Ben Sheets looks like medical miracle in Braves’ debut
Ben Sheets didn't expect to pitch again. He did far better than that. (Curtis Compton)
Two years ago, Ben Sheets had a simple goal.
“I just wanted them to fix me so I could play catch with my boy,” he said.
He did more than that Sunday. He played catch with Brian McCann. He threw 88 major league pitches, exactly 88 more than he would’ve expected when his elbow mutated into some ugly blog of disconnected tendons and ligaments in 2010. He struck out the first batter of the game. He retired the last 10 he faced. He allowed only two hits in six shutout innings, defeated the New York Mets 6-1 and in the process likely clinched the next magazine cover – not of Sports Illustrated, but the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Sheets didn’t play catch with his boys, Seaver and Miller. But when it was over, he did hug his two young boys when they ran into the Braves’ clubhouse after the game, a scene he never could’ve envisioned after pitching his final game for Oakland in 2010.
“Honestly, in my mind two years ago, I was done,” he said.
Sheets was once among the best pitchers in baseball. He played in four All-Star Games in eight seasons with Milwaukee. He sent the Braves to therapy in 2004, striking out 18 of them in one game. But he missed a season after elbow surgery late in 2008, came back with Oakland, but his arm blew up worse than before.
Understand, this isn’t a simple comeback. Before surgery in 2010, Sheets’ right elbow looked like the after-shot of Kabul. The guy is relatively bionic. In 2010, doctors knew surgery was needed to fix a torn flexor tendon for the second time in two years. But when Dr. Keith Meister opened up the right arm, two other problems were confirmed: 1) a torn ulnar collateral ligament, requiring Tommy John surgery; 2) damage to his pronator tendon.
You don’t need to have a Ph.D or even excel in the “Operation” game to know that if a 32-year-old pitcher is having a ligament and two tendons in his throwing elbow stitched, tied and duct-taped, his next career decision likely would involve either starting a tractor or coaching youth baseball (he opted for the latter).
Sheets said when he woke up in the hospital, he looked and felt like he had been run over.
“I had an IV in my foot,” he said. “Doctors tried to get a tendon out of this [left] arm and it was no good so he wrapped it. Then he tried to get one out of my leg and it was too little. So he got one out my hamstring. I woke up, and I was wrapped here [left leg] and here [left arm] and my foot had the IV. Meister told somebody, ‘Ben’s not going to be very happy with me.’”
Actually, if Sheets was the winner Sunday, Meister got the save. He not only turned Sheets into the bionic pitcher, he convinced him to try this comeback, which led to him working out for the Braves five weeks ago.
“He was the guy who got me into this mode again,” he said. “I’m sure being the doctor who did it, he wanted to see some good results. But he was the one in early March who called me and was like, ‘Hey man, why don’t you get going again?’ He lit the fire.”
If Sheets has lost a mile or two off his fastball, it didn’t matter Sunday. He struck out Ruben Tejada on a 79-mile per hour curve ball to open the game. He didn’t allow a hit until the third, but got out of a second-and-third jam with two outs by retiring David Wright on a fly ball. That started a string of 10 straight outs.
Manager Fredi Gonzalez sent up a pinch hitter for him in the bottom of the sixth, which Sheets said “was the smart play.” He was coming off only an 11-pitch sixth, but this wasn’t the time to push a medical miracle to its limits.
Sheets wasn’t taking any chances Sunday. He even changed his locker from the seemingly cursed one in the Braves’ clubhouse — used by Kenshin Kawakami, Julio Lugo and a blur of short-timers — to one in a bank generally reserved for minor-league call-ups. Publicly, of course, he wouldn’t acknowledge the legend.
“No, it ain’t cursed, I just wasn’t comfortable there,” he said, smiling. “You couldn’t see the TV from there. I’m also closer to the [food] spread here.”
He’ll have the locker for a while. More games of catch will be forthcoming.
