Lastings Milledge rips Mets again

[Baseball Guru]

LAKELAND, Fla. - From high-fiving fans, to showboating after meaningless home runs, to arriving late at the ballpark more than a few times, Lastings Milledge certainly stirred things up during his brief stay with the Mets.

And while he's with the Nationals now, he still can't seem to avoid creating controversy where the Mets are concerned.

The talented yet troubled outfielder sent a few shots from Nationals camp in Viera, Fla., to his old friends in Port St. Lucie this week.

"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."

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2008/02/28/2008-02-28_lastings_milledge_rips_mets_again.html

[TonyStarks]

Good to see that the article was written by an "objective" reporter and not one that seems to have something against the guy.

How exactly did he "rip" the Mets? He merely said that some of the Mets didn't appreciate the way he played the game? What's so terrible about that?

I am not a Mets fan and I have to agree with LM. The Mets treated him just like they treated Scott Kazmir. Like he acted better than them. He is a young man who's excited to be where he is and he showed it all the time. Is that so terrible? So what he High-Five's fans. Did you hear one of those fans complain? No!

To Billy Wagner and co....get off your high and mighty horses and come back to earth. And to Wagner...concentrate more on holding leads and less on what some 'Rook' is doing!

I talk to many Mets fans, unfortunately, and the majority of them didn't see what the big deal was. Neither do I.

Meh.

[NYMets523]

So what he High-Five's fans. Did you hear one of those fans complain? No!

So if the fans like it, it's ok? Milledge needed to grow up. His immaturity, off-field distractions, and inability to hit a breaking ball lead to him being traded.

[Dalkowski110]

"The Mets treated him just like they treated Scott Kazmir."

The Mets front office at no time thought Kazmir would develop into an egomaniacal, combative, neurotic Milton Bradley clone. Which is what they think Milledge will turn into (considering that Rickey Henderson was the only person that could control him...). Oh sure, he'll be an All-Star. For nine teams in 12 years.

[moebarguy]

Good to see that the article was written by an "objective" reporter and not one that seems to have something against the guy.

How exactly did he "rip" the Mets? He merely said that some of the Mets didn't appreciate the way he played the game? What's so terrible about that?

I am not a Mets fan and I have to agree with LM. The Mets treated him just like they treated Scott Kazmir. Like he acted better than them. He is a young man who's excited to be where he is and he showed it all the time. Is that so terrible? So what he High-Five's fans. Did you hear one of those fans complain? No!

To Billy Wagner and co....get off your high and mighty horses and come back to earth. And to Wagner...concentrate more on holding leads and less on what some 'Rook' is doing!

I talk to many Mets fans, unfortunately, and the majority of them didn't see what the big deal was. Neither do I.

Meh.

100% agree with you.

On a similar note, Baseball Prospectus projects Milledge to post a .290/.359/.480, 19 HR, 73 RBI, 85 R, and 22 SB. Not bad!

[moebarguy]

So if the fans like it, it's ok? Milledge needed to grow up. His immaturity, off-field distractions, and inability to hit a breaking ball lead to him being traded.

He's 23 years-old. He'll mature, his off-field rap career didn't lead to any deaths, and did he really have that much trouble with a breaking ball? And are any those reasons a good reason to trade a 23 year-old player/

[NYMets523]

He's 23 years-old. He'll mature, his off-field rap career didn't lead to any deaths, and did he really have that much trouble with a breaking ball? And are any those reasons a good reason to trade a 23 year-old player/

He may not mature. Gary Sheffield is 39 and still hasn't. Milledge has all the problems of Sheffield but only half of the talent.

[TonyStarks]

So if the fans like it, it's ok? Milledge needed to grow up. His immaturity, off-field distractions, and inability to hit a breaking ball lead to him being traded.

Dude...you guys are so over-reacting to Milledge. That wasn't my point.
My point was that there was no harm done by Milledge.

If the Mets had concentrated more on helping and nurturing him, than scolding, humiliating and berating him...maybe he would have learned to hit the breaking ball.

"The Mets treated him just like they treated Scott Kazmir."

The Mets front office at no time thought Kazmir would develop into an egomaniacal, combative, neurotic Milton Bradley clone. Which is what they think Milledge will turn into (considering that Rickey Henderson was the only person that could control him...). Oh sure, he'll be an All-Star. For nine teams in 12 years.

The FO may not have...but John Franco and Al Leiter certainly were lead cheerleaders for his departure. Don't forget to thank them.

BTW...if your own teammates only rail against you and outcast you. What are you supposed to do? There's nothing else to do but take a "Me Against The World" attitude and resist all overs. Like I said in my previous post...if the Mets organization would have spent more time teaching and helping him, instead of talking down and embarassing him...maybe he wouldn't have been so "combative".

[metssincekindergarten]

Milledge puts a target on himself by saying what he said. It wouldn't surprise me if Wagner drills him, when he gets the chance.

[NJMetfan4life]

Milledge puts a target on himself by saying what he said. It wouldn't surprise me if Wagner drills him, when he gets the chance.

He would deserve it.

