Where Have You Gone, Lastings Milledge?

A few days ago, my fav'rit Gal For All Seasons continued her new weekly series on a topic near and dear to her - what she likes to call post-traumatic Mets disorder - by discussing her survival of Lastings Milledge.   For those of you who have tried to block out the Omar Minaya era or were never a card-carrying member of the Milledge People, allow me to refresh your memory on who Lastings Milledge was (technically, he still is Lastings Milledge, as far as I know).

Lastings Milledge was a flashy prospect for the Mets who had five-tool talent - a latter-day Darryl Strawberry, if you will.  Although he didn't possess Strawberry's prodigious power (the type of power that would make you wait until after his at-bat to get your Shea Stadium souvenir cup soda), he was supposed to be the future in the Mets outfield.  However, when Milledge first got called up to the Mets in 2006, he was more Throneberry than Strawberry.

Milledge batted .241 in 56 games for the division champs, with four homers, 22 RBIs and one stolen base.  As a 21-year-old enjoying his first call-up to the big leagues, Milledge looked overmatched at times, taking awkward hacks at the plate.  A .300 hitter in the minor leagues, Milledge barely cracked a .300 on-base percentage for the Mets in 2006, finishing the season at .310.

In 2007, Milledge made the team out of spring training, but was sent back down to the minors after playing in only three games in April.  He didn't make it back to the big show until July, but when he did, he finally showed some of the potential the Mets expected to see when they drafted him as the 12th overall pick in the 2003 amateur draft.  From July 21 to August 15, Milledge played in 20 games, batting .389 (28-for-72) with nine extra-base hits, 12 RBIs, 14 runs scored and two stolen bases.

Milledge only played in 59 games for the Mets in 2007 (three more than he played in 2006), but improved in most offensive categories.  He finished the season with a .272 batting average, .341 on-base percentage and .446 slugging percentage.  Milledge belted seven homers, drove in 29 runs and stole three bases in 184 at-bats.  Those numbers made it seem like Milledge was settling in for a long career in New York.  But unfortunately, he did have one thing in common with Darryl Strawberry.  He made the front office uncomfortable with his off-the-field habits.

Instead of settling in as the team's starting rightfielder in 2008, Milledge was dealt to the Washington Nationals for rightfielder Ryan Church and catcher Brian Schneider.  When Church wasn't getting concussed, he was a decent offensive player.  Schneider wasn't a bad catcher, but his offensive production was a far cry from what Paul LoDuca gave the Mets in 2006 and 2007.  Heck, Schneider wasn't even Ramon Castro when it came to his hitting prowess.

As Church and Schneider settled in with their new team, Milledge had a career year in Washington.  Milledge played in 138 games for the Nationals in 2008 and batted .268 with 24 doubles, 14 homers, 61 RBIs and 24 stolen bases. A slow start in 2009 earned Milledge a return trip to the minors and eventually got him traded to Pittsburgh.  Milledge performed decently in the Steel City, but nagging injuries never allowed him to settle into the everyday lineup.  In 1½ seasons as a Pirate, Milledge only collected 599 at-bats, but managed to hit .282 with 32 doubles, eight homers, 54 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.  When the Pirates failed to offer Milledge a contract following the 2010 season, he signed a free agent deal with the Chicago White Sox.  Milledge only played in two games with Chicago in 2011 and then couldn't get another job with a major league team.

After realizing that his talents were not wanted stateside, Milledge packed his bags, dusted off his passport, and took his game to Japan on a one-year deal with the Yakult Swallows.  Finally healthy, Milledge played in 125 games for the Swallows and batted .300 with 23 doubles, 21 homers, 65 RBIs, 73 runs scored and nine stolen bases.  He also showed much-improved discipline at the plate, striking out 79 times in 546 plate appearances and drawing a career-high 57 walks.  Milledge's .865 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) would have been second on the 2012 Mets, after David Wright's .883 OPS.  And that's where the point of this piece finally makes itself known.

Sandy Alderson has been in search of an outfielder since the season ended.  So far Alderson has signed Andrew Brown and Marlon Byrd to minor league contracts, and he's traded for outfielder Collin Cowgill. He's also doing his best to romance Michael Bourn into a discounted deal with the Mets.  But when Lastings Milledge's contract with the Swallows expired following the 2012 campaign, Alderson didn't even notice.  As a result, Milledge chose to stay in Japan, signing a three-year, $4.4 million contract with a fourth year mutual option.

