VIERA, Fla. — One piece of the new-look Washington Nationals’ puzzle this year will be speed — enough speed to make them more of a running team than last year.
They won’t be the Go-Go White Sox of 1959, but the addition of Lastings Milledge, Elijah Dukes and Willie Harris should add speed to the base paths — green lights for all, as well as Felipe Lopez and a healthy Cristian Guzman, according to manager Manny Acta.
“Those guys for right now have the green light, and during the season, they will have it, too,” Acta said. “We will just stop them when we don’t think it is convenient.”
Acta last season preached effective base stealing — having a strong success rate rather than just high steals totals.
Last year, the Nationals’ steals dipped from 123 to 69. Much of that drop can be attributed to the loss of Alfonso Soriano and his 41 stolen bases in 2006.
But while steals decreased, the success rate improved. Opponents caught Nationals base stealers at a rate of nearly 50 percent in 2006 — 62 times. Last year, opponents caught Washington base runners stealing 23 times, cutting the rate by about one-third.
The goal is to have close to a 75 percent success rate.
“I think we did well running the bases,” Acta said. “We did make some boo-boos out there, but every team did. But we are not satisfied.”
The focus will be greater this year because the Nationals’ lineup and bench are faster and Acta has more options.
Guzman, Lopez and Harris have a track record. In six seasons with Minnesota, Guzman stole 102 bases. Lopez stole 44 bases in 2006 and 24 last year. Harris, the free agent signed in the offseason to bolster the Nationals bench, has stolen 72 bases over his seven-year career, and last year stole 17 bases for Atlanta. For less experienced players like Dukes and Milledge, it is a case of the potential to be a base stealer.
“This team can be a good basestealing team,” said spring training instructor Jose Cardenal, who stole 329 bases over his 18-year major league career and is working with the players this spring on base stealing, along with Cesar Cedeno (550 career steals).
“We have a few guys here who are capable of stealing 40 to 50 bases. We have guys like Milledge and Dukes and Lopez who can be good base stealers. The idea is to be successful at it and not just have big numbers. That is what we are working on — when to run, when it means something to the team.”
That is Acta’s mantra — making the most of the increased opportunities the Nationals will have to steal this season.
“I’m not the biggest stolen base fan in the world,” Acta said. “I was there with the Mets, two years in a row we led the league in stolen bases and we didn’t win the World Series. They did it again last year and they didn’t win the division. The fact is, if you have guys like [Jose] Reyes, who are over 70 percent rate, and [Carlos] Beltran, that really helps your offense. But there’s very few guys in the game that can do that. It’s tough to find two, three four on one team. If you don’t have success doing it, I see that as very risky business, giving outs away on the bases … it is the quality of them, to steal when you need to and steal them consistently with a very good success rate.”
Acta said Milledge has the potential to play like one of those guys.
“He has that desire,” Acta said. “He wants to be the guy who steals 30 or 40 bases. We already had our talk, and he understands. If he shows me that he can run successfully, you go for it. Obviously he is very young so here and there he will probably make a mistake. We will do our best to teach in spring training.”
Milledge, who had two stolen bases in the exhibition opener against Florida, said he has to reduce the times he is caught stealing if he wants to keep the green light Acta granted him.
“I am trying to stay right at that 74 percent success rate,” Milledge said. “As long as I can stay there, he is going to give me the green light. If I fall below, then he is going to limit me. I have to work hard and get my steal percentage high and keep it up there so I can have my way out there.”
Harris will give the Nationals a different look — speed off the bench, with the potential to come in as a pinch runner in key base stealing situations.
“I’m looking forward to being part of that,” he said. “When a guy comes in and he’s a threat to steal, that bothers pitchers. I’ve had conversations with pitchers, and they hate it. If they are worried about you, they might leave one right down the middle of the plate to [Ryan Zimmerman] or someone else.”
Harris expects the stolen base, which has become passe in recent years, to make a comeback.
“I think the game is going back to small ball, with all the steroid stuff that has happened,” he said. “Once upon a time guys used to steal 60 or 70 bases, and that disappeared because everyone wanted to hit home runs. But I think over the next couple of years, it is going to go back to small ball, and I hope I am around to see it.”
SEEN AND HEARD IN VIERA, FLA.
MARLINS 4, NATIONALS 1
Washington’s offense was once again stymied by Florida’s staff, but there were a few individual highlights from the Nationals’ official Grapefruit League home opener.
Ryan Zimmerman went 2-for-2 and made a fine running catch along the third-base stands. Nick Johnson singled up the middle for his first hit since he broke his leg in September 2006.
Bret Boone went 1-for-2 with a double to right-center in his first organized game since late in the 2005 season.
None of that, however, was good enough to produce more than one run, giving the Nationals four runs in two games against the Marlins this spring.
TEMPERATURE CHECK
UP — NICK’S FIRST HIT
The first of perhaps many firsts for Johnson in his comeback season.
UP — RYAN ZIMMERMAN
Goes 2-for-2, makes nice play in the field. This guy’s never off his game.
DOWN — TYLER CLIPPARD
Serves up homer to first batter he faces as a Nationals player.
DOWN — SCOREBOARD OPERATOR
Had Cordero’s photo up when Guzman was batting, only went downhill from there.
OVERHEARD
“Felt like I haven’t hit in 21/2 years. But not bad, huh?”
— Bret Boone on his first hit since late in 2005
BY THE NUMBERS
1.000 — Ryan Zimmerman’s spring batting average (3-for-3).
TODAY’S WEATHER
Washington: Partly cloudy, 48 degrees.
Viera: Partly cloudy, 76 degrees.
FIVE-DAY SCHEDULE
Today: vs. Orioles at Viera, 1:05 p.m.
Tomorrow: vs. Astros (ss) at Kissimmee, vs. Orioles (ss) at Fort Lauderdale, 1:05 p.m.
Monday: vs. Cardinals at Viera, 1:05 p.m.
Tuesday: vs. Dodgers (ss) at Viera, 1:05 p.m.; vs. Dodgers (ss) at Vero Beach, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: vs. Cardinals at Jupiter, 1:05 p.m.
HOW TO GET TO SPACE COAST STADIUM
From Orlando/North: Take Route 528 East (Beachline Expressway) 25 miles to Interstate 95 South. Exit I-95 South at Fiske Boulevard (Exit 195). Proceed south on Fiske Boulevard/Stadium Parkway two miles to the stadium on the right. Approximate time: 45 minutes.
From Melbourne/South: Take I-95 North to Wickham Road (Exit 191) and turn left. At the traffic circle, turn right on Lake Andrew Drive. Turn left on Judge Fran Jamieson Way. Turn right on Stadium Parkway and follow to the stadium on the left. Approximate time: 20 minutes.
• Washington Times staff writer Mark Zuckerman contributed to this article.
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