Sheets Tosses Scoreless Inning in Final Career Start

Over 10 Major League seasons, Sheets posted a 94-96 record and a 3.86 ERA

In his 250th career start in the majors, Ben Sheets tossed a scoreless inning on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. According to the 34-year-old right-hander, it marked his last appearance. On Tuesday, the 10th overall pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 1999 announced that he would retire after making one final outing.

In August, Baseball News Source profiled Sheets’ remarkable comeback story, which led him to the Atlanta Braves this season after his career was derailed by a torn flexor tendon and then Tommy John surgery over a two-year period.

A highly regarded prospect in the Brewers organization who made his Major League debut in 2001 at the age of 21, Sheets was the winning pitcher in the Gold Medal game during the 2000 Olympics and started the All-Star Game for the National League in 2008. He was 86-83 for Milwaukee from 2001 to 2008, missed the 2009 season, was 4-9 in 20 starts with Oakland in 2010 (when he had Tommy John surgery that August) and then did not pitch in 2011.

After joining the Braves organization on July 1, he made two rehab starts in the minors and then went 4-4 with a 3.47 ERA in nine starts overall for Atlanta. He landed on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation after an August 24 start against San Francisco.

Over 10 Major League seasons, Sheets posted a 94-96 record and a 3.86 ERA.