it was fun while it last bennie

don't stop until nobody returns your calls big fella. retirement is forever

retirement is forever

Brett Favre, Michael Jordan, Garth Brooks beg to differ.

It’s not yet clear who will fill Sheets’ slot in the Braves’ rotation.

Mark Prior is available.

Well, that's to be expected. All in all, the Ben Sheets experience was what we thought it would be: he'd be effective up until his arm blew up. 48 innings of a 3.54 ERA was just great for what they were paying him.

Anyway, the Braves can absorb the loss since management finally pulled their heads out of their rear ends and stuck Kris Medlen in the rotation. It also helps that Mike Minor has managed to go two whole months without giving up three home runs in a game. They've had a six man rotation, and now they just go back down to five.

"You don't retire at your convenience... you don't die when you're ready. There are no announcements. There are no invitations. You're just gone."
- Reggie Jackson

It’s not yet clear who will fill Sheets’ slot in the Braves’ rotation.

They were using a six-man rotation (Hudson, Hanson, Minor, Sheets, Medlen, Maholm), so now they're probably just going back to five.

Sheets' curve, though not what it once was, was still a beauty.

I say this with all seriousness. Sheets is probably near the end of the line as an active major leaguer, so why not just pitch through the inflammation (unless it's something worse than that)? He's got a chance to pitch for the Braves in the postseason, so why not pitch through the discomfort and make one last run at the postseason glory?

I would think if he is seriously hurt and needs another arm operation, then that would be it for his career. Would be curious to hear some reaction.

He's been knocked around pretty good his last three starts. If the inflammation is the reason, and it's not going anywhere, there is little reason for the Braves to continue to put him out there.

I say this with all seriousness. Sheets is probably near the end of the line as an active major leaguer, so why not just pitch through the inflammation (unless it's something worse than that)? He's got a chance to pitch for the Braves in the postseason, so why not pitch through the discomfort and make one last run at the postseason glory?

I would think if he is seriously hurt and needs another arm operation, then that would be it for his career. Would be curious to hear some reaction.

He did this late in the season for the Brewers in 2008, and had nothing. Maybe some pitchers could do that. I don't think he's one of those guys.

Exactly. I'm willing to bet that if the decision were up to Sheets, he'd try to pitch through it. The Braves don't have any reason to let him do that. He was going to be the odd man out of the rotation anyway, so by disabling him, they give him some time to recover, and get to call up a reliever to replace him. He may still be of some use out of the bullpen later on this year.