Lastings Milledge News: Pro Sports Daily

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March 16

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"There is talking about maturity, and there is showing it. Lastings Milledge has spoken of wanting to show he has "grown up," to use his term from this winter, and he might have illustrated that best with one sweet, scientific swing of the bat Monday in the Pirates' 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at McKechnie Field ... It was the second inning, and Ryan Doumit had just doubled off Philadelphia ace Roy Halladay. As hitting coach Don Long lays it out, "You've got a runner at second, a good pitcher on the mound, and runs are at a premium. At that point, what you want is to hit the ball anywhere from the point where the runner takes his secondary lead, all the way over to the first-base ..."

Maturity, discipline put Milledge on right path

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March 7

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"A lot of kids say they want to be a major-league player when they grow up, but Lastings Milledge did more than dream. He planned for it. That's why Milledge seems so unfazed about being the Pirates' starting left fielder and possibly one of the cornerstones of the franchise's future. It's something he's been working toward and always expected to happen. "When I was 14, I knew I wanted to do this for a living," Milledge said the other day, unwinding at his locker after a workout at Pirate City. "I always stayed focused on becoming a professional. I didn't let outside things mess with me too much or put pressure on me. I was focused on getting to the major leagues." Milledge, 25, grew up in ..."

Milledge has his moment in Pirates' 4-0 loss

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September 21

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"It was yet another forgettable outcome for the freefalling Pirates, this flat-line 4-0 loss to the San Diego Padres yesterday at PNC Park. The offense was blanked for the 15th time, most since the same total in 2002. Paul Maholm was, to use his own term, "bad." And catcher Ryan Doumit made two throwing errors that led to runs. Still, ask most of the 24,028 in attendance what will resonate well beyond another hollow September loss in a meeting of last-place teams, and it surely will be the breathtaking catch Lastings Milledge made that, without a doubt, represented his welcome-to-Pittsburgh moment. With two aboard, two outs and San Diego ahead, 3-0, in the sixth, David Eckstein drove a ball ..."

Milledge Breaks Finger

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May 12

Washington Post

"A year of regression for Lastings Milledge first turned the outfielder from a major leaguer into a minor leaguer and, now, into an injured minor leaguer. Monday, Milledge broke his right ring finger while attempting a bunt in the first inning of a game for Class AAA Syracuse; a hand specialist will examine him today in Baltimore. Best-case scenario, he will miss several weeks. And the chance of any imminent return to Washington -- where he began the year as the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter -- dwindled from unlikely to impossible. "It takes away at-bats, and at the early stage of his career, whenever you miss a chunk of at-bats it retards your progress a little bit," acting ..."

Milledge Suffers Broken Finger in Syracuse

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May 11

Washington Post

"Outfielder Lastings Milledge of Class AAA Syracuse suffered a broken finger while attempting to bunt in the first inning of the Chiefs' game today, the latest setback in the career of the talented but inconsistent player who opened the season as the Nationals' everyday center fielder and leadoff man. Milledge, 24, broke the ring finger of his right hand, according to Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo, who is in San Francisco with the big league team but received a phone call about the injury. Rizzo said it was too soon to speculate about Milledge's prognosis, or whether the injury would even require a trip to the disabled list. "I need to talk to the doctor and see where he's at," Rizzo ..."

Milledge Suffers Broken Finger in Syracuse

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May 11

Washington Post

"Outfielder Lastings Milledge of Class AAA Syracuse suffered a broken finger while attempting to bunt in the first inning of the Chiefs' game today, the latest setback in the career of the talented but inconsistent player who opened the season as the Nationals' everyday center fielder and leadoff man. Milledge, 24, broke the ring finger of his right hand, according to Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo, who is in San Francisco with the big league team but received a phone call about the injury. Rizzo said it was too soon to speculate about Milledge's prognosis, or whether the injury would even require a trip to the disabled list. "I need to talk to the doctor and see where he's at," Rizzo ..."

