Comments on: Where Have You Gone, Lastings Milledge?

By: METS62FAN

METS62FAN — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:32:25 +0000

FRANKIE, PRIMARILY ITS A CASE OF MUSICAL CHAIRS WHENEVER U ARE LIMITED TO DUMPSTER DIVING FOR “GET BY” PIECES; IF I WERE ALDERSON VIEWING THE AFOREMENTIONED VIDEO IN THIS OP-ED PIRCE I’D NOTE THERE WAS STILL TOO MUCH MUSTARD ON “THE DOG” TO BE PALATABLE AS U SEE HIM “STRIKING HIS POSE” UPON MAKING CONTACT. MORE OR LESS EQUIVILENT TO HIGH 5ing THE CROWD ON THE RAIL, NO? ESPECIALLY FOR A GARBAGE PAIL KID THAT STING HAS DETERIORATED INTO. TOO MUCH BAGGAGE FOR AN INCONSEQUENTIAL PICKUP CONSIDERING HIS CURRENT STANDING WITH NY PRESS CORPS AS A NYM BUST.

By: vigouge

vigouge — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 08:01:55 +0000

It’s not even burning bridges. Milledge would still be playing in the U.S. if he turned is tools into real life skills. When he lost a step or two and didn’t make up for it with better eye, better routes and jumps in the field, and more efficient base-running, he became the 24th-28th man on every mlb roster. Good for him for finding a home in Japan rather than spending the next decade as a jorneyman in AAA waiting for the next GM to think that they’d be the one who finally got the former first rounder to perform.

By: vigouge

vigouge — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 07:53:46 +0000

He’s not good defensively, nor does he have enough speed for that to be considered an asset. That’s why he’s in Japan in the first place.

By: vigouge

vigouge — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 07:52:11 +0000

So? He’s just roster fodder for AAA and Spring Training. You kick the tires on him and see if he has anything left and all it costs you is a minor league salary. Milledge would cost well over a million.

By: vigouge

vigouge — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 07:50:24 +0000

Wait a minute, we’re now complaining about not paying Lastings Milledge a million bucks to play a poor centerfield in Las Vegas?

I get the romancing of former top prospects but Milledge isn’t the first former MLB’er who was mediocre in the states who found success in Japan, and good for him. Brown has a better shot of producing next year though, he’s a better hitter, fielder, and has more power than Milledge has show at any stage in his career.

By: Metsie

Metsie — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 06:50:20 +0000

I read today Scott Kazmir is trying to restart his career too….

By: DML

DML — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 06:49:33 +0000

Lastings was a mess above his shoulders. Billy Wagner tried to set him straight but even Wags knew it was Mission Impossible. Too much ego for any club to absorb when combined with too little talent. He could hit a fastball but he was awful against right handed sliders and curveballs. Also he couldn’t go back on hard hit flyballs so when he played in Washington he’d play so deep he’d give up on balls hit to short centerfield. Too often got late breaks on flyballs.

In 2010 while playing for the Pirates against the Cubs, Milledge thought he hit a homer to left field, especially since the fireworks went off. But the ball hit off the wall and he was tagged out after loping round the bases. See it here:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100506&content_id=9846888&notebook_id=9858286&vkey=notebook_pit&fext=.jsp&c_id=pit

By: Trs86

Trs86 — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 04:51:59 +0000

Two things, no MLB team would have given him more than a milb deal.
Also, how do we know he even wanted to return? 4m+ for Milledge? Really?

By: Q

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 04:06:12 +0000

So a guy who isn’t doing as well as kaz matsui did in Japan will be our savior in the outfield and it’s a huge mistake not to sign him? Really? Really????

By: Joey D.

Joey D. — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 02:03:16 +0000

I remember a game in 2008 when the Mets were hosting Washingon. It was pointed out how poorly Millege was positioning himself way too deep against certain hitters and of course, he was burned by a few short flies falling in just ahead of him. He had the talent but his own ego about doing everything his way was what destroyed it.

Baseball people still liked what they saw for it says something when one is traded fort he talent we got back from Washington and the Nationals then got back from Pittsburgh. And though not a power hitter, one would think there would be room enough on somebody’s roster for a guy who never batted below .268 in any of his four full major league seasons.

Nope, he seems to still be his own worst enemy.

By: tlagee

tlagee — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 01:05:56 +0000

Milledge, rightly or wrongly, burned too many bridges with the Mets. There was a lot of hype about him in print when he was in the minors and I think that got to his head.

That high fiving fans moment was strictly Bush League.

Baseball is a team sport and when one player, particularly a rookie, wants the spotlight on himself then you have a problem.

