheets by William Yoder

by cat daddy3000 on Aug 22, 2009 12:25 AM EDT

http://www.thenatsblog.com/minors/minors/brewing-home-grown-talent-what-the-nats-can-learn-from-ben-sheets.html

Sheets and Strasburg both hold the distinction of striking out 20 batters in one Division I college baseball game, and of course they both hold the distinction of being anointed the savior of a franchise much in need of saving.

Both young starters pitched for team USA and both were considered at that time, essentially MLB ready.

Today however, the two stand very much apart in their careers, as Strasburg was just introduced into the league, and Sheets is currently on the outside looking in. Yet another shoulder surgery in the 2008 offseason left Sheets without a team for 2009, and while he will likely be back someday, neither he nor the Brewers will find the form they had in 2008 for a while.

Sheets arm troubles came from years of over work in a time when he should have been developing. By the time the Brewers needed him to be the Cy Young caliber pitcher he was, his arm was already on the fritz. The Brewers were in a bind in the early part of the decade and they needed their phenom young stud to pitch in the majors, whether that would result in success or failure.

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I agree with the author's assessment

I will also add Mark Prior of the Cubs as a further cautionary tale of rushing phenom pitchers to the Major Leagues. The Cubs spent a then record amount to sign him from the draft. He pitched a handful of starts in the minor league and was brought up. He had one, maybe one and a half good years before his problems started.

After they started, he was never the same. By the end of his contract he was down in the minor leagues when he wasn’t on the DL . As you all know, he eventually went to the Padres and never did pitch for them before calling it quits.

I know the Nationals want to improve, but in the long run, it might be better if Strasburg develops in the minor leagues and gets an opportunity to correct any problems he might have with his mechanics (if he has any).

As an aside, one of the few Cub games I’ve attended (at Wrigley) was a match up between Prior and Sheets. I believe it was in 2005. Prior lasted 3 innings if I remember correctly. The Cubs lost which I do remember correctly.

"Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"--The Brain

by brook on Aug 22, 2009 11:52 AM EDT reply actions

I don't see how this turns out any differently, considering the over-the-top media blitz.

He will be used to re-invigorate the franchise and sell tickets. They aren’t paying that money for him to sit in Harrisburg for most of the contract. He won’t learn to appreciate the gig and work his way up and build up his arm while doing so.

So, he’ll have to be unique in mental outlook and not get hurt against the odds for this to work out. It’s business, just like it was for Prior and Wood.

"He's just a draft pick"...

by cat daddy3000 on Aug 22, 2009 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions

It probably won't turn out differently

I know it’s business. Chances are in a few years, many of those clamoring for his signing will be demanding he be traded or released. He won’t learn to appreciate the gig,as you said, and he’ll be mad that people have turned on him and his comments in the press will further infuriate everyone.

Of course, as you also said, if he has a unique mental outlook and doesn’t get hurt, things may work out . May he go against the odds, turn out well and have a good career. I wish they could somehow figure out a way to keep Scott Boras away from “advising” during the draft signings. Yeah, I realize that won’t happen but I can hope.

"Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"--The Brain

by brook on Aug 22, 2009 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh Sheets!

As a Milwaukean, one thing that people outside of the city dont really hear too much about Sheets was that he was VERY Fragile.

He actually only had one arm injury during his entire time with the Brewers, and it came at the very end of his time with the team. I actually feel that the organization would have been much served if they had traded him before the 08 season for prospects.

He always had little goofy injuries though. He was never really an ace guy though either, in that, although he never got a ton of run support, had the killer instinct needed to be a stopper or ace.

He definitely had ace type stuff, but he was a head case. Nicest guy in the world, but a head case. Also not a Rhodes Scholar.

by backtocali on Aug 24, 2009 3:52 PM EDT reply actions

I think Sheets and Prior are very apt tales

Which is why I have never been fully behind signing Strassburg. However, now that we got him, lets hope we treat him like the Yankees have treated Joba (god I hate saying good things about the Yankees). Joba has been treated like the baseball equivalent of fine china. We have a ton of other arms we can abuse until the team is ready to compete. Plus, maybe we keep Livan loves his money for another year cause his arm can still take more of a beating than most (unfortunately in every sense of the word).

"What you know is often the enemy of what you can learn" Bill James

by PhDBrian on Sep 5, 2009 3:25 AM EDT reply actions