Milledge Struggling In Both of His Roles

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April 8

Washington Post

"The tally for Lastings Milledge didn't get any better a day later: another 0 for 4, another deep ball he couldn't run down. Still trying to master the art of covering center field, Milledge also has struggled mightily as the Washington Nationals' newly minted leadoff man. In the Nationals' first two losses, Milledge has achieved little other than frustration. "I'm supposed to be the guy who gets things started," Milledge said after Tuesday's 8-3 loss to the Florida Marlins at Dolphin Stadium. "It's not happening now." Milledge's performance has perplexed Nationals outfield instructor Marquis Grissom, a four-time Gold Glove outfielder who also was among the game's best leadoff men during ..."

Some Thoughts On (And From) Lastings Milledge

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March 16

Washington Post

"You can read the paper version of my Milledge-Dukes story here. The DMTP stuff on this one -- especially w/r/t to Milledge -- is expansive, so maybe that's a timely fit for all the Milledge-related debate we've seen here in the last day(s). Hopefully this will serve as a measured look of where he stands, of his shortcomings, of how others view him. The questions with Milledge generally seem to be: Does he work hard enough to fulfill his potential? And, does he approach the game the right way? (There is a difference. The second has as much to do with body language/demeanor, etc. as it does with time spent in the video room or the cages.) I think it's easier to make a good defense for ..."

Milledge May Be Placed in Corner for '09

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September 20

Washington Post

"As a center fielder, Lastings Milledge is still experimenting with the variables, searching for whatever works. "Do I play shallow, deep?" he said yesterday, just giving an example. "I'm trying to figure out what I'm most comfortable with." While Milledge, 23, continues his adaptation to the new position -- he played primarily in left and right field while with the Mets in 2006 and 2007 -- the Washington Nationals' front office has its own, corresponding questions about what works. To the point, is the team comfortable with Milledge as its starting center fielder in 2009? Yesterday, speaking at a lunchtime question-and-answer session with fans at ESPN Zone downtown, General Manager Jim ..."

Milledge Trade Looking Good In Hindsight

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August 14

Washington Post

"The offseason trade that brought center fielder Lastings Milledge to the Washington Nationals and sent outfielder Ryan Church and catcher Brian Schneider to the New York Mets will take a few years to properly assess, considering Milledge is 23 years old and still developing. The Nationals, however, already are witnessing dividends. Entering last night's game against his former team, Milledge was carrying a 13-game hitting streak. Catcher Jesús Flores, who has assumed Schneider's starting role, has been perhaps the brightest story in a sour year for the Nationals. "You guys were judging Milledge in May, and I bet it's different than the way you're judging him today," General Manager Jim ..."

Milledge looks for positive finish

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July 26

Washington Times

"He was acquired in a trade last December that came to epitomize the Washington Nationals' attempts to build with talented, young players. And at times, Lastings Milledge hasn't disappointed. The 23-year-old outfielder has flashed glimpses of his pure ability. But those moments have come sparingly over the last four months, interspersed between periods of slumps, inconsistencies and injuries. Which is why Milledge considers the next 60 games vital to his long-term standing within the organization that touts him as a centerpiece for years to come. "It's real important," Milledge said Friday as he prepared to return from a monthlong stint on the disabled list. "I haven't been playing as well ..."

Milledge's Return Could Be a Boost

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July 26

Washington Post

"The value of Lastings Milledge's return from the disabled list Friday could be measured by his spot in the lineup, his spot in the outfield or his spot in the future. After missing 20 games with a groin injury, Milledge rejoined the Washington Nationals for Friday's game and immediately helped on several fronts: The team received a No. 6 hitter and regained its center fielder, somebody who started that position in 79 of Washington's first 82 games. But more than stabilizing Washington's present, Milledge's health -- he returned right on target, after missing four weeks -- helps his development. The 23-year-old's growth in the month before his injury was so substantial that expectations for ..."

Milledge Hurt in Nats' Loss To Orioles

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June 29

Washington Post

"One player's injury explained the other player's promotion. Milledge left yesterday's game, an eventual 9-1 Washington Nationals loss to Baltimore, with a right groin injury suffered while running after a Baltimore hit into the left-center gap. Mid-game, the Nationals had already made the transaction: Milledge, expected to miss two to four weeks, was headed to the disabled list. Bernadina, batting .325 with an Eastern League-leading 26 stolen bases, was on his way to town."