What to expect from Lastings

There were two articles that spotlighted Lastings Milledge that caught my eye. One a brief piece that was run on the USA Today site and the other from the Bradenton Herald, again. The theme of both are indeed the same. Milledge, once the touted top prospect turned potential bust, is back in Pittsburgh to prove everyone wrong and to be a professional ballplayer.

We heard some stuff like this in the local media last year, when Milledge was first acquired. It seems that he is still talking that way and the team is still talking of his work ethic in glowing terms. Perhaps it sunk in to him that two franchises had given up on him as a viable professional and he saw this as his last chance. Maybe the Pirates were the only team to not treat him as something special and to provide guidance and instruction. Mainly, I would think that Milledge has matured as a person and has taken the opportunity, the guidance, the instruction, and his talent and made the most of it.

In the USA Today piece, Milledge also makes a comment that seems to make a lot of sense as well. He says that the media is not out to get him here, a reference to the enormous media glow of New York and the pressures of Washington. Here in Pittsburgh he is not the guy, as the focus is more on Andrew McCutchen and the eventual arrival of Pedro Alvarez. Those guys are going to take the media pressure, all Lastings needs to do is play ball.

That being said, I truly feel that Milledge is going to be a break out this year. Will we see the total package that we thought he would be when had came up with the Mets? No, I don't think he was ever the type of player he was hyped to be. I do think we will see a player that is able to do everything well above average. I want to say that the power will start to come, as his hand is fully healed, and that the speed and defense will pick up as well.

I don't think we will have to worry all that much about left field. Milledge should be more than up to the task. His defensive abilities as well as presence at the plate will be a welcome addition to the lineup for the full season.