I hope he has a long a prosperous career in Japan where they have even less patience for that type of behaviour then in the States

By: Just Some Internet Guy You Dont Know

Just Some Internet Guy You Dont Know — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 23:03:03 +0000

Cowgill and Brown are the outfield of the future. Sandy Alderson is the greatest and would not do us wrong.

I could not keep that going and keep a straight face. With all these pen and paper baseball executives he has around him, no one could take a look at Milledge? He high fived fans and all but is that a reason to try to blackball him? He had an attitude but not as bad as Valdespin yet they’re still trying to find a place for Valdespin so why not Milledge. He’s actually what the Mets need and they wouldn’t have had to trade Harvey or Wheeler either.

Us Mets fans get to watch Balderson lie to us and pretend he’s going after Bourn when he’s clearly not what the Mets need except for his speed factor. If you’re going to sign a mistake contract, at least let it be someone who can hit a homerun or even a double. This no power team isn’t going to work.

By: LongTomeFan

LongTomeFan — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 23:01:22 +0000

I don’t think the Mets gave up on him too early. He was very immature and very self-absorbed, had a belief that he was God’s gift to baseball. The Nats, Pirates and White Sox also gave up on him.

Presumably he’s matured on and off the field in the years since. That they Mets didn’t pursue him this offseason is rather understandable. II suppose if he had value to the Mets or any of the 29 other big league teams since his 2012 success in Japan, he might have gotten some offers but doubtful it would have been for major league deal. The numbers he put up in Japan rarely correlate with what a hitter would do back in the states and it’s good bet any team looking into a potential 1-year deal are very cognizant of that. Staying in Japan then makes a whole lot of sense getting guaranteed money. I wish him well.

By: Metfan Lou

Metfan Lou — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:57:45 +0000

Thanks for the correction. I know that everytime I saw the Mets and they shot into the dugout I would see Reyes and Milledge always together jawing and funning around. I guess this is where I got the impression Reyes looked after him.

By: LongTimeFan

LongTimeFan — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:44:56 +0000

Milledge’s defense stunk in the majors. Period!

By: Just-Da-Damaja

Just-Da-Damaja — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:15:41 +0000

qctually in 2006, Cliff Floyd was assigned to be his tutor, i believe they placed LM’s locker next to his.

Milledge threw a fit about carrying Floyd’s bags on the road or some hogwash…( ala Dez Bryant)

Floyd said that David Wright had no problem carrying his bags during his 04 rookie season, why shouldnt he…

after losing floyd’s respect…the only one that showed any sorta sympathy to him was Julio Franco

folks pointed to Julio Franco not being used as a pinch-hitter in the first few weeks of 2007, then being released as a major loss of clubhouse leadership.

This is partially why the team kinda let their foot off the gas in august…

franco’s leadership was exactly the reason why the braves picked him right back up when he was released.

That 2007 season was missing Floyd, Pedro, Franco, Valentin and LoDuca for entire or huge chunks of the season.

but these are the dangers with doing a half-ass job of supporting a win-now quick-fix team.

If you are going to do that…you HAVE to go balls to the walls…

the wilpons idea of going all out is simply getting the biggest name…

in their eyes…if it doesnt make headlines…its not worth investing in..

By: Justin

Justin — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:15:27 +0000

Couldnt you say 29 teams took a pass on Adrew Brown, Anthony Recker, Brandon Hicks, Landon Powell, Omar Quintanilla, Brian Bixler, Josh Rodriguez, Marlon Byrd, Jamie Hoffmann, Scott Atchison, Greg Burke, LaTroy Hawkins, Carlos Torres, Pedro Feliciano and Aaron Laffey??

Pretty sure nobody was busting the doors down for those guys.

By: Metsie

Metsie — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:13:04 +0000

Unfortunatly Barr Met fans ave long memories and hold grudges…

I bet Isringhausen got much the same treatment when we took him back and yet he was one of the few guys that year Mets fans got behind and rooted for….

I did not realize he played in Japan….In fact I would encourage the MLB to put players with attitude and make them play a year in the Japan….

A guy like Valdespin could have his head screwed into place properly with a year there…

By: Justin

Justin — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:10:14 +0000

Wow that was some shot he hit in that video. That would have even cleared citifield! lol

By: Barry Duchan

Barry Duchan — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:05:37 +0000

I wrote a piece for this site several months ago suggesting that the Mets bring Milledge back. Most of the reader feedback was negative. Now that Milledge has re-upped in Japan and the Mets are still seeking a righthanded hitter with some speed and power, I think they made a mistake not reaching out to him.