This and That
Good morning Mets fans! I hope everyone is having a great Thursday. I can’t speak for everyone, but the sights and sounds of spring have given me my second wind, and I can’t wait for the season to start.
Here are a few thoughts I have been having…
Recently, our former “untouchable” prospect Lastings Milledge had some very unkind words to say about his former club. Here is a sample: "I can't go through anything worse than I went through in New York. It only gets better from here," Milledge told SI.com. "A lot of veterans (on the Mets) didn't like the way I play the game. They thought I didn't respect it."
I really liked Lastings, and had high hopes for him in NY, but he made his own bed. I don’t think he would have received as much scrutiny if he were an established vet, rather than a rookie coming in and acting crazy. I thought high fiving the fans was actually cool. ”Oh wow! A player interacting with fans! No way!”
He could have toned it down a bit, if only out of respect for “the pecking order” that I am certain every player in the major leagues is aware exists. Anyway, I wish him luck in D.C.; it’s hard to high five a crowd that isn’t there so he will be ok. (Ouch)
Meanwhile, in the halls of justice, things keep getting worse for our good friend Roidger Clemens. Congress has just sent a referral to the Justice Department to examine whether or not he committed perjury. If anyone can find the truth, they will, and it has become blatantly clear that no one is going to jail to protect Roidger like Greg Anderson did for Bonds. The evidence will continue to mount, he will continue to assert his innocence and in the end throwing his agents, friends and wife under the bus will have all been for naught. His only brightside is a possible presidential pardon from another fellow Texan on his way out.
I believe it was one of my colleagues here on MetsMerized that suggested the Mets signing the troubled Scott Spezio. I don’t know, his weird little beard thing creeps me out in red…imagine it blue or orange. Yuck!
One more day till Johan makes his debut this spring! Let’s go Mets!
Comments
You called Lastings' words toward The Mets "unkind." What exactly was unkind about them??? He didn't drag anyone's name through the mud or bash the organization. In a nutshell he simply said that he hopes for better things to come now that he's no longer a Met. While there might be a "read between the lines" element to his quote, this doesn't come close to qualifying as trash talking or speaking unkindly about his former team and it shouldn't even be a story. I wish the young guy the best with The Nats - Except when he's playing against The Mets!
Posted by: Drew | February 28, 2008 2:12 PM
Drew - Are you saying that "I can't go through anything worse than I went through in New York." doesn't sound like a bitter remark?
Posted by: Christian (MetsMan) | February 28, 2008 2:32 PM
Christian - It sounds like someone looking forward to a fresh start with a new organization. Had he said something along the lines of "The Mets are a 3rd rate organization and I can't wait to knock the ball out of the park aaginst them," then I'd agree with you. By the way, I'm sure that's how he really feels, but he seems to have chosen his words carefully not to stir the pot too much.
Posted by: drew | February 28, 2008 2:54 PM
He sounds a bit bitter to me, but how would anyone feel when you go from a true contender to a team just going through the motions. Basically all Lastings can hope to do in DC is raise his personal stock high enough to either get traded to a good team or become a free agent in a few years and get the money contract.
Posted by: Vegas Chris | February 28, 2008 4:42 PM
The Nationals are on the way up. They will be a contender in 2 or 3 years. Many throughout the industry are very high on their farm system and the overall direction they are heading.
Posted by: Christian (MetsMan) | February 28, 2008 7:28 PM