Sports Talk: Lannan Is Here to Stay

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IT WAS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FEELING for John Lannan walking off the field Wednesday night.

The 22-year-old left-hander pitched well in his second major-league start and was in line for his first victory. The home crowd appreciated it, offering a standing ovation equal parts appreciation and optimism.

"It was better than the boos in Philly," Lannan deadpanned.

Less than a week earlier, Lannan's big-league debut was one to remember. He joined an exclusive group of players to have been ejected from their very first game. Lannan got tossed after hitting Philadelphia's Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in consecutive at-bats. Utley, the all-star second baseman, headed to the disabled list afterward with a broken hand.

It was not the way Lannan had envisioned his welcome-to-the-majors moment.

"I tried to stay away from watching SportsCenter last week," he said. "I didn't really try to think about it, but everybody was asking me about it, and everybody was talking about it. I didn't really let it get to me."

Lannan's presence in Washington is among the first signs that the front office blueprint for rebuilding the franchise is, in fact, taking hold. The 6-foot-5 hurler is a walking billboard for "The Plan."

He began the season at Class-A Potomac and worked his way through three levels of the minor leagues, compiling a 12-3 record with a 2.35 ERA and leaping past other prospects along the way.

The Nationals roster this season has been a revolving door with more than its share of rookies and minor-league call-ups. But for the most part those players are not seen as critical pieces for the future. They haven't brought with them that sought after combination of talent and youth. And in Lannan's case, mental toughness.

"He's pretty even keeled," manager Manny Acta said. "He acted like he's been there before, which says a lot about the kid. I'm not going to put him in the Hall of Fame right now, but that'll help him up here. I mean, this guy started in A ball this year."

After Wednesday's victory, the game ball and the official scorecard sat at the base of his locker. They'll soon make their way to Lannan's home on Long Island, N.Y.

He was indeed enjoying the moment, hesitant to look ahead. After all, that's the approach that got him from Class-A to the majors.

"When you look forward in baseball, you forget what you're doing now," he said.

Written by Express contributor Derek Turner
Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images