Repost: LMillz was overhyped

On this well placed off-day (I'm writing a final paper on Catch-22 and "national community.") I dug up an old post of mine and will repost it below. Here's my reaction after the Lastings Milledge for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider trade, originally posted December 1, 2007...

I am most likely the only Mets blogger in the universe who is "OK" with this trade. Lastings Milledge, to me, was entirely overhyped, and now we're seeing the sobering conclusion to the saga that was LMillz in Queens. And this Mets fan is happy.

Everyone seems to be calling for Omar's head as if he had a better deal elsewhere, but decided not to take it. Obviously if Omar thought, or even caught a scent of a better trade elsewhere, he would have held onto Lastings and pursued this better option. Milledge's status dropped considerably when teams saw what he could do with an everyday starting position.

The kid can't hit a breaking ball for the life of him, and takes the most roundabout angles on the easiest fly balls ever. To me, Lastings' climax as a player was two years ago, as a much hyped up minor leaguer, when it was discussed that he could be traded for Manny Ramirez. Since then, it's been pretty downhill. After those botched pop flies at Fenway Park and the high-fiving (which I commended when it happened) down the right field line at Shea, it seemed the kid was doomed as a Met. The fans went back and forth on whether or not his attitude was mature enough to handle the New York stage.

When he finally had a chance to break out and shine, he looked nonchalant running to balls that got past him, and just unmotivated. The lack of hustle on his part was extremely frustrating to me, as someone who supported him through all his early problems. With his ego at full blast, it seemed he could take on the world, but when his skills were put to the test on the field, he did not impress me in the least bit. Fans were once weary of this brash young player, and now seem entirely up in arms that he won't be patrolling Shea, and eventually Citi Field, for years to come.

With Brian Schneider being announced as our starting catcher, and Ryan Church as our starting right fielder next year, we seemingly picked up 2/9 of our starting team, for a player that may or may not pan out. Schneider has great defensive skills, which is what some wild things like Oliver Perez need behind the plate. Church, 29 years old, seems to be a newer, younger Shawn Green. There are no overpowering numbers at the plate, just a decent hitting, decent fielding outfielder who is capable of doing what he is paid to do.

Goodbye Lastings, I'm sure you will be haunting Omar and Mets fans for years to come, but right now, good riddance.