Why Ben Sheets is on the Brewers' Mount Rushmore for the past 25 years
The Journal Sentinel picked the Brewers' Mount Rushmore for the 25 years of Miller Park/American Family Field. Here is why Ben Sheets made it.
Ben Sheets Right-hander Ben Sheets ’ first iconic moment as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers came at Milwaukee County Stadium, though he never threw a pitch in the shadows of Miller Park on that mound. It was the final game at the beloved ballpark, and Sheets had just pitched the United States to the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Considered one of the game’s top pitching prospects at the time – as well as one of the Brewers’ best in a long while – Sheets appeared midway through that final game, an 8-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
His effort in the gold medal game was heroic: a three-hit shutout against Cuba, the heavy favorite in the tournament. As he arrived back in Milwaukee, gold medal around his neck, Sheets received some of the most rousing cheers from the crowd of 56,354. It’s against that backdrop that Sheets’ career with the Brewers takes shape.
As the team shifted to its new ballpark, Sheets was the enduring face through the continuation of the franchise’s lean years, only to finally play a critical role in its breakthrough. The native of St. Amanta, Louisiana, became an all-star as a rookie in 2001, then served as the team’s bulldog on the bump the next three years, making every start as the team lost 106, 94 and 94 games.
The latter of those seasons is still the greatest pitching season in Brewers history. Across 34 starts and 237 innings in 2004, Sheets struck out 264 batters – a franchise record that may never get broken – walked only 32 and pitched to a 2. 70 earned run average.