Groundhog Day? Milton: "I don't have the answers"

[CincyRedsFan30]

Milton rocked again as Phillies hammer Reds, 12-2
Free-agent signing looking like a bust

By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

PHILADELPHIA | It is only May, as baseball players love to say, followed by, "It is only June," and followed by, "It is only July," which only proves they know their calendar.

To SI.com, though, it is early enough to concoct a Top Ten list of The Biggest Free Agent Busts this year.

Guess who is the first pitcher mentioned, No. 4 on the overall list behind position players Adrian Beltre, Magglio Ordonez and Edgar Renteria?

Anybody who watched the Philadelphia Phillies annihilate, obliterate and incinerate the Cincinnati Reds Friday night in Citizens Bank Park, 12-2, can buzz in and say, "I'll take Eric Milton for $1,000, Alex."

The Reds took Milton for much more than $1,000 — $25.5 million for the next three years.

And let us permit John Donovan of SI.com to reveal why he believes Milton is the biggest bust-bomb of this year's pitching free-agent class.

"What the Reds needed was an ace, but what they got for their $25.5 million was a stratospheric earned run average, a losing record and a lefty who hands out home runs like sunflower seeds.

"At this rate, if Milton pitches 200 innings he will allow —gulp! — 66 home runs, smashing Bert Blyleven's record of 50 in 1986."

On Friday, Milton hang-dogged it through 41/3 innings, giving up eight runs, eight hits, three walks, a hit batsman, the obligatory-compulsory home run and a partridge in a pear tree.

The home run was a three-run rip by back-up catcher Todd Pratt (four hits, five RBIs) that turned a 2-0 deficit into a 5-0 manhole that eventually deepened to an 8-0 black hole.

Milton has given up 14 home runs in 43 2/3 innings, is 0-3 in his last five starts, is 2-4 overall with a 7.21 earned run average and is SI.com's cover boy/poster boy for pitching under false pretenses.

Asked if the pressure of pitching for a new team was a factor, Milton quietly said, "I don't look at expectations. I do it for me so I can keep my head up, but even that is tough to do right now. I'd just like to pitch well once this year. It just hasn't happened."

Milton was starting against the team for which he was 14-6 last year, but did it with a 4.75 ERA and did it despite giving up 43 home runs, most in the National League.

"They build these new parks for home runs and that's what the fans want to see," he said. "My pitching? I don't have the answers. I wish I did. I've never struggled like this. It's a struggle. It's a grind."

It's ugly.

It was Friday the 13th, but that had nothing to do with it. Pitching like the Reds are getting gets you losses on Wednesday the 21st, Monday the 3rd and Saturday the 17th.

"It all starts with pitching and we have a lot of guys struggling," said manager Dave Miley. "It is frustrating because they are better pitchers . . . they know that, we know that. They and (pitching coach Don) Gullett have been working their butts off."

And remember these are the Phutile Phillies, last in the National League East and willing to trade cheesesteaks for base hits most of this year.

On Friday, a day of the week on which the Reds are 0-6, the Phillies rocketed 16 hits around Citizens Bank Park.

Here is one to chew on over the morning Frosted Flakes: the Reds have given up 10 or more hits in nine consecutive games.

On the uptick, Reds catcher Jason LaRue snapped a personal-worst 0 for 24 slide with a run-scoring single during a two-run seventh inning . . . and nobody was maimed.

[missionhockey21]

Quality article by Hal, you can tell he is as frustrated as the rest of us.

I like this quote from Donovan though a lot:
"What the Reds needed was an ace, but what they got for their $25.5 million was a stratospheric earned run average, a losing record and a lefty who hands out home runs like sunflower seeds."

This is so true. So now the question that must be asked is, did they know what they're getting (aka spending just to be spending, hype up the team for more ticket sales) or did they honestly believe they could fix his longball problem (among others) and make him an 25 mil ace? I know most of us here really desired mainly Matt Clement (owner of a 3.06 ERA) and he did go to the world series winner. But I really think it would of been worth it to overpay another 5 mil (forego getting some of the relievers, Wilson, whatever) to avoid this train wreck we appear to be stuck with. I really did try to see the positives in the signing, but man, this guy needs to turn it around soon.

[NFLman2033]

definately a good article by Hal here.. sums up about how i feel right now

[redsrbetter]

Yep, I like the article too.

Graves, Milton, Griffey all have bigger contracts than needed, and all have not lived up to what is expected. Graves is hopefully gone next season, Griffey is here for good, and so will be Milton. Nobody in their right mind would pick this guy up with that contract. So Milton is really going to have to turn it around. This is as much of a need as anything on this team right now.