Since the team came to town, the Nats have been trying to shoehorn their center-fielder in the lead-off role. After fighting through Endy Chavez, Nook Logan and a cast of thousands, the Nats appear to have found their guy: Lastings Milledge.
Manny Acta likes Milledge's patience. He doesn't walk 100 times a season, but he's not a completely free swinger. More than many Nats, he's good about waiting for a decent pitch to hit.
Most of the projections systems -- owing to his age and the likely improvements young players make -- think he can put up a .345-.350 on-base percentage. That's not great, but it's acceptable out of the slot.
The more he's on base, the more three-run homers (or bases-loaded strikeouts) Adam Dunn'll have.
The other reason Acta wants him at top is for his speed. He was a pretty effective base stealer last season, going 24-9.
Nats Journal says that he's been working with instructor Cesar Cedeno (who was a great base stealer for the Astros in the '70s) on timing his attempts with a stopwatch.
By figuring out how long it takes the pitcher to get to the plate, and how long it takes for the catcher to make the throw, the Nats can have a more qualitative assessment of their chances of success, instead of relying on the old gut feel.
But stealing, in general, is a bit overrated if you're not doing it at a 80%-plus success rate. That's especially true with Dunn -- and his homer potential -- lurking a few batters behind. Why risk the out when you're automatically in scoring position with Dunn at the plate?
Perhaps just as important, it gives Milledge a role. He's been a player that seems hard to motivate. Giving him a clear objective -- get on base and score runs! -- might help him focus on the things he needs to do to improve as a player.
Little benchmarks -- like the little gold stars you got in 3rd grade -- can be an awfully powerful motivating force. We'll see if it works with L-Millz.
Chris Needham used to write Capitol Punishment. He misses the iced animal crackers his teachers used to hand out.
