With all of the negativity surrounding Major League Baseball these days, the last thing it needs is a player that exudes a little youthful excitement, right? Wrong.
Lastings Milledge, uber-prospect for the Mets, has come up with share of problems. Assault cases and questions about his character dropped his top-3 draft status (lucky for the Mets, as it turns out) and also brought him to the minors with either a love-him or hate-him persona. I'm in the former group. Milledge may not be the most eloquent member of the league, but he brings some fun and excitement to the game.
Case in point: Milledge hit his first career MLB homerun against Armando "My ERA is Rising Faster than the Gas I'm Lighting the Field On Fire With" Benitez. It was the 10th inning, and he tied the game to send his Metropolitans out on the field to play some more. They would lose in 12, but still...Anyway, after he ran the bases without showing up any of the Giants or Benitez and after he refused to take a curtain call, Milledge ran out to right field to a standing ovation from the fans down the line. Instead of ignoring them like every other goddamned major leaguer, he went over to the group and high-fived them all.
Apparently, this qualifies as showing up the other team. Felipe Alou didn't appreciate it, or at least the person impersonating the body of the deceased Giants manager. Willie Randolph, the vaginal canal that he is, made his right fielder apologize. And Steve Kline also didn't appreciate it. Like anyone should give a shit what that baffoon says. Here's a guy who knows a thing or two about class. He only threw 2 tempertantrums while pitching for Baltimore last year. Oh, and lets not forget when he flipped off his manager, Tony LaRussa, while pitching for the Cardinals a couple of years back. So, thanks, but no thanks, for the advice Steve.
I remember when Derek Jeter first came into the league, he was a much more personable guy than he seems to be now. Not to knock the captain too hard, he still does more than most players I see, but he used to sign a ton of autographs before the games and talk with fans. Now, not so much. But again, the fact that he does it some times, speaks volumes about his character. A guy like Gary Sheffield wouldn't even consider signing an autograph for a fan or high-fiving someone applauding him unless there was a guaranteed mill coming his way.
At what point did the fact that we, the fans, are the only reason this whole game exists get lost in the shuffle. If people like us stopped watching, going to, enjoying professional baseball, there wouldn't be any Alex Rodriguez's making 25 million or any announcers or any beat writers or any of that nonsense. They are there, they exist solely because of us. Some how, some way, and at some point, this became lost in the corporotization of the game. Its gotten so bad that a player is criticized for acknowledging the fans.
When a player recognizes the fans, signs an autograph, throws a ball in the stands, high-fives, whatever, that wins us over.
I'll say this, Milledge has gotten me.
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