Milone selected Nats' MiL Pitcher of the Year

Left-handed pitcher Tom Milone has been named the franchise's 2010 Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Milone went 12-5 with a 2.85 ERA in 27 starts for Double-A Harrisburg. Milone was very happy to be chosen for the honor by the Nationals because a lot of previous winners have gone on to pitch in the majors. "Obviously, it is a great honor being named player of the year for the whole system. That right there is an honor," Milone said. "There is long list of guys who have received this award who go on to successful big league careers and still play today. It is a good sign that they think that highly of me. It is a great to be selected for this award but I know my ultimate goal is to get to the big leagues." Milone pinpointed why this season was his best so far in the minors. He said his location for his third or fourth pitch overwhelmed a lot of the hitters and he piled up the strikeouts. "I noticed a big difference in the hitters at the Double-A level. They are more patient and more disciplined at the plate to wait for their pitch. In games I would get to 0-2 or 1-2 pitch count and I was able to throw pitches that fell out of the strike zone," Milone said. "Whether it was my curveball or changeup, all of those pitches hitting the location I wanted helped in the year that I had." Milone threw 155 strikeouts to only 23 walks in 158 innings. He will accept his award before Tuesday's game at Nats Park.