By Jeff Schultz
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107 comments Add your comment
Bama Fan #2
July 16th, 2012
12:06 am
Ben great game today and GOOD LUCK the rest of the season!!
GO BRAVES AN RTR!!
The Roadrunner
July 16th, 2012
12:15 am
Roy Hobbs. Roy Tucker from Tomkinsville.
Tami
July 16th, 2012
12:47 am
Outstanding effort. And….welcome to Braves’ Country, Ben. Glad you’re on OUR side!
Buzz Capra
July 16th, 2012
1:19 am
I liked this move the split second it hit my Iphone. Good move Frank Wren. Go Braves. Its time to surge big and take over the East.
Beau Bock
July 16th, 2012
1:29 am
So nice to see a positive column written by one of the resident idiot columnists. Shultz and Bradley could find a negative in the killing of Osama Bin Laden.
needing attention
July 16th, 2012
1:52 am
30th!!
Great article as usual, Jeff! These types of stories are made to order for your gifts and talents. I definitely see you with a future in sports jounalism
Gritsfalcon
July 16th, 2012
2:01 am
Great day for Ben Sheets and the Braves. Glad Mr Wren signed him after that work out over at Tech a few weeks ago! Hopefully he’ll be around for a few years as an effective pitcher–for his sake; The Braves and us fans!
BamaStExDawg
July 16th, 2012
2:59 am
What’s the work out over at “TECH” have to do with anything? Gotta find any good Jacket news nowadays I reckon!
clay
July 16th, 2012
3:45 am
It’s just one start folks. Let’s not get to caught up just yet. I’m very happy for the guy, but let’s see how he does in the second half and then we will see if it was worth it. I hope so
Whopper Dawg
July 16th, 2012
4:05 am
Great story, great start, great win!!
Pulling for you, Mr. Sheets.
1. Sheets Returns Strong ‹ The Daily Dunk
July 16th, 2012
4:27 am
[...] six scoreless innings and allowed just two hits in his first game in over two years to lead the Braves to a 6-1 win over the Mets. Atlanta has won seven in a row. Scott Rolen hit a 2-run single in the 8th inning to power the [...]
Regular Season Links – 7/16/2012 - Goodsportsart Blog = Baseball news
July 16th, 2012
5:59 am
[...] Ben Sheets looks like medical miracle in Braves’ debut [...]
bruce
July 16th, 2012
6:01 am
Jeff, Nicely told story sir… has to be one of my favorites, not thinking immediately of the others. Fun, classy, heart-warming, and a great intro to a man who might make THE difference.
Big Green Tribe
July 16th, 2012
6:57 am
He hit 90-91 regularly, higher than Jurjens and Hanson have hit all season.
joe
July 16th, 2012
7:50 am
Hanson is overrated( 90 mph fastball with no movement), Hudson seems to be less effective than last year,Jurgens( yeah, really), Minor, Delgato, Tehran… not as advertised ! I’d say a proclaimed stength is actually a weekness.
UPGRAYEDD
July 16th, 2012
8:01 am
If we could just add a Greinke or Dempster to the starting 5 and maybe another bat, we might just be able to pull this off. It’s still a long season, though, and injuries hereout will probably be a deciding factor…for us and for the Nationals. The team that stays healthy is the team that plays into November.
coloradofalconsfan
July 16th, 2012
8:01 am
Sheets did great. Excellent story. Way to go! But we don’t need him to be great the rest of the way if we keep hitting & scoring like we did this series. We just need quality starts from all our starters. If McCann, JHey, Freeman & Uggla all hit better in 2nd half we should be right there. Rather than mortgaging the future on another starter, I’d rather see Braves improve the pinch hitting and perhaps middle relief through smaller deals. A guy like Giambi would be a good pick-up and shouldn’t have to give up high prospects.
