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KNOW YOUR PLACE, ROOK!

Johnny Dickshot Sep 30 2006 08:24 AM

Uh... How soon till Gregg Jefferies name is invoked? ]Sure sign that Mets are tired of Milledge's antics BY DAVID LENNON Newsday Staff Correspondent September 30, 2006 WASHINGTON - KNOW YOUR PLACE, ROOK! The hand-scrawled message hung above Lastings Milledge's locker after Friday's 4-3 victory over the Nationals. At the bottom of the two sheets of paper was written, "Your Teammates." At a time when the Mets should be focusing on the playoffs, it was a disturbing sign. Milledge, as usual, ate dinner alone seated at his locker, facing inward, as the rest of the Mets crowded the clubhouse cafeteria. Someone had hidden Milledge's street clothes, and one player thought they had been replaced by a dress. The reason? According to one person familiar with the situation, Milledge - whose reputation is deteriorating quickly - mouthed off to a veteran teammate in Atlanta. Friday's rebuke followed. Apparently, his teammates are becoming more and more annoyed by Milledge's attitude. "How much does it take to finally wake up?" the person said. "How long before you realize the way you're acting is the opposite of how you should be acting? Fine. Stay asleep, then." Milledge shrugged when reporters asked him about the sign. When the questions continued, Orlando Hernandez waved them away in an effort to protect the rookie outfielder. Manager Willie Randolph later came out to talk to Milledge, and the rookie eventually got his clothes back. As for his attitude, that remains an unresolved issue. Beltran still hurting Carlos Beltran was describing Friday how his strained right quadriceps still is a problem and is likely to bother him throughout October. "I feel like 80 percent," he said. Beltran believes he won't be completely healthy until spring training. Asked about taking time off, he smiled and said, "When we win the World Series."

smg58 Sep 30 2006 09:25 AM

Sounds more like a prank than anything. Did it occur to Lennon that replacing a guys clothes with a dress is not how you'd normally address a serious issue? Sheesh.

Frayed Knot Sep 30 2006 09:44 AM

Eddie C. on the radio (cue rant from Sal) characterized it as somewhere between a warning shot and a playful prank. Sort of a prank with a message behind it I guess. But when there have already been rumblings that Milledge's 'tude is too big for his body of work, something like this fits right into line with the ongoing narritive. I don't know that there's been enough on this to cause me to worry about in the future despite the drip, drip, drip of low-level stories similar to this one. That the source and quotes cited in Lennon's piece; 'reputation is deteriorating quickly', ... "How much does it take to finally wake up?" are attributed by a "person familiar to the situation" certainly shows that it's being talked about by some insider, although the use of "person" kind of implies that his source here is not a player.

Elster88 Sep 30 2006 12:38 PM

]person familiar to the situation The visiting bullpen janitor, most likely.

Edgy DC Sep 30 2006 01:47 PM

I misread that, and thought the person was the letter-writer. Too bad we don't have more of the content of the letter.

old original jb Sep 30 2006 03:20 PM

"Person familiar to the situation" may conjure up the HVAC guy at Shea, but given the trajectory of the Lastings Milledge story, I'd have to say that where there is smoke, there's fire. I think the Mets are trying very hard to get this kid to clean up his act without having to tear him to pieces. I also think there are real problems with his mental makeup and how he relates (or doesn't relate) to teammates.

TheOldMole Sep 30 2006 03:23 PM

Well, the Mets have had great luck in unloading rookies because they weren't respectful enough. Jeff Kent, for example.

SteveJRogers Sep 30 2006 04:18 PM

TheOldMole wrote: Well, the Mets have had great luck in unloading rookies because they weren't respectful enough. Jeff Kent, for example. Scott Kazmir, allegedly...

MFS62 Sep 30 2006 05:40 PM

Before we jump to any conclusions, has anyone heard/ read exactly what the kid "said to a veteran"? For all we know, it could have been an honest observation, like "that guy's not hitting worth shit", or "I'm faster than that guy". Maybe that's not something a rookie should say about a veteran (one of those unwritten baseball rules). But if it was something like that, some Mets fans might side with Lastings once they find out the facts. Later

ABG Sep 30 2006 05:51 PM

Well, whatever the case, his trade value has plummeted. I sure wouldn't rather have Zito (or Schmidt, or Boof Bonzer).

Frayed Knot Sep 30 2006 06:03 PM

ABG wrote: Well, whatever the case, his trade value has plummeted. I don't buy that. ]I sure wouldn't rather have Zito (or Schmidt, or Boof Bonzer). Not sure what any of them have to do with Milledge.

Valadius Sep 30 2006 07:06 PM

It's called rookie hazing. Not that it's the right thing to do, but sheesh. This happens all the time.

HahnSolo Oct 01 2006 11:23 AM

No matter what was said or done by Milledge, this was not the right way, nor the right time, to address the issue. If you are a veteran and have a problem with a rookie, go face to face with him, or else get a few other veterans and ask all of them to have a sit-down with the rookie. To me this was a pretty gutless thing to do, and a needless distraction to a team about to start the postseason in a couple of days. To the veteran who wrote the note I would say: "Know your priorities. The playoffs start in three days."

ScarletKnight41 Oct 01 2006 11:29 AM

Of course, that's assuming that the team veterans haven't previously tried this approach with young Lastings.

Yancy Street Gang Oct 01 2006 11:31 AM

I can't see how getting it into the press is in any way a good idea.

Edgy DC Oct 01 2006 01:10 PM

Except we have no idea what this is about. Could be nothin'.

metirish Oct 02 2006 06:51 PM

Milledge,Ledee and Ring not on first round playoff roster.

Edgy DC Oct 02 2006 06:57 PM

No, yes, yes.

KC Oct 02 2006 09:49 PM

DL: >>>At a time when the Mets should be focusing on the playoffs, it was a disturbing sign<<< Oh the drama, David ... is he the guy that does the headphone/mic thing on one of the new Geico commercial runs?

Elster88 Oct 02 2006 11:02 PM

]When the questions continued, Orlando Hernandez waved them away in an effort to protect the rookie outfielder. This says it all.

Elster88 Oct 02 2006 11:03 PM

ScarletKnight41 wrote: young Lastings. Doesn't have quite the same ring to it as "Young David"

ScarletKnight41 Oct 02 2006 11:07 PM

You have to carry around Cliff Floyd's bags for a year for that ring to attach itself to you.

Frayed Knot Oct 02 2006 11:37 PM

There have been several reports over the last few days of various Mets - Franco, El Ducky, Floyd, maybe others - shielding Lastings from prying media following note-gate. Not a huge deal really, except to show that the entire team hasn't banded together to hang him out to dry, meaning that this could either be the work of a select few, or it was much closer to a half-prank/half-wakeup call than a clubhouse version of hate mail.

Johnny Dickshot Oct 03 2006 05:51 AM

And perhaps, intended to be private?

A Boy Named Seo Oct 07 2006 05:39 PM

[url=http://www.progressiveboink.com/dugout/archive/b11.html]The Dugout[/url] gets to the bottom of this scandal. The very bottom.

Valadius Oct 07 2006 05:49 PM

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwnmIKPtwTQ]It was his first drink. NOT![/url]