Its Milledge Time

[Frayed Knot]

I think he'll be sent down once Cliff & X get back and the inter-league period is behind us ... not because he acted up too much but because that was the plan all along and - while he's played well for the most part - it's not like he set the world on fire.

He'll be back, almost certainly this year and quite possibly before Sept 1 so if/when the playoff roster is made he can be eligible for it. And when he does re-appear all that "first-time" stuff will be behind him and hopefully a few lessons will have sunk in and he'll be 1-2 months worth of ABs smarter.

[Centerfield]

Lastings Milledge recommended Kazmir be traded to Zambrano.

Lastings Milledge wrote the script to Major League 2.

Lastings Milledge likes the anti-smoking commercials on SNY.

Lastings Milledge thinks Derek Jeter is clutch and A-Rod a choker.

Lastings Milledge loves it when they use rock anthems in commercials for detergent.

[Guest Edgy DC]

]I think he'll be sent down once Cliff & X get back and the inter-league period is behind us ... not because he acted up too much but because that was the plan all along and - while he's played well for the most part - it's not like he set the world on fire. He'll be back, almost certainly this year and quite possibly before Sept 1 so if/when the playoff roster is made he can be eligible for it. And when he does re-appear all that "first-time" stuff will be behind him and hopefully a few lessons will have sunk in and he'll be 1-2 months worth of ABs smarter.

All of which suggests that the Mets have taken a delicate situation and (*gulp*) played it pretty well.

Leaving aside that whole threat-to-slap-a-libel-suit-on-a-Milledge-critic thing.

[Frayed Knot]

I don't think one has a whole lot to do with the other.
Keeping and/or sending down Milledge is a baseball decision.
That the team ownership (and their deputies), who are running a corporation that in part depends on good public relations, are sensitive (at times overly so) to the hint of bad publicity is a different kettle of fishies.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yeah, so I left it aside.

[Elster88]

Edgy DC wrote: ]There have been too many incidents 1) Latings Milledge made David Banner angry. 2) Lastings Milledge traffics in tuna that isn't dolphin safe. 3) Lastings Milledge knows where Nathalie Holloway is and won't tell anybody. 4) Lastings Milledge is behind the proliferation of deep-dish pizza, ruining the pizza experience for millions.

That's very funny.

Thanks for the help.

Sarcasm aside, I hope you see where I'm coming from at least.

[Elster88]

TransMonk wrote: I feel dirty saying it, but if Milledge was on any other team, I would hate his guts. Ballplayers with attitudes (especially rookies with attitudes) rub me the wrong way.

This is what I was going for.

[metirish]

Speaking of attitude...and I agree with Monk...

] Milledge's clock is alarming PHILADELPHIA - Lastings Milledge arrived in the clubhouse at 11:55 a.m., only 70 minutes before yesterday's first pitch, prompting a second straight day of tutorials on how to conduct oneself in the majors. A day after Willie Randolph thought Milledge "spectated" rather than raced from first to home Wednesday, coach Sandy Alomar Sr. and veterans pulled Milledge aside and told him it is unwise to arrive so close to game time. Milledge did not play yesterday, but Randolph said the rookie would start today and that the move was made to get recently acquired Eli Marrero a start. The manager downplayed Milledge's arrival time and suggested he wasn't actually late, noting the team didn't take batting practice. Still, even ultra-politically correct David Wright labeled it "unacceptable," saying a general rule of thumb for a young player is to make sure he has arrived at the stadium before players riding the team bus, which departed the hotel at 10:45a.m. for the short ride to the ballpark. "I didn't jump on him," Alomar Sr. said. "I just gave him advice." Part of that advice is to watch how he conducts himself, since labels can be difficult to shake. During his 17-day major-league stint, Milledge also has been instructed to tuck in a four-inch cross that was around his neck during his debut, and advised not to high-five fans after homering. "Lastings is a great kid," Alomar said. "He's a kid who's been caught up in the hype of the game. Really he does listen when you talk to him." Milledge said that in the minors he typically showed up closer to the first pitch for matinees. He also said he was so talented compared to his competition before arriving in the majors that actions like this went unrecognized. "I never had to deal with any teaching because I played the game pretty much well enough for people to have left me alone," Milledge said. GM Omar Minaya tried to suggest that Jose Reyes, Wright and other highly touted young players all go through the same thing; in actuality, however, Wright's biggest problem frequently was getting to ballparks too early. "If he wasn't good, we wouldn't be talking about this," Minaya said of Milledge.

[Elster88]

After the game yesterday Willie gave Milledge a huge hug and shoulder massage from behind as the team was shaking hands on the field.

[metirish]

Certainly one of Willies strengths is how he deals with his players.

[Elster88]

True. I was also making the point that Willie didn't seem upset with him or anything. Milledge had a huge smile on his face and was laughing.

[Guest Hillbilly]

="Frayed Knot"]I think he'll be sent down once Cliff & X get back and the inter-league period is behind us ... not because he acted up too much but because that was the plan all along and - while he's played well for the most part - it's not like he set the world on fire. He'll be back, almost certainly this year and quite possibly before Sept 1 so if/when the playoff roster is made he can be eligible for it. And when he does re-appear all that "first-time" stuff will be behind him and hopefully a few lessons will have sunk in and he'll be 1-2 months worth of ABs smarter.

