Lastings Milledge
Lastings Darnell Milledge (born April 5, 1985) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago White Sox and then in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Yakult Swallows. He was the youngest player in MLB's National League during his rookie season in 2006.[1]
Lastings Milledge
.269
33
167
.272
39
129
Early life[edit]
Milledge was born in Bradenton, Florida.[2] At the age of twelve, he pitched and played third base and hit third for the Manatee East Little League team that was the national runner-up in the 1997 Little League World Series. He received the win on the mound in the semi-final game of the regional, giving up only one run on a solo home run to Matt Rigney in a win against Mississippi.[3] In 2001, he led Team USA to a gold medal game victory over Venezuela in the International Baseball Federation's AA World Youth Championships. Later that year, Baseball America named Milledge the best 16-year-old player in the United States. He graduated from Lakewood Ranch High School in Bradenton, Florida in 2003 after leading his team to the state 5A title his senior year.
Amateur draft[edit]
Prior to the 2003 amateur draft, he was expected to be among the top three selections, but as draft day approached, press reports from 2002 resurfaced regarding Milledge's expulsion from Northside Christian School after his junior year for allegedly having sex with a minor.[4][5] He subsequently transferred to Lakewood Ranch High School where he finished his education and amateur baseball career.
As a result of the incident, Milledge was passed over in the 2003 amateur draft until the Mets selected him as the twelfth overall pick in the first round. The Mets began contract negotiations with Milledge, but the talks were interrupted in early August 2003, when the Mets learned of allegations of additional sexual misconduct against Milledge during his time at Northside. The Mets completed a private investigation of the matter and, satisfied with the results, signed Milledge to a contract with a $2.2 million signing bonus.
Professional baseball career[edit]
Minor league career[edit]
The delay in signing Milledge prevented him from beginning his professional career until shortly before the end of the minor league season in 2003. He appeared in only seven games, hitting .231 for the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League. In 2004, he was slated to start the year with the class A Capital City Bombers, but he suffered a fractured metacarpal on his right hand in spring training, missing the first six weeks of the season. In 65 games with the Bombers, he hit .337 with 13 home runs, 58 RBI and 23 stolen bases, earning him a promotion to the St. Lucie Mets in August. In 2005, he continued his minor league success hitting .302 with St. Lucie in the first half of the season and .337 with the AA Binghamton Mets in the second half. He began the 2006 season leading off and playing right field for the AAA Norfolk Tides.
Personal life[edit]
Milledge is an advocate for increasing African-American participation in baseball. When he was an active player, he would spend his offseasons attending youth football and basketball games in an effort to convince black children to give baseball a try.[21]
Following his retirement, Milledge opened Manatee Intercity Baseball in Bradenton, Florida, whose mission is to give minority kids an opportunity to learn and play the game. He also owns and operates 1st Round Training, a hitting and training facility in Palmetto, Florida, that aims to mentor and train young players.
In 2018, Milledge was married and was expecting his first child with his wife, DePree.[21]