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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - All season long, Nationals manager Manny Acta has warned anyone who would listen about the growing pains his younger players would endure this season.
That lack of experience is the same reason general manager Jim Bowden has said his trade last winter for 23-year-old outfielder Lastings Milledge would be a short-term victory for the New York Mets and a long-term win for his club.
But Milledge is doing his best to make the deal for catcher Brian Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church pay off for the Nats sooner rather than later. Plugged into the No. 3 spot in the lineup by Acta 15 games ago after Ryan Zimmerman’s shoulder injury, Milledge has more than held his own. He batted 6-for-14 in the weekend sweep of Seattle with a double, an RBI and two stolen bases. Milledge has reached base at least once in 23 of the last 26 games and seen his average slowly climb to .258.
“I’m seeing the ball a lot better. I’ve been able to track it [out of the pitcher’s hand],” Milledge said as the Nats prepared for the nine-game road trip that continues tonight against the Minnesota Twins. “Right now, I get an extra at-bat a game. And I just have to take it for what it’s worth because this is still [Zimmerman’s] spot when he gets back.”
The numbers aren’t necessarily eye-popping. But for a team that is still hobbled by injuries and remains 13 games under .500, the development of players like Milledge and fellow outfielder Elijah Dukes, 23, trumps anything in the win-loss column.
As late as May 18, Milledge was batting .234 with an unsightly on-base average of .305. He had walked just 12 times with three stolen bases. Add in some trouble adjusting defensively to center field and it was a difficult start.
Milledge still doesn’t walk much, drawing only five in June. And seven strikeouts over his last four games show a tendency to over-swing at certain pitches. But he’s also produced four multi-hit games over the last eight.
“[Milledge] has been having better at-bats,” Acta said. “Is he going to chase sometimes out of the strike zone. Yes. They all do, especially when they’re that young. But he’s been making better contact.”
Comments from Examiner Readers
9:17 AM MST on Tue., Aug. 5, 2008 re: "Rookie Balester is beginning to gain confidence"
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8:46 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 18, 2008
re: "Council considers raising taxes on Nationals tickets"
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2:18 AM MST on Tue., Mar. 18, 2008
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11:32 AM MST on Sat., Mar. 15, 2008
re: "Shuttle service, beer sales among issues still to work out before Opening Day"
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11:34 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008
re: "Police: Nearly $2M owed for security at Nats games"
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8:58 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008
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7:47 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008
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6:23 AM MST on Mon., Mar. 10, 2008
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9:01 PM MST on Mon., May. 28, 2007
re: "Nationals’ stadium art project at a standstill"
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4:10 PM MST on Mon., May. 28, 2007
re: "Nationals’ stadium art project at a standstill"
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12:17 PM MST on Mon., May. 28, 2007
re: "Nationals’ stadium art project at a standstill"
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5:46 AM MST on Tue., May. 22, 2007
re: "Deal should clear the way for stadium art"
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Examiner Reader said:
Collin Balester is the real deal. His fastball is his #1 pitch however that Changeup of his is#1A. He brings life and energy to the Clubhouse and he will be a positive influence on the Nats for years to come. Quoting Balester..." I want to play baseball til I'm 50 years old!!" Tongue in cheek. Ask J Moyer for the "How do you do that" Book!! Go Nats!
5 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Not paying the rent? Kick them out! They are a losing team anyway.
5 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Now how did "progressive, caring" DC happen to forget about the Americans with Disabilities Act which requires that public facility projects consider access for the disabled?
12 agree | 12 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
"The most extreme example might be June 29, when United faces off against David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy as 12:30 p.m., and the Nationals play the Baltimore Orioles an hour later." well that was some brilliant scheduling there....lets stuff 100,000 people into the area over a two hour span
12 agree | 12 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Considering where the new stadium is, you can bet that the cost of security will skyrocket!!!
13 agree | 11 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
If DC knew that they couldn't afford to pay the police department they shouldn't have never opened up the Stadium. You have so many poor people living in the DC area and all the taxes we citizens have to pay could have been going into better use. we have to pay all this money and we are not going to see where the money is going. Who cares, right.
11 agree | 14 disagree
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Mike Licht said:
Re:$2M owed for security at Nats games -- Since the "quasi-governmental" D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission won't pay the $2 million it owes the Metropolitan Police Department for security at Nats games, why not get those "quasi" Commission members and paid staff out directing traffic on game days? At $55 an hour, it should only take them 36,364 person-hours to work off their debt.
13 agree | 11 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
"Whether the [commission] is paying it or MPD is paying it, it comes out of the same pot,” Mayor Adrian Fenty’s spokeswoman Carrie Brooks said in a statement. WHAT? Good grief, no wonder the city is in so much trouble. Everyone is aware the budget process means nothing in D.C., and that is why money is misspent and missing everywhere, but to come out an officially admit it, wow - good work Brooks.
12 agree | 13 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The city charges baseball $55.00 per hour, the officers are paid their regular hourly rate. For most officers that about $32.00 per hour. What is the city doing with the difference?
12 agree | 13 disagree
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Mike Licht said:
miqcie: Art is good. The DC government should make sure that it is part of the environment throughout our city, and encourage the community cultural groups and gifted DC artists who create it. The stadium is private property, owned by the Lerner family, who can well afford to buy their own art.
296 agree | 319 disagree
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miqcie said:
I'm hopeful that this funding will be restored and is appropriate use of financing for public art. As a denizen of this city, I'd don't mind a part of my tax dollars going to projects like this that are truly community goods.
327 agree | 299 disagree
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Mike Licht said:
The Commission claimed the site-specific art for the private baseball stadium was just being "loaned" to the stadium but still owned by the commission. That is like saying your dental work is on loan from someone else. Public art projects like this are normally paid for by the developer, and the public arts agency gives technical assistance in the project's execution. This poor judgment by the Commission has cost the DC arts community $850,000 in much-needed capital funds.
354 agree | 300 disagree
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Mike Licht said:
Update: The deal is now for a $206,000+ site-specific sculpture to be "loaned" to the stadium by the DC Arts Commission. That is like saying that you "borrow" your dental work, an obvious falsehood. Shame.
360 agree | 354 disagree
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