So now the Mets are still trying to figure out which combination of outfielders they're going to use in 2013, while Milledge will be playing the prime years of his career (he won't be 28 until April) overseas.  The Mets didn't want to give Scott Hairston $4 million per year because he wanted a two-year deal.  But Yakult was able to keep Milledge away from the major leagues with $4.4 million over three years.

Lastings Milledge might have been a pain for the Mets front office five years ago, but now he's only a pain for opposing pitchers in Japan.  It's too bad Sandy Alderson didn't take notice when he had the chance.

Lucas Duda Aims To End The RF Rotation For The Mets

From 1983 to 1990, Darryl Strawberry was a staple for the Mets in right field.  In fact, for seven consecutive years (1984-90), no other rightfielder appeared on the Opening Day lineup card but the Straw Man.  But my, how things have changed over the past 22 seasons.

If Lucas Duda is given the start on Opening Day in right field - and from all indications, it appears as if this will be the case - he will become the 15th different Opening Day rightfielder for the Mets since Darryl's Dodger defection following the 1990 season.  In fact, since Strawberry's last Opening Day assignment for the Mets, no rightfielder has gotten more than two consecutive Opening Day starts.

Let's look at the list of players whose names were listed next to position No. 9 on the Opening Day lineup cards for the Mets over the past 22 seasons.  (For argument's sake, I'm including Lucas Duda as the 2012 Opening Day rightfielder.)

• 1991: Hubie Brooks
• 1992: Bobby Bonilla
• 1993: Bobby Bonilla
• 1994: Jeromy Burnitz
• 1995: Carl Everett
• 1996: Butch Huskey
• 1997: Carl Everett
• 1998: Butch Huskey
• 1999: Bobby Bonilla
• 2000: Derek Bell
• 2001: Darryl Hamilton
• 2002: Jeromy Burnitz
• 2003: Jeromy Burnitz
• 2004: Karim Garcia
• 2005: Eric Valent
• 2006: Xavier Nady
• 2007: Shawn Green
• 2008: Ryan Church
• 2009: Ryan Church
• 2010: Jeff Francoeur
• 2011: Carlos Beltran
• 2012: Lucas Duda 
  

Lucas Duda has to do plenty of this to get more Opening Day starts in right field for the Mets.

Only two rightfielders have gotten as many as three Opening Day starts since the departure of Strawberry (Bonilla, Burnitz) and both of them needed to be re-acquired by the Mets to earn that distinction.  The only other players to get the Opening Day nod in right field on more than one occasion over the past 22 seasons are Carl Everett (1995, 1997), Butch Huskey (1996, 1998) and Ryan Church (2008, 2009).

If 15 different Opening Day rightfielders in 22 seasons seems like a lot to you, that's nothing compared to the list of rightfielders who were the most common starters at the position over the past two-plus decades for the Mets.  Let's peruse that list as well, along with the players who played the second-most games at the position in those campaigns.

• 1991: Hubie Brooks (97 starts), Howard Johnson (30 starts)
• 1992: Bobby Bonilla (121 starts), Dave Gallagher (16 starts)
• 1993: Bobby Bonilla (83 starts), Jeromy Burnitz (54 starts)
• 1994: Joe Orsulak (48 starts), Jeromy Burnitz (41 starts)
• 1995: Carl Everett (67 starts), Ryan Thompson (31 starts)
• 1996: Alex Ochoa (72 starts), Butch Huskey (40 starts)
• 1997: Butch Huskey (68 starts), Alex Ochoa (51 starts)
• 1998: Butch Huskey (94 starts), Lenny Harris (27 starts)
• 1999: Roger Cedeño (89 starts), Benny Agbayani (39 starts)
• 2000: Derek Bell (136 starts), Darryl Hamilton (7 starts)
• 2001: Matt Lawton (46 starts), Timo Perez (44 starts)
• 2002: Jeromy Burnitz (131 starts), Joe McEwing (15 starts)
• 2003: Roger Cedeño (100 starts), Jeromy Burnitz (36 starts)
• 2004: Richard Hidalgo (81 starts), Karim Garcia (44 starts)
• 2005: Victor Diaz (74 starts), Mike Cameron (67 starts)
• 2006: Xavier Nady (70 starts), Endy Chavez (32 starts)
• 2007: Shawn Green (107 starts), Lastings Milledge (25 starts)
• 2008: Ryan Church (81 starts), Endy Chavez (41 starts)
• 2009: Jeff Francoeur (74 starts), Ryan Church (52 starts)
• 2010: Jeff Francoeur (109 starts), Angel Pagan (29 starts)
• 2011: Carlos Beltran (91 starts), Lucas Duda (38 starts)

Over the past 21 seasons, a whopping 17 different players have owned the team lead in games started at the right field position in an individual season.  Let's delve into this information a bit more.

