Rookie Is a Quick Study

Ryan Zimmerman makes a curtain call after his game-winning two-run homer on June 18. But immediately thereafter he went into a 1-for-25 skid. (By Preston Keres -- The Washington Post)

On Father's Day, Ryan Zimmerman hit a walk-off two-run home run against the Yankees at RFK Stadium, turning a probable defeat into a 4-3 victory. As he saw his blast land in the Nationals' bullpen, the 21-year-old rookie raised his right index finger far above his head. As he headed toward home, he fired his batting helmet high into the sky, then leapt into the arms of his waiting teammates at home plate with a huge grin on his face. Then Zimmerman went 1 for 25.

The kid went straight from glory against the Yanks to a hitless series in Fenway Park, when he tried too hard to introduce himself to the Green Monster. A month-long hot streak that had raised his average to .286 was wasted in a week. Ancient baseball wisdom -- never get too high and never get too low -- had been broken. And he paid the price.

"That's the only time all season he's really gotten out of sync," hitting coach Mitchell Page said.

On the Fourth of July, Zimmerman hit another walk-off home run, this time a three-run, two-out, two-strike drive into the same bullpen to beat the Marlins, 6-4. One strike from defeat, he handed Washington its fourth straight win. He also became the only player this season to hit two such instant defeat-to-victory homers. Some players go a whole career and never pull off that trick.

In addition, Zimmerman's Fourth of July homer tied him for the National League lead for most hits with runners in scoring position, an eye-opening distinction for a rookie.

This time, as he saw his ball disappear, Zimmerman only fired his finger halfway over his head. As he headed for home, a half-smile on his face, he merely flipped his helmet a couple of feet over his head, almost mocking his performance of 16 days earlier. And his leap into his teammates' arms was enthusiastic, but not kid-crazed.

His teammates noticed. "Well, hell, he's getting used to it," veteran catcher Brian Schneider said.

"It was like he was thinking: 'This ain't new no more. If I get the right pitch, I can do it,' " Page said.

Actually, somewhere in the back of Zimmerman's inquiring mind, he was remembering the moral of that 1-for-25 slump.

"I wasn't just 0-for-Boston. I was worse than that," he said yesterday. "This time, it's not going to be like that."

So, last night in his first at-bat after his holiday heroics, Zimmerman carefully worked a full count, then hit a textbook line drive past the pitcher's head, into center field for a clean, fundamental single. It came in the middle of a four-run Nats rally. The next time, he roped a single over the shortstop's head. That's 2 for 2, not 1 for 25.

"Zimmerman is a student of the game. He reminds me of Albert Pujols. They have all the talents, but their minds are the strongest part of their game," said Page, who coached Pujols in the minors and with the Cardinals from 2002 through 2004.