Tommy Milone’s comeback trail leads him back to the Syracuse Chiefs.
Syracuse, New York When Tommy Milone pitched for the Syracuse Chiefs in 2011, he took many things for granted because he was young.
He could throw a baseball with a reasonable expectation of where it would land.
“When I was here, I’d just go out there and throw,” he explained. “Back in the day, when I threw, I knew exactly where the ball was going.”
The lefty is 31 now, and whether that foundational ability ever returns is an uncertainty. Recent setbacks might suggest a harsh answer. But the Washington organization steered Milone toward a major league path once before, so for now he is at least optimistic about seeing familiar mileposts such as NBT Bank Stadium at the starting line of the 2018 season
“Obviously, this isn’t the ultimate level that I want to be at. But I’ve been here before. It seems like it’s been a long time since I’ve been back,” Milone said. “While I’m here, I’m going to do my best to pitch the best I can and hopefully that goal ends up being that I’m up in the big leagues.”
Milone’s return to Syracuse was set up when he signed with Washington as a free agent in the offseason. The Nationals originally drafted him in the 10th round of the 2008 draft, and in 2011, Milone was a standout for the Chiefs with a 12-6 mark and a 3.22 ERA in 148 1/3 innings.