Only Bobby Bonilla (1992, 1993), Butch Huskey (1997, 1998), Roger Cedeño (1999, 2003) and Jeff Francoeur (2009, 2010) have led the team in right field starts in more than one season.  No player has been the team leader in this category more than twice since Darryl Strawberry's departure.

Since 1990, only Bobby Bonilla (1992), Derek Bell (2000), Jeromy Burnitz (2002), Shawn Green (2007) and Jeff Francoeur (2010) have started in over 100 games in any one season in right field.  For three of those five players (Bell, Green, Francoeur), those seasons were their only full seasons as Mets.

And once the 21st century began, the merry-go-round in right really took off, as ten different players in the ten seasons from 2000 to 2009 led the team in right field starts.  Jeff Francoeur (2009, 2010) was the first player since Butch Huskey (1997, 1998) to lead the team in right field starts in consecutive seasons.

The backup rightfielder for the Mets has gotten plenty of action since 1990.  In fact, there have been only three seasons since Darryl Strawberry's departure in which only one player received more than 25 starts in right.

In 1992, Dave Gallagher was second on the team in right field starts with 16.  Eight years later, Darryl Hamilton started seven games in right field in place of Derek Bell, the man who started the most games in right field in any one season since 1990.  Finally in 2002, Joe McEwing was second on the Mets with 15 right field starts.  Over the past decade, there has been at least one backup rightfielder in each season to make at least 25 starts at the position.

There was a time when third base was considered to be the musical chairs position on the Mets.  Since Darryl Strawberry left as a free agent following the 1990 campaign, right field has taken over for the hot corner as the position where the vacancy sign is always flashing.

In 2012, Lucas Duda will attempt to make the position his own after getting a 38-game trial run in 2011.  As of now, there is no one waiting in the wings should Duda fail to produce on the field.  Could this finally be the end of the right field rotation that has plagued the Mets since 1990?  Or will a player who's not even on the team right now end up replacing Duda in right before season's end?  (The latter scenario has not been uncommon for the Mets, as Matt Lawton (2001), Richard Hidalgo (2004) and Jeff Francoeur (2009) all began the seasons in which they led the Mets in right field starts on other teams.)

After a strong finish to the 2011 season, more production will be expected from Lucas Duda coming into 2012.  But the one thing the Mets should be expecting from Duda is stability in right field.  It's been a long time since the position was filled for more than two seasons.  Hopefully, Duda will produce in a way that will finally allow the Mets to put up the "no vacancy" sign that has been collecting dust for over two decades.

Bad Calls And Missed Bases (Not Just A Mets Problem)

Here's one of my shorter blogs, but I couldn't help but notice something from tonight's Twins game at Yankee Stadium. Obviously, the Twins should have scored at least one run in the top of the 11th inning when the left field umpire missed seeing Joe Mauer's fly ball land in fair territory for what would have been a ground-rule double. Perhaps the ball tipping off Melky Cabrera's glove pushing it from being even more of a fair ball distracted the visually impaired ump.

I thought MLB added two extra umpires down the left field and right field lines to prevent bad calls like this from happening. Ah, but I digress.

Had Mauer been on second base like he should have, the Twins would have scored at least one run if the next two hitters had followed with hits like they did. Apparently, bad calls do not only plague the Mets. Welcome to our world, Twins fans!

Now, here are some other observations, both dealing with the game-ending home run by Mark Teixeira.

When a Met player hits a ball off the top of the left field wall in a postseason game at Yankee Stadium, it comes back and an out is recorded (see Game 1 of the 2000 World Series or just ask Todd Zeile or Timo Perez).


When Mark Teixeira hits a ball in a similar area of the new Yankee Pinball Machine, it hits the top of the wall, makes a right turn, doesn't use its turn signal (another thing missed by the umps and by the NYC Traffic Police) and bounces over the wall for a home run.

Speaking of Mark Teixeira, home plate just called. It's upset because you failed to include it in your end-of-game celebration. You see, Marky Mark hopped in front of it, landed a few inches short of the plate, then jumped into the arms of his Funky Bunch without touching it. Home plate felt none of the Good Vibrations.

Of course, if this had been a Met, you know what would have happened. Isn't that right, Mr. Church?


The Twins now know what it's like to feel the Mets' pain. There's one more thing that could link the Twins to the Mets. The Twins will be moving from the Metrodome to Target Field in 2010, meaning that if they lose either Game 3 or Game 4 to the Yankees, their last game in their old ballpark will result in a devastating loss, similar to when the Mets Shea'd Goodbye in 2008.

Here are some words of advice to the Twins and their fans. Eat all your vegetables, remember to stay hydrated and STOP LEAVING ALL THOSE MEN ON BASE! This blog would have been unnecessary had you not left 17 men on base against the Yankees and I could have gone to sleep in a less cranky mood!

Have a good weekend, SMFs. I know I'm not...

Joey's Soapbox: I Still Miss Shea

It's going to be a little difficult getting up on my soapbox today. I'm feeling a lump in my throat as I write this. My home, my place of birth, Shea Stadium hosted its last game one year ago today on September 28, 2008. My colleague at Studious Metsimus posted a blog on MetsMerizedOnline ( <---click on it for the blog) sharing his thoughts on the game. Since we went together, I have my own memories to share with you.

I was born right behind home plate at Shea Stadium on June 20, 2004. It was Father's Day and the Mets were celebrating Mike Piazza breaking the home run record by catchers two nights earlier. The Mets won that interleague matchup with the Detroit Tigers behind the pitching of Steve Trachsel and home runs by Richard Hidalgo and fittingly, Mike Piazza. The final score was 6-1.

The score was secondary to me that day. It was my first Mets game. I've been to hundreds of games since then. But it was special to me because it was my home. It was Shea Stadium.

I went to many games at Shea. I've cheered during playoff games and miraculous comebacks. I've cried during late season collapses and when I dropped a cookie that one time. I've also wondered why Shea never served cake.

A boy should always have a catch or go to a game with his dad and I did just that when I went to Shea's final game with my biological father, Bear (see photo above right).

We left early to take some final pictures of Shea, hoping that the Mets would erase the bitter memories of the epic collapse of 2007 by beating the Marlins and hoping the Brewers would lose to give the Mets the wild card berth.

We even brought my grandma along. Her name is Güela (that's how I pronounce the word "abuela", which is the Spanish word for grandma. Abuela has too many syllables which would slow down my ability to sample ballpark cuisine.) She also came in the hopes the Mets would clinch a playoff spot. I think she really came for the Dunkin' Donuts coffee (see photo below).


Oliver Perez held the Marlins scoreless through the first five innings. However, the Mets had not scored either. Florida was able to put two runs on the board in the top of the sixth inning and visions of 2007 danced in my head.

However, before the 56,059 humans and handful of bears could collectively say "here we go again", Carlos Beltran hit a two-run homer into the picnic area that I never got a chance to sit in (no thanks to my Studious Metsimus colleague) and the game was tied 2-2. Because of Beltran Baby, I was beginning to think that there would be no repeat of 2007 and that this would not be my last game at my home. Unfortunately, I was mistaken.

Scott Bloweneweis (that's the clean version of the name I gave him) came into the game to face Mike Jacobs in the eighth inning. However, Wes Helms (a righty) came in to pinch-hit for Jacobs (a lefty) against Bloweneweis (a loser). Helms proceeded to hit a go-ahead home run to give the Marlins a 3-2 lead. Luis Ayala then came into the game and channeled his inner Aaron Heilman when he gave up a homer to the following batter, Dan Uggla.

The score was now 4-2 Marlins and the end was near. The Mets still made us get out of our seats a few times. First, Carlos Delgado hit a long drive to left-center with two men on and two men out in the bottom of the eighth inning. Instead of finding the picnic area seats (the same seats that my Studious Metsimus colleague never took me to. I'm not letting him forget it!), the ball found Josh Willingham's glove.

Then, in the bottom of the ninth, Damion Easley drew a two-out walk from Matt Lindstrom bringing up Ryan Church as either the tying run or Shea Stadium's final batter. With my prayers being directed at Church, Ryan hit a long fly ball to center field...

(Unwelcome interlude time: In the 2000 World Series, Mike Piazza (the man who was honored on my date of birth) came up to bat in Game 5 as the tying run in the bottom of the ninth inning. The season was on the line for the Mets. The score was also 4-2, there was also a man on first and Piazza hit a long fly ball to center field...)

...and my prayers weren't answered. Church's fly ball settled into the glove of Cameron Maybin and the season was over. No more games at Shea...not then, not the next day...never again.



The events that took place after that are still a blur to me. I've been told that there was an on-field celebration featuring the greatest players who had donned a Mets jersey. I was told there were fireworks after the game. I had no clue. My Shea, my home, was being taken from me and that was all that was on my mind...

Since then, I've grown to like Citi Field. There's still no cake there, but it's a nice place to eat and watch a ballgame. Unfortunately, the team on the field still hasn't given me any great memories. That's probably why memories of Shea are still vivid in my mind.

Have you ever heard of the saying "you can't go home again"? It's true that I will never go home to Shea Stadium again, but all I have to do is close my eyes, open my mind and I will be home. I love you, Shea Stadium. You will always be home to me...

DOs And DON'Ts For David

David Wright has been activated from the disabled list after spending the past two weeks there due to the old "fastball to the head" trick performed by Giants' pitcher Matt Cain. The failed trick gave Wright a concussion and sent him to the disabled list for the first time in his six-year career with the Mets.

Jerry Manuel will be cautious with his star player. He will play him every other day for the time being until Wright shows that his rhythm is back.

Wright must be very careful not to re-injure himself as concussions are nothing to be laughed at. Just ask former Met Ryan Church or John Rocker. I mean, all you have to do is look at John Rocker and you can see just how devastating the effects of a concussion can be.


Studious Metsimus would like to offer some advice to David. This "to do" list and "to don't" list for David will help him succeed upon his return to the lineup and will prevent him from injuring himself again. If you're reading, David, I hope you're paying close attention.

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Do celebrate with your teammates after they do well. Whether you celebrate with a congratulatory high-five or pat on the booty, this will show your appreciation of your teammates in a fun way and will build chemistry in the clubhouse.



Don't celebrate by choking the life out of each other. The Mets now have a no-choke clubhouse. The team should abide by the new rules and regulations. Besides, choking went out of style after the Yankees did it for four games in October 2004.

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Do come to bat and take your position on the field with a smile. If you look like you're enjoying your job, then you will be more relaxed. A relaxed David is a productive David. Relaxation is key to not aggravating symptoms of a concussion.


Don't make faces at the opposition, even if they are division rivals, unless if it's the Lollipop Guild (Jimmy Rollins and Shane "The Cryin' Hawaiian" Victorino). If you look like you're making fun of the team in the other dugout, they might take you out with a hard slide at third base.

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Do show off your sweet dance moves. Make Napoleon Dynamite jealous. Dancing is a good cardiovascular workout that will help the blood flow throughout the body. The more blood that gets to the brain, the healthier mind you will have. Healthy mind and body leads to healthy seasons on the field. Plus, you can register for "So You Think You Can Dance" so you can do something during the offseason.

Don't take up breakdancing. Ever. In fact, don't do anything that has the word "break" in it. That includes breakfast and bathroom breaks. Just have an early lunch and hold it in until then.

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Do show love for your equipment. These are your everyday tools that will give you success on the field. Just like plants, love makes them flourish. Of course, please watch out for splinters.

Don't show your bromance with Paul LoDuca on or off the field, no matter how many nineteen year olds he can introduce you to. The bromance and the comely co-eds will do nothing but distract you.

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Do your flying as close to the ground as possible. Higher elevations can affect concussions negatively due to the thinner air. It's best to stay as grounded as possible.

Don't join the Mile High Club. Because of your concussion, you might think you're up there with a beautiful woman but when you land, you'll realize that you were with Sloth from the Goonies instead.
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Do wear as much protection as you can on your head. Keith Hernandez might not like the new "pinhead" batting helmets, but in your case, any extra protection should be welcome.

Don't ever take pictures wearing scrubs again! It's bad enough we had to be without you for two weeks because Matt Cain decided to pick you out of the audience for his "fastball to the head" trick. We never want to see you in hospital attire again! Thanks for coming back to the Mets so soon and good luck for the rest of the season!

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