In recent decades, the Phillies have traded young prospects away only to see them blossom into good players with other teams. (Remember Ferguson Jenkins?) Rather than dwell on Carlos Silva's 5-3 record after 10 starts with the Minnesota Twins, let's take a look at the pitcher that Philadelphia got in return.
Left-handed hurler Eric Milton has a deceptive 6-1 mark and a 4.08 ERA, and even he admits that some of his wins can be attributed to good support. The team has scored an average of five runs in his 10 starts, and the bullpen usually held up when Milton left a game with a lead.
However, the 28-year-old hadn't pitched beyond the fifth or sixth inning in a start until he went seven in a gem of a performance in Sunday's 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
"I told (Milton) before (Sunday's) game how important it was to get seven innings from him," said manager Larry Bowa, citing a tired bullpen. "He did exactly what we expected him to do.
"(On Sunday), he used both sides of the plate. That's what pitching is all about. Everybody's not blessed with a 95-mile-per-hour fastball."Milton missed most of last season after undergoing knee surgery in March and was looked upon for his track record more than anything else. The Phillies had hoped to see him pitch the way he did before he got hurt. As well as he's doing now, both Milton and a teammate seem to think that he's going to get even better.
"I had a whole year off last season, and I'm trying to get back to where I was," said the pitcher.
Prior to the surgery, Milton averaged 11 wins in his first five years in Minnesota, including a career-best 15-7 in 2001. First baseman Jim Thome remembers that pitcher.
"When you face somebody, you realize just how good he is," said Thome. "I remember all of the times that I faced Milton when I was with Cleveland. He's a very difficult lefty for a left-handed batter to face.
"He's successful because he gets ahead (in the count). He's got a good fastball, and he uses his other pitches effectively around the fastball."
Seven innings and eight strikeouts on Sunday were season highs for Milton. He's expecting to improve in both areas.
"For me, it's always been pitch counts," he said about his early hooks. "I was able to get through the first few innings (on Sunday) with minimal pitches, and that helped me go deeper into the game. There weren't many foul balls, and I had good command and control of my pitches.
"I feel that I get stronger the more I throw. Every time I go out there, I feel better. I've been up to 94, 95 (miles per hour), but my fastball is just not there yet. I'm in the low 90s right now, but I think I can get up to the mid-90s."
Somebody asked him how close he was to where he wanted to be.
"I'm getting there," Milton said. "In the past, I've always been stronger in the second half of the year. I'm building up my arm strength and getting stronger because I really want (the fastball) to be there, and I think it's going to be.
"I know I'm feeling stronger, and I'm pitching well, but I think I have a little more to offer. I still think that I can improve."
I can't decide if I like his 6-1 record or his attitude better. I hope the latter is contagious.
Whoever handles the paperwork when roster moves are made has had his hands full this season, and there appears to be no end to the situation.
Word was passed around the press box on Sunday that Josh Hancock would return from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start Thursday's game in Atlanta. The team must make another roster move to make room for Hancock.
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