Milledge Debate

Anthony De Rosa at Hotfoot found an article written by Ryan McConnell of Always Amazin which addresses criticism of Milledge as a "Cheap Shot?".

Ryan McConnell at Always Amazin' takes exception to John Delcos' comment about Lastings Milledge on his Lower Hudson Mets Blog the other day.

I enjoy Delcos's blog and think we'd have better sports coverage if more beat writers emulated his style. But his comment here about Milledge feels like a personal attack and not 'just an observation.' Comparing him to David Wright -- and not other players like Jose Reyes who didn't show up to work a week early -- is unfair. It seems Delcos isn't even giving Milledge a second chance to repair his
image.

But beyond the cheap shot, Delcos makes a good point . Why don't more players show up a week early for Spring Training? Even if they really don't feel like it, aren't they guaranteed glowing coverage from the desperate-for-a-story press corp?Initially I agreed with Delcos, but maybe it was unfair to Lastings to compare him to Wright. I'm in the give-him-the-benefit-of-the-doubt camp when it comes to Lastings. This year will prove a lot as to how he handles the opportunity.

I completed a piece at Mets Fever in which I am highly critical of Milledge. I don't feel it's personal at all, Milledge continues to make poor decisions on and off the field that are impacting him and the team. As I said in Bust or Must, Johnson is Milledge's main competition and he attended function (charity event) to get to know his new teammates. After such a rocky year, when the club asks you to play winter ball you do it. As a Network we are always will to find opposing points of view so that you the reader can form you own opinions.