Player Pages > Ben Sheets

In 2008, Ben Sheets became the first Milwaukee Brewers' pitcher to start an All-Star Game. At the break, the tall right-hander was 10-3 with a glimmering 2.85 ERA and just 28 walks in more than 120 innings pitched. A highly-touted first round draft choice in 1999, in his first seven big league seasons, Sheets was plagued with inconsistency, poor run support, and arm problems. In his best season, 2004, Sheets racked up 264 strikeouts, a figure that ranked second to Randy Johnson in the National League. As a rookie in 2001, Sheets was 10-5 at the All-Star break, earning a spot on the team. But he struggled with control and shoulder problems in the second half and finished with just 11 victories. The Louisiana native won 11 games again in 2002 and 2003. In '04 he again made the All-Star team, posting a 9-5 record with a 2.26 ERA in the first half. But poor run support and tough-luck losses led to a 12-14 mark for the season. An arm injury shelved him in May of 2005, and ended his season prematurely in August, as he limped to 10 victories. He didn't recover fully from that injury until the second half of 2006, and he won just six games that year in 17 starts. Finally helathy in 2007, Sheets made the All-Star team for the third time, on the strength of a 10-4 record and 3.14 ERA. But in July he again suffered a shoulder injury which limited him to six starts in the second half of the season. Once again he won 12 games. Despite his injuries and having never winning more than 12 games, Sheets ranked in the top five in wins in franchise history, and in 2008, he passed Teddy Higuera for most strikouts by a Brewer hurler.