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The oft-talked about Lastings Milledge is probably the hottest topic for Mets fans this offseason. The rumors of him being dealt for an established pitcher have faded from the headlines, (at least for a while) and replacing those same headlines are the rumors that Lastings could start in right field over Shawn Green.
 
Do I think it’s a good idea? It’s too early to make a complete decision. What I can say is that I don’t mind Milledge’s fiery attitude; in fact, I think it’s something that’s been missing from this Mets club. You know the “intangibles” that sportswriters like to talk about? One of them is intensity, and Lastings has it. Last summer when he ran out to the outfield between innings after hitting a home run, slapping fives to fans, he caught a wave of backlash. I, however, didn’t see the big deal. I remember watching him do it and thinking it was a good way to get the crowd involved. The fans were mostly young kids and were both Mets and Giants fans, smiling and happy because a baseball player is slapping them five. When I was nine, I met Gary Sheffield at a Mets/Padres game and I was overjoyed to meet a baseball player, regardless of his team affiliation.

The thing about Lastings Milledge I like is that he looks like he’s having fun. That’s what baseball was for us as little kids and adolescents. He’s a young guy, but he doesn’t seem jaded yet, and that is exactly what the Mets should be looking for. Other than Milledge, most of the team seems to lack that certain kind of passion and fire; at least if they have it, they don’t show it. The thing is, the passion and fire I refer to can rub off on the fans. I was disappointed last year when Milledge was called back down right before I got to watch him play at Shea. He gets emotional on the field, which fires up the fans, which can get the rest of the team on a roll early this season.

Shawn Green is a fine right fielder, but this Mets team is too good for settling for okay players. Green obviously doesn’t have the kind of power that made him so attractive to the Mets last fall, but he’s a decent fielder and a .275 hitter at this point. Not bad, but I think Lastings Milledge can transcend his role as a bench player and seriously crank out some good numbers. I know it’s just the preseason, but he’s hitting north of .350, which is clearly a good sign.

He has a lot of growing up to do, but Willie will take care of that. He doesn’t take nonsense, and thanks to that, we should be free of a return of the Coleman/Bonilla era for at least a few more years. The kind of “fire” that those guys had was off the field and completely negative. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want Lastings to throw a firecracker at Dodgers fans in a parking lot. I’m talking about screaming in the umpire’s face, brawling to protect a teammate, excessive celebration kind of fire. It’s not always attractive, but it unifies a team and its fans, and it shows the rest of the league that the Mets mean business. I’m not asking Lastings to smoke cigarettes and crack beers in the clubhouse in the middle of a tight game, nor am I condoning diva-like or violent behavior, but I am asking him to keep his fire, because it can be the difference between and early exit in the playoffs and a World Series ring.