ContactQuestions? Comments? Tips? Email: WHYGAVS [at] gmail [dot] com WHYGAVS? PollSearchBest of WHYGAVSThe Garrett Mackowiak ExperienceWhy I can't stay away from the ballpark Super Bowl XL The Pirates/Office Space Comparison Pirates and Royals: LIVEBLOG One Craig Wilson Logo History Masumi Kuwata Elimination Challenge Letter to the Nuttings Moving Day WHYGAVS Goes to Camden Yards WHYGAVS Night Photo Essay Why's he calling me meat? I'm the one driving a Porsche In the Canyon 16 years  |
tecmo
said:
|
|
ffedssdfh I can't say that I wasn't sad to see Nyjer go. He impressed me from the first time he made the bigs as a late-season callup. But I'm thrilled at Milledge's potential. I thought the Mets screwed up how they played the whole up-and-down from the bigs during his first 2 stints with them, and he was automatically labeled in DC. The guy has some serious skill, and really, any additions short of a murderer are a positive for this Pirates team. |
|
scsteve
said:
|
... Who is this "upside" guy we keep hearing about and what position does he play? Damn, they get rid of the one guy who actually enjoyed being in Pittsburgh. And get back a clown. With "upside". Wilson, Sanchez and big LaRoches' bags are probably already packed waiting for the ticket out. And who could blame them. |
|
ExileInDC
said:
|
... Having watched Milledge play himself out of the Nationals' plans over the past year, I am mystified by anyone thinking this is some deal that "had to be done." As another commenter succinctly put it, Milledge is an asshat, toolsy or not. Even the overly patient Manny Acta finally had had enough. And Hanrahan was a failed closers in the majors' worst bullpen. So, enjoy watching Milledge misjudge cans of corn and running through signs the rest of the summer; no doubt he will be moved next spring for a Single-A pitcher (no doubt with "high upside"). Milledge isn't Jose Guillen II, he's Jody Gerut II. Farewell, Nyjer, at least no one will ever call you a bloody idiot. |
|
ExileInDC
said:
|
P.S. And, with guys like Zimmerman and Dunn in the Nationals' lineup, and fellow Village Idiot Elijah Dukes causing his own distractions, no one in DC was ever expecting Milledge to "save the world." Just play some major league baseball. |
|
tecmo
said:
|
fdhdfhdzfghfdszg Two the two guys above this comment bashing the trade... Are we really in a position to hate on trades at this point? Did Morgan ever help up get over .500? Are the Pirates over .500 right now? ANY deal is one that could potentially get this team out of the post-1992 funk. Keeping the guys we had hasn't done anything to change our fortunes...why not go out on a limb? Sometimes, I can't understand why some people get so wrapped up in certain players that didn't do jack shit in Pittsburgh. I loved Nyjer as much as the next guy, but did having him around put us in a better position than anything in the past 16 years? |
|
Carnegie Chip
said:
|
... Well said. We continue to take chances on players that good teams (Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers) have no interest in...and then our fan base is shocked when we suck. I'm disgusted by this move. Trade an overachiever for an underachiever plus a good LRP for a terrible one? In no sane universe does that make sense. I'm about done with this team. They're clueless. At this point the only thing I look forward to is 2011 when NH is deservedly fired. |
|
Disgusted
said:
|
This Is A Bad Joke, Right? No way to spin this trade. Doesn't matter if Nyjer will ever amount to more than he is right now...Milledge is a bad guy. He couldn't even start for the Nationals. If you haven't checked, they are the worst team in baseball. Soon to be second worst. Why isn't anyone talking about Burnett? No he isn't great, but he is solid. The duffer the Pirates got in exchange is a failed closer with zero upside. Can we trade Huntington for a bag of bp balls? |
|
matt w
said:
|
do you know why the Nationals are the worst team i Because they make bad personnel decisions. |
|
w.k. kortas
said:
|
... With all due respect to the folks who hate on this trade, do you really think it's going to be the Morgans and Burnetts who lead the Bucs to the promised land? Or guys like Alvarez and Tabata--obtained by the moron NH--who will? If Milledge continues to be a bad actor, you cut him loose, and you haven't really given up anything. But rending garments and gnashing teeth over second-tier talents like Morgan and Burnett? Spare me. |
|
Curtis
said:
|
... It's called "Buy Low, Sell High". Why should NH be fired? For breaking up a losing team? Everyone who hates these trades acts like we were one piece away last season when the Bay/Nady deals went through, then again this season when we traded Nate. We were in last place before those guys left, and last place now. The only difference is now we have some guys who might be on a team that isn't in last place. I can't really dumb it down any more than that. |
|
Moose
said:
|
