Last season a distant memory for Milton
02/19/2006
SARASOTA, Fla. -- For Reds pitcher Eric Milton, spending much time dwelling on his poor 2005 season might seem like an exercise in self torture.
An 8-15 record, a 6.47 ERA and a club-record 40 home runs allowed aren't the kind of numbers that age well, like a fine wine. Milton did the only thing he could do. He tried to forget about it.
"It wasn't easy, that's for sure," Milton said. "It was the worst season I've ever had, as far as the mental aspect and going through the struggles I went through."
Instead of focusing on what's behind him, the left-hander immediately went back to work.
The 30-year-old figured it wasn't his arm that was betraying him, but his legs. Milton endured two surgeries on his left knee while with the Twins, including a major operation that wiped out all but one month of the 2003 season. Even during 2004, with the Phillies, he felt like his legs weren't ready to handle the long workload of a season.
"In Minnesota, I was a lot bigger and a lot stronger. I lost a lot of weight with the knee surgery," he said. "This was the first offseason I've been able to lift heavy weights with my legs. I've gotten a lot stronger and a little bigger -- back to where I used to be. I think it helped a lot."
Milton said the muscle added this winter has pushed his weight closer to where he was with the Twins. Listed at 207 pounds last season, he was around 230-235 pounds with Minnesota.
"That probably will pay dividends for him," pitching coach Vern Ruhle said. "I think anytime you work at something, you have a chance to get better. He's done that."
For most pitchers, their power and endurance comes from using the strength in their legs. When in his delivery, Milton said he was unable to finish off his pitches the way he would have liked. He doesn't believe that will be an issue this year.
"After my last surgery, I'm finally back to normal," Milton said. "It's good not to have that in the back of my mind."
Milton's history shows he's prone to giving up the long ball, but he is still good at finding ways to win. A year before he arrived in Cincinnati, he surrendered 43 homers but went 14-6 with a 4.75 ERA. From 2000-04, he enjoyed four seasons of double-digit wins despite never having an ERA below 4.00.
What was so different about last season?
"It was the amount of baserunners -- singles, doubles and triples," Milton said. "I'd rather give up a solo homer than three straight singles and a double. Too many hits, too many baserunners. Usually, I'm right around a hit per inning, but last year I was way off the charts. It's something I have to focus on."
The Reds signed Milton as a free agent to a three-year, $25.5 million contract before last season and hoped he would be the centerpiece of the staff. Now the club is hoping that the return on its investment will finally come one year later. The Reds' chances at being competitive this season could hinge on it.
"He's had success, so you can say it's likely he'll find it again," Ruhle said. "He's already experienced it. That's what I'm looking for -- for him to lead himself back that way.
"A lot of times, you don't have to do a lot. Give them room to work, and they have the ability to process it themselves. You're not starting from scratch like you would with a rookie. He's a professional. He's going to rely on those experiences."
And so will Cincinnati.
Source: http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/
SARASOTA, Fla. -- For Reds pitcher Eric Milton, spending much time dwelling on his poor 2005 season might seem like an exercise in self torture.
An 8-15 record, a 6.47 ERA and a club-record 40 home runs allowed aren't the kind of numbers that age well, like a fine wine. Milton did the only thing he could do. He tried to forget about it.
"It wasn't easy, that's for sure," Milton said. "It was the worst season I've ever had, as far as the mental aspect and going through the struggles I went through."
Instead of focusing on what's behind him, the left-hander immediately went back to work.
The 30-year-old figured it wasn't his arm that was betraying him, but his legs. Milton endured two surgeries on his left knee while with the Twins, including a major operation that wiped out all but one month of the 2003 season. Even during 2004, with the Phillies, he felt like his legs weren't ready to handle the long workload of a season.
"In Minnesota, I was a lot bigger and a lot stronger. I lost a lot of weight with the knee surgery," he said. "This was the first offseason I've been able to lift heavy weights with my legs. I've gotten a lot stronger and a little bigger -- back to where I used to be. I think it helped a lot."
Milton said the muscle added this winter has pushed his weight closer to where he was with the Twins. Listed at 207 pounds last season, he was around 230-235 pounds with Minnesota.
"That probably will pay dividends for him," pitching coach Vern Ruhle said. "I think anytime you work at something, you have a chance to get better. He's done that."
For most pitchers, their power and endurance comes from using the strength in their legs. When in his delivery, Milton said he was unable to finish off his pitches the way he would have liked. He doesn't believe that will be an issue this year.
"After my last surgery, I'm finally back to normal," Milton said. "It's good not to have that in the back of my mind."
Milton's history shows he's prone to giving up the long ball, but he is still good at finding ways to win. A year before he arrived in Cincinnati, he surrendered 43 homers but went 14-6 with a 4.75 ERA. From 2000-04, he enjoyed four seasons of double-digit wins despite never having an ERA below 4.00.
What was so different about last season?
"It was the amount of baserunners -- singles, doubles and triples," Milton said. "I'd rather give up a solo homer than three straight singles and a double. Too many hits, too many baserunners. Usually, I'm right around a hit per inning, but last year I was way off the charts. It's something I have to focus on."
The Reds signed Milton as a free agent to a three-year, $25.5 million contract before last season and hoped he would be the centerpiece of the staff. Now the club is hoping that the return on its investment will finally come one year later. The Reds' chances at being competitive this season could hinge on it.
"He's had success, so you can say it's likely he'll find it again," Ruhle said. "He's already experienced it. That's what I'm looking for -- for him to lead himself back that way.
"A lot of times, you don't have to do a lot. Give them room to work, and they have the ability to process it themselves. You're not starting from scratch like you would with a rookie. He's a professional. He's going to rely on those experiences."
And so will Cincinnati.
Source: http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/
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