I agree with FK not that this is most likely the way things play out.
But the kid has been made an unfair target already. He got shit for wearing a cross and giving high fives to fans. Now, the horror! A 21 year old slept late. That' just about what you'd expect to happen. Thus, somebody should have made sure his ass was on the team bus. It seems to me he needs to around these older, experinced, and very talented players to have role models he can respect and model his behavior after.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I wouldn't blame the vets for a rookie oversleeping. I think Cliff remarked that he felt it was best to let him learn as he goes, so as not to overwhelm him with rules and stuff, just to learn by trial and error, and point out to him when he screws up. That sorta seems like a good idea and tho it's spun as a bad thing, pretty much what Mets anticipated might happen.

[Guest Edgy DC]

]Sarcasm aside, I hope you see where I'm coming from at least.

My only point in the gross distoritions is that

You're never as big a saint as they make you out to be when they're lionizing you.
You're never as big a dick as they make you out to be when they're demonizing you.

Actually, not "never," but it reads better that way. This is a concern, but it's likely going to get knocked out of proportion just because (1) everybody goes for the same angle at the same time, and (2) superheroes and supervillians sell papers, presumably.

[MFS62]

]Really he does listen when you talk to him."

That's the kind of information I was hoping to see.

Later

[Guest Hillbilly]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: I wouldn't blame the vets for a rookie oversleeping. I think Cliff remarked that he felt it was best to let him learn as he goes, so as not to overwhelm him with rules and stuff, just to learn by trial and error, and point out to him when he screws up. That sorta seems like a good idea and tho it's spun as a bad thing, pretty much what Mets anticipated might happen.

I’d agree if wasn’t how this stuff gets into the press, who seem to be hell bent on labeling him a bad guy. I think some preventive actions could be used to avoid this stupid crap from getting into the papers and riling anybody up. Why not help him learn the ropes and keep him under a cover a little?

[metirish]

I would think Lastings should know how to act as a pro, I mean is showing up " late" tolerated in the minors?, as an organization shouldn't the Mets have this kinda stuff taken care of on the farm.

[Elster88]

Hillbilly wrote: ="Johnny Dickshot"]I wouldn't blame the vets for a rookie oversleeping. I think Cliff remarked that he felt it was best to let him learn as he goes, so as not to overwhelm him with rules and stuff, just to learn by trial and error, and point out to him when he screws up. That sorta seems like a good idea and tho it's spun as a bad thing, pretty much what Mets anticipated might happen. I’d agree if wasn’t how this stuff gets into the press, who seem to be hell bent on labeling him a bad guy. I think some preventive actions could be used to avoid this stupid crap from getting into the papers and riling anybody up. Why not help him learn the ropes and keep him under a cover a little?

Agreed. That's where Willie's "lies" about punishment and bad behavior come in handy.

Edit: HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOJOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Guest Edgy DC]

I spoke with Cliff Floyd's headmaster from his prep school days. Cliff was always late for chapel, and they got sick of chasing their huge and surly (apparently not a morning person) stud jock out of bed, so it became the job of the head's daughter --- who, at three or four was fascinated with Cliff the way kids are by huge people, and was too cute for him to be surly with --- to jump on his bed, wake him up, and chase him down the hall.

[Guest Hillbilly]

metirish wrote: I would think Lastings should know how to act as a pro, I mean is showing up " late" tolerated in the minors?, as an organization shouldn't the Mets have this kinda stuff taken care of on the farm.

I see you used " around late, which is appropriate because no where in the article was the word used. Lastings broke a 'general rule of thumb' that he very likely didn't know existed. That’s why I think somebody should be 'big brothering' him and helping him adjust, because apparently there are some differences between the minors and majors that we haven’t considered. Why should these differences be apparent to a 21 year old who has been nothing but a prima donna star athlete his whole life?

This is a whole lot of nothing.

[MFS62]

Another "unwritten rule" for our list.

Later

[Centerfield]

This is good to see...from today's News:

Milledge, incidentally, was by no means tardy yesterday. One day after causing a mild stir by arriving 70 minutes before game time, Milledge was on the field roughly four hours before the game doing early work.

[Guest cleonjones11]

All of the negative sells papers and TV time

media lives on fear and consumption

[Guest Iubitul]

Hillbilly wrote: Lastings broke a 'general rule of thumb' that he very likely didn't know existed. That’s why I think somebody should be 'big brothering' him and helping him adjust, because apparently there are some differences between the minors and majors that we haven’t considered. Why should these differences be apparent to a 21 year old who has been nothing but a prima donna star athlete his whole life? This is a whole lot of nothing.

It's all my fault. He's my adoptee, and I haven't been around for the little guy...

[Frayed Knot]

="cleonjones11"]media lives on fear and consumption

Or, if there's a TB epidemic around, they live on fear OF consumption.

[Guest KC]

cj: >>>All of the negative sells papers<<<

I've never bought a paper in hope of finding some unwarranted negativity.
Have you?

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Iubitul wrote: It's all my fault. He's my adoptee, and I haven't been around for the little guy...

Yup© No more long absences for you!

[Guest cleonjones11]

="KC"]cj: >>>All of the negative sells papers<<< I've never bought a paper in hope of finding some unwarranted negativity. Have you?

Ever watch espn to see Delmon Young or Roger Clemens throw a bat...watch CNN for the latest scare. I'm just saying these Mlledge things are petty and not worthy of this much scrutiny.in my opinion anyway.

Beyond that..I got this feeling hes gonna get traded before he becomes Deion Sanders...

[Guest KC]

When did ESPN and CNN start selling newspapers?

You said negativity sells and I don't know anyone (except maybe you, you
didn't answer my question) that buys a newspaper for negativity.

I buy the paper (and watch ESPN and CNN) for news. What they give me,
I'm stuck with, and weed through the bullshit.

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I fell out of a friends boat once and didn't hit water

[Elster88]

I think I kind of see where cj is going with this. I always thought the news was more likely to lead with a story of a murder before a feel good story.