AlanFalcon
July 16th, 2012
8:06 am
Even if he doesn’t pitch another game he has shown everyone around him that it can be done, lets hope for continued sucess.
lee maye
July 16th, 2012
8:17 am
Greinke and Sheets do have the same agent. That might help the Braves’ chances if Greinke really wants to be a Brave. Orlando ties and Braves training in Orlando at Disney might give Braves the edge. And, Greinke attended Apopka High, which is not far from Disney. Not to mention, Dad Don was a longtime teacher in Orange County (Orlando).
Supes
July 16th, 2012
8:25 am
Jeff,
great read keep up the good work.
Congrats to Ben Sheets on this incredible comeback…I am tempering down my expectations but I was cheering for him all the way Looking forward to the next start. It’ll be nice to have some consistency out of that spot in the rotation for once (all year it’s been one good followed by one bad start, etc).
Great to see the Braves expanding their ‘avenues’ and giving him a chance (if it works great, if not we’ll be alright and didn’t have to give up any players to get him).
Rothschild
July 16th, 2012
8:33 am
Good for him. Hope he continues to amaze.
ragnar danneskjold
July 16th, 2012
8:48 am
Amazing.
Perks101
July 16th, 2012
8:50 am
Pick about five of our best minor league prospects and you will see what Ben Sheets just saved our team with his miracle comeback story. Of course, this is assuming that he stays healthy and I do pray that he stays healthy! Great job Mr. Sheets, Great job!
longtimefan
July 16th, 2012
9:02 am
Where are all the experts spouting their usual FW is an idiot BS? If Sheets continues to pitch anything like last night we have added an experienced starter without literally giving up the Farm. Pretty savvy deal by Wren. These are the same skeptics who wanted to get rid of Chipper (batting .317 with almost .400 on base and power), thought Heyward was washed up and should be traded for a bag of balls and are now ragging on Uggla. It’s time for some of you “experts” to admit you really don’t know jack about judging talent and leave the decisions up to the real experts.
graphite
July 16th, 2012
9:12 am
Just a flash in the pan. Still the best team in the 2nd. division, just like the puppy Dawgs.
JDATL
July 16th, 2012
9:32 am
I guess I’m glad for him, but what if it happens again. Is it worth it, just to help the braves go one and done again.
Ken Stallings
July 16th, 2012
10:27 am
It’s always full cool when a good guy gets a second chance to do something he loves doing! I’m sure it was a fun time in the locker room after the game.
BigGTMike
July 16th, 2012
10:36 am
Why would you have anyone operate on your arm that is not named James Andrews? Glad Ben Sheets is here and healthy. Here’s to the future!
Way to go Ben!
July 16th, 2012
10:39 am
Great story here!!! Hope the Bravos can “ride” this momentum and story the rest of the year.
Dawglasville
July 16th, 2012
10:40 am
It’s one game but it could not have gone better. Congrats to Sheets for his courage and his hard work.
This has been the streakiest year and a half in Braves history. Is this the manager’s fault? I don’t know. It feels good winning 7 in a row. I’m just afraid that losing 7 in a row is just around the corner. Win or lose, homer ’til I die. Go Braves.
a fan
July 16th, 2012
10:41 am
well at least the two morons graphite & JDATL waited till the end to write their negative garbage, here’s betting Sheets wins at least 5 or 6 more.
Dre
July 16th, 2012
10:43 am
Less than two months until real sports start again….!
D man
July 16th, 2012
10:48 am
That’s a great story. Sounds like a good movie script.
Don
July 16th, 2012
11:06 am
It will be a MIRACLE if Sheets can pitch in the Braves current situation for any extended length of time and not be INJURED again.
Why would any Pitcher (whether he had been previously injured or not) want to sign with this “INJURY MILL” for Pitchers??????
Skeezix
July 16th, 2012
11:24 am
Jeff: Great inspirational story for us all! I believe it is stuff like this that would make a great baseball movie.
Thanks!