Seriously? People are that pissed off? Really? Why? I'm with Pat on this one. Nyjer was no doubt a great guy, but after his torrid .330 start the first month and a half he is hitting .275.... with 2 home runs... in Left field. I don't really care how funny the guy is, or how great his defense is, that kind of bat in left field isn't going to take us anywhere. And before you decide to get on me abou how Milledge is only hitting 260 through his major league career, He was only 23 or younger for all but 24 of those PA, so Im sure that can be improved upon. And guess who else is a career 260 hitter... Nate McClouth. In terms of LM being a "bad guy" or having a "questionable character" the guys is still a kid. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one. While I have had a problems with a couple of moves that the FO has made, I wouldn't take any of them back. Looking at our major league and minor league rosters as it stands now compared to last year and the years before, it seems like we are finally headed in a solid positive direction and I look forward to seeing what's to came as we get closer to the deadline. |
|
whygavs
said:
|
... In what universe is a guy that can barely get his OPS above .700 and gets thrown out on 35% of his steal attempts despite having plus-plus speed an overachiever? Edit: This sounds like I'm knocking on Morgan here, and I'm not. But we all knew what Morgan was, and he wasn't anything special. He was a great guy and he played hard, but he certainly wasn't an irreplaceable part of a future champion. |
|
Brandon
said:
|
... I love this trade. It was said best above about "Buy Low, Sell High". Morgan was one of my favorites but he was overacheiving. Milledge was a top 10 prospect in baseball a few years ago. He has the potential. If he can mature and show off his 5-Tool talent then can you imagine an outfield with Milledge, McCutchen, and Tabata. Alvarez at 1st. Things are actually starting to look promising. |
|
DT
said:
|
... Does this trade matter in the long term? If Milledge continues his Ian Snell tribute play and Morgan has a long career as an average OF, we'll have expected being on the losing end of a trade. If Milledge becomes an All-Star player, the Pirates will just trade him away for a handful of average prospects. |
|
Mornacale
said:
|
Burnett for Hanrahan Honestly, even if Morgan for Milledge doesn't work out, we won the trade just by getting a significantly better reliever. Relief pitchers aren't really that super valuable, but upgrading from a strictly mediocre guy like Burnett to someone of Hanrahan's caliber (3.56 FIP so far this year, 3.84 last season) is always good. |
|
JM
said:
|
Ummm Everyone who's bashing these trades should take a look at Tampa. They did the same thing for a few years (except nobody noticed because it was Tampa Bay), and it worked out nicely for them. It sounds to me like Huntington has to pay for Littlefield and Bonifay's past sins with a lot of people. That's a shame. |
|
John Franco
said:
|
I\'m with pat The Pirates need more talented asshats and less good guys with limited talent. Now, if we could get some talented NON-asshats, that would be something! But this is a good deal for the Pirates and a chance that is easily worth taking. When was the last time the Pirates got the player with the best upside in a deal? |
|
mkd133
said:
|
... If you could create a post showing how the teams from the early 90s were formed I think more people could get behind the current moves. If you look at it, really similar...case in point 1987 - Tony Pena (quite possibly one of the most popular Pirates of all time) to the Cardinals for Mike Dunne, Spanky and umm...well, Andy Van Slyke. |
|
whygavs
said:
|
... The Pirates need more talented asshats and less good guys with limited talent. I hope Huntington has this written on a sticky note on his desk. |
|
Michael Alexander
said:
|
... I just read the Milledge Wikipedia page. The criticism I saw on him was an article where he high-fived some fans after tying a game with a home run in the bottom of the 10th, and everybody got pissed. Ridiculous. If that is what got him off on the wrong foot, people need to lighten up. The other criticism I saw was that he appeared in a derogatory rap video. This is a bigger deal, and something I wish athletes wouldn't do. (While I'm wishing, I'd also like a pony.) What are the other criticism of Milledge? |
|
SCSTEVE
said:
|
... So Morgan is in the lineup for what...3 months? Not over .500, so it must be Morgan's fault...thats not even time enough to do "jack shit" |
|
scsteve
said:
|
... I love the line in the PG, about the "right guidance" for Milledge. The Pirates daycare center is now open for business.... |
|
scsteve
said:
|
... and...if we have cash to the send to the freakin' Yankees in the Hinske deal, how come the Pirates can never sign legit veteran free agents? |
|
Rizzo
said:
|
... It's good to know there's atleast one team out there worse than the Bucs. Milledge is still an asshat. |
|
tecmo
said:
|
efgaeg And what about his time as a Pirate made you believe he was the answer? We've had a grand total of ZERO success in the past 16+ seasons. I'm a huge supporter of most of these guys, but they aren't producing. If a guy like Nyjer has to go in order to bring in an actual bat, then where's the problem? |
|
special agent johnny utah
said:
|
... The Nats let him start for one week and then gave up on them. That's why he "couldn't start on the Nats". With that line of thinking, no wonder they suck. Apparently the Yankees should've sent ARod down after his bad starts in years' past too... |
|
special agent johnny utah
said:
|
... You're kidding right? Legit FA's command $5-10 mil/year minimum for a quality player. I doubt we sent the Yanks even a million. |
|
whygavs
said:
|
... We owed Hinske $750,000 and sent the Yanks $400,000. This has nothing to do with signing free agents. |
|
azibuck
said:
|
... This really became one of my favorite chapters of WHYGAVS. The "I don't hate Nyjer Morgan (yes, