Lastings Milledge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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|---|---|
| New York Mets — No. 44 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| May 30, 2006 for the New York Mets | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through the 2006 season) |
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| Average | .241 |
| HR | 4 |
| RBI | 22 |
| Former teams | |
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Lastings Darnell Milledge (born April 5, 1985) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the New York Mets. He was the youngest player in the National League during the 2006 season.[1]
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[edit] Biography and early life
Milledge was born in Palmetto, Florida. At the age of twelve, he played third base and hit clean-up for the Manatee East Little League team that was the national runner-up in the 1997 Little League World Series. In 2001, he led Team USA to a Gold Medal game victory over Venezuela in the International Baseball Federation's AA World Youth Championships. Later that year, Baseball America named Milledge the best 16-year-old player in the USA. He graduated from Lakewood Ranch High School in Bradenton, Florida in 2003 after leading his team to the state 5A title his senior year.
Prior to the 2003 amateur draft, he was expected to be among the top three selections, but as draft day approached, press reports from 2002 resurfaced regarding Milledge's expulsion from Northside Christian High School after his junior year for "inappropriate behavior".[2] Milledge, who was 17 at the time of his expulsion, admitted to having sexual relations with his 15-year-old girlfriend and agreed to enter a juvenile arbitration program to avoid prosecution. He subsequently transferred to Lakewood Ranch High School where he finished his education and amateur baseball career.
As a result of the incident, Milledge was passed over in the 2003 amateur draft until the Mets selected him as the twelfth overall pick in the first round. The Mets began contract negotiations with Milledge, but the talks were interrupted in early August 2003, when the Mets learned of allegations of additional sexual misconduct against Milledge during his time at Northside. The Mets completed a private investigation of the matter and, satisified with the results, signed Milledge to a contract with a $1.9 million bonus.
The delay in signing Milledge prevented him from beginning his professional career until shortly before the end of the minor league season in 2003. He appeared in only seven games, hitting .231 for the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League. In 2004, he was slated to start the year with the class A Capital City Bombers, but he suffered a fractured metacarpal on his right hand in spring training, missing the first six weeks of the season. In 65 games with the Bombers, he hit .337 with 13 home runs, 58 RBI and 23 stolen bases, earning him a promotion to the St. Lucie Mets in August. In 2005, he continued his minor league success hitting .302 with St. Lucie in the first half of the season and .337 with the AA Binghamton Mets in the second half. He began the 2006 season leading off and playing right field for the AAA Norfolk Tides.
Milledge made his major league debut on May 30, 2006 as the starting right fielder for the Mets in a 7-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He went 1 for 4 with a double off Arizona pitcher Miguel Batista. In his three separate stints in the majors in 2006, Milledge hit .241 with 4 HR and 22 RBI in 56 games.
[edit] Rookie woes
Throughout his rookie season, Milledge was criticized for being too cocky. On June 4, 2006 against the San Francisco Giants, Milledge hit a solo homerun off Giants closer Armando Benitez to tie up the game 6-6 in the bottom of the tenth inning (this was Milledge's first career home run). When the Mets returned to the field the following inning, Milledge, still excited, high-fived the Shea faithful as he returned to his position, inciting the ire of his manager and some teammates, not to mention the national sports media.[3] In late September Mets teammate Billy Wagner placed a sign on his locker which read, "Know Your Place, Rook!"[4] He will compete for a starting outfield spot for the Mets in 2007.
[edit] Trivia
- Milledge's father, Tony Milledge, Sr., played one year of professional baseball in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
- His mother named him Lastings because she believed he would be her last child. (Lastings has two older brothers).[1]
- Milledge made his major-league debut for the Mets at the age of 21 years, 55 days. Darryl Strawberry was also 21 years, 55 days old when he made his 1983 Met debut.
- Milledge's first outfield assist came off a Chad Tracy single, which Milledge threw from right field to gun out Craig Counsell versus the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 31, 2006.
- Milledge nearly missed his Major League debut. His original flight from T. F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, where the Norfolk Tides were playing the Paw Sox, was cancelled and his second flight was delayed. Milledge finally arrived at Shea Stadium around 6:00 PM, giving him just enough time to meet his new teammates and suit up for the first time in a New York Mets uniform.
[edit] Career statistics
| Games | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 56 | 166 | 14 | 40 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 22 | 1 | .241 |
[edit] References
- ^ Year-by-Year League Leaders for Youngest Player
- ^ Cotey, John (2002-05-18). School expels Milledge. St. Petersburg Times.
- ^ CBS SportsLine.com wire reports (2006-06-04). Feliz's RBI single in 12th thwarts Mets' dramatic rally. CBS SportsLine.com.
- ^ Lennon, David (2007-02-20). Milledge gets a cleaner slate. Newsday.
- ^ Lastings Milledge's stats from ESPN.com
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Matt Cain 2005 |
Youngest Player in the National League 2006 |
Succeeded by incumbent |