Clydesdale
July 16th, 2012
11:43 am
Sheets did not look like a 5 guys(and a few gals). He looked like a 2 to me. We could still use a 1. And yes we need to trade unproven youth for a real 1. I give this team a 70% chance of making the playoffs as constructed, a 10% chance of the world series, and 1 percent chance of winning the world series. 5 good pitchers are not as important as 2 dominant pitchers come playoff time.
What We’re Reading (7/16) | Smokies Radio Network
July 16th, 2012
11:58 am
[...] – Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Braves’ Sheets a Medical Marvel [...]
joshua
July 16th, 2012
12:02 pm
Clay,
If had his arm blown out in the 2nd inning, it was already worth it. I mean we have a guy whoh has been a legitimate front-line starter for years that we got for next to nothing. Under no circumstances could this ever be construed as “not worth it”. If Sheets pitches solid for the remainder of the season, then it goes from a frugal move with high potential upside and no risk to a genius stroke of good fortune. That is all son.
joshua
July 16th, 2012
12:06 pm
Don,
At least you have the guts to keep posting under your normal alias instead of making up some cutesy screen name like “The Cold Truth” when you’ve been proven to be stupidly wrong – I give you credit for that much.
My question is this: if you guys don’t like the Braves, Frank Wren, Fredi Gonzalez, or any aspect of how the team is constructed or run, you may simply not follow them. It’s pretty simple. That’s what I do when I don’t like something.
DawgDad
July 16th, 2012
12:50 pm
“Maybe with the miraculous, heart-warming, story of Ben Sheets, those damned sports ‘experts’ on ESPN and MLB just might start paying attention and end their blind obsession with the Nationals, the Mets and the Phillies.”
According to ESPN radio, the #1 sports story today was the Knicks attempt to re-sign Lin. The National media is not truly National (dare I say “a farce”); it caters to the media centers.
59bulldawg
July 16th, 2012
12:54 pm
Kingdaddy, they are! It’s not their bright whites but more an ivory or cream colored uni. I think it’s an attempt to pay tribute to their Milwaukee days. I like ‘em though! But I like them all . . . except the red orange ones.
Paquet du 10
July 16th, 2012
1:04 pm
As usual Schultz…..You are full of Sheets
Braves in last palce by Spet 1
July 16th, 2012
1:35 pm
AHAHAHAHA…That funy!
BBQ MAN
July 16th, 2012
2:17 pm
at some point, he will have an off day, as all pitchers do and then all of the boobirds will start yelling for his head. atlanta fans are so fickle
Keith
July 16th, 2012
2:59 pm
This signing and performance (albeit further performances needed) puts Frank Wren to the forefront as GM of the year.
Another trade for a bonafide starter will land him the award.
GO BRAVES!
Pepe Frias
July 16th, 2012
3:24 pm
He is no Preston Hanna but he’ll do.
john
July 16th, 2012
4:53 pm
kenakawi’s locker should be burned in the parking lot
nashvillewill
July 16th, 2012
9:06 pm
Sheets is certainly a great story. But, let’s calm down. One start does not a season make. His next start will be instructive and the one after that and if he’s the same guy, then we might want to get excited. Also, Braves still don’t really have a Number 1 starter. Hudson no longer looks like the ace and with Beachy gone it’s a problems. Uggla can’t hurt the team when he doesn’t play. Still an issue, when he does. Other than that, I like Braves chances versus the Nats. Looking forward to the Giants series.
Skeezix
July 16th, 2012
9:46 pm
I don’t blame anyone for not wanting K.K.’s old locker.
Cecil Upshaw's finger
July 17th, 2012
1:03 am
Congrats to Ben. I hope his arm holds up for awhile. It’d not only be a great story for baseball, but fantastic for the Braves. Heck, 75% of what he used to be would be better than any starter whose name doesn’t start with ‘H’…based on the last two starts, maybe one of the ‘H’s, too!