[Dalkowski110]

"The FO may not have...but John Franco and Al Leiter certainly were lead cheerleaders for his departure. Don't forget to thank them."

In no way am I trying to excuse that moron Duquette for trading Kazmir. To think so is silly, even if you did read something into my post. As for Franco and Leiter, they merely despised him. They didn't think he was out of his mind.

"BTW...if your own teammates only rail against you and outcast you. What are you supposed to do? There's nothing else to do but take a 'Me Against The World' attitude and resist all overs. Like I said in my previous post...if the Mets organization would have spent more time teaching and helping him, instead of talking down and embarassing him...maybe he wouldn't have been so 'combative'."

You don't know how wrong you are or even what you're talking about...

Milledge's attitude was there LONG before his teammates got on him about it. It was there since he was drafted and why he fell so far. His "me vs. the world" attitude was there before Billy Wagner signed his contract and before he even was placed on the 40-man roster. More time teaching and helping him? What do you think they hired Rickey Henderson for? A HUGE factor in Henderson's hiring was that he was the only person who could control Milledge. It was his main selling point all the way till the end where it was determined that they wouldn't retain him. Henderson certainly didn't help out Reyes or Gomez or Endy Chavez on the basepaths, though, and probably contributed to Reyes' self-destruction in September. As for Wagner...if he can't handle getting razzed by one teammate (and Wagner was the guy doing it, though Heilman also got to him in ways I'm not exactly sure how), then sorry, but his ego is a tad too fragile. They tried having Julio Franco and then Damion Easley take Milledge under their wings and it failed.

As I said, Milledge WILL be an All-Star. With nine teams in twelve years.

[NYMets523]

Dude...you guys are so over-reacting to Milledge. That wasn't my point.
My point was that there was no harm done by Milledge.

So? He could still be an obnoxious, stubborn punk in the clubhouse.

If the Mets had concentrated more on helping and nurturing him, than scolding, humiliating and berating him...maybe he would have learned to hit the breaking ball.

They tried. Not everyone can be changed. You don't think anyone has tried to change Sheffield's attitude?

Him hitting a breaking ball has nothing to do with nurturing his personality. I said it because he really isn't that good.

As for Franco and Leiter, they merely despised him. They didn't think he was out of his mind.

Didn't Leiter dislike him because he was going to take his job?

[Dalkowski110]

"Didn't Leiter dislike him because he was going to take his job?"

This sounds stupid/unbelievable, but believe me, it's not. One of the big factors in Leiter's dislike of Kazmir was that he asked too many questions. He also played his music too loud. This is a FAR cry from Milledge's extreme arrogance, disruptive behavior, showboating, and "me against the world" attitude.

[NYMets523]

This sounds stupid/unbelievable, but believe me, it's not. One of the big factors in Leiter's dislike of Kazmir was that he asked too many questions. He also played his music too loud. This is a FAR cry from Milledge's extreme arrogance, disruptive behavior, showboating, and "me against the world" attitude.

Joe Beningo has said on SNY he blames Leiter, Franco, and Peterson more than Duquette for trading Kazmir.

I hope he's just saying that since Duquette has been on SNY.

What was Franco's reason for disliking Kazmir?

[TonyStarks]

"The FO may not have...but John Franco and Al Leiter certainly were lead cheerleaders for his departure. Don't forget to thank them."

In no way am I trying to excuse that moron Duquette for trading Kazmir. To think so is silly, even if you did read something into my post. As for Franco and Leiter, they merely despised him. They didn't think he was out of his mind.

"BTW...if your own teammates only rail against you and outcast you. What are you supposed to do? There's nothing else to do but take a 'Me Against The World' attitude and resist all overs. Like I said in my previous post...if the Mets organization would have spent more time teaching and helping him, instead of talking down and embarassing him...maybe he wouldn't have been so 'combative'."

You don't know how wrong you are or even what you're talking about...

Milledge's attitude was there LONG before his teammates got on him about it. It was there since he was drafted and why he fell so far. His "me vs. the world" attitude was there before Billy Wagner signed his contract and before he even was placed on the 40-man roster. More time teaching and helping him? What do you think they hired Rickey Henderson for? A HUGE factor in Henderson's hiring was that he was the only person who could control Milledge. It was his main selling point all the way till the end where it was determined that they wouldn't retain him. Henderson certainly didn't help out Reyes or Gomez or Endy Chavez on the basepaths, though, and probably contributed to Reyes' self-destruction in September. As for Wagner...if he can't handle getting razzed by one teammate (and Wagner was the guy doing it, though Heilman also got to him in ways I'm not exactly sure how), then sorry, but his ego is a tad too fragile. They tried having Julio Franco and then Damion Easley take Milledge under their wings and it failed.

As I said, Milledge WILL be an All-Star. With nine teams in twelve years.

Ok..I see this isn't going to go anywhere. Your mind is made up and I think we both agree that we'll disagree on Milledge.

I didn't read anything into anything you posted...your assuming that.
I was still on the Lastings topic...not Duquette or Kazmir at that point.

And now your trying to tell me what happens when a teammate feels outcasted? And then suggesting I don't know what I'm talking about....because you know what I've seen and what I've done I'm assuming.