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Lastings Milledge Named IL Batter Of The Week

The 24-Year Old Becomes The First Tribe Batter To Win The Award Since 2007
July 20, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis outfielder Lastings Milledge has been named the International League's Batter of the Week for the period of July 16-19. Milledge led the International League with nine hits and a .591 on-base percentage in the four-day period that followed the Triple-A All-Star break.

All nine hits came between Thursday, July 16 and Saturday, July 18 as Milledge led the Tribe to three straight victories in Pawtucket. In Saturday night's extra inning contest he delivered the decisive blow singling home Shelby Ford with the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning to give Indianapolis an 8-7 win and to give him his fifth RBI in three days.

The 24-year old joined the Indians on July 10th after he was traded from the Washington Nationals organization along with RHP Joel Hanrahan to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization for OF Nyjer Morgan and LHP Sean Burnett.

While within the Washington organization this season he played in seven games for the Nationals (.167 avg, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB) and 22 games for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs (.253 avg, 11 R, 4 RBI, 6 SB) before he was placed on the disabled list after getting injured against the Indians on May 11.

Since joining the Indians after the trade Milledge has hit .448 (13-for-29) with three runs, five RBI, four walks, one stolen base and two hit-by-pitches in eight games.

The speedy outfielder has reached base in 16 of his last 26 trips to the plate and has recorded five multi-hit performances in his last eight games, including four consecutive contests from July 12 through July 18. He has also made the most of his plate appearances with the Tribe, striking out only once in his 29 at-bats to post a .528 on-base percentage.

With his four hit performance on Saturday July 18, Milledge became only the second Tribe hitter to collect four straight multi-hit games joining former Indians outfielder and current Pirate Andrew McCutchen, who recorded multiple base knocks for Indianapolis from April 21 to April 24 earlier this season.

The Bradenton, Florida native was selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2003 draft and was rated by Baseball America as the No. 1 prospect in the Mets organization entering the 2005 and 2006 season. In 2006 he reached the majors for New York and was the youngest player to play in the National League.

Last year the outfielder completed his first full Major League season hitting .268 with 14 HR and 61 RBI in 138 games with the Nationals. Milledge was one of just 17 players in the majors to steal at least 20 bases and hit 14 or more home runs, while he also led the Nationals in RBI and was tied atop the club in home runs.

Milledge has hit .261 with 25 HR, 113 RBI and 29 SB in 260 Major League games between the Mets and Nationals and entering this week has played in 352 Minor League contests with a career .303 average, 38 HR, 182 RBI and 88 SB.

Lastings is the first Indianapolis Indians player to take home an International League weekly award this season and is the first member of the Tribe to receive the "Batter of the Week" award since outfielder Michael Ryan won it during the week of June 18 through June 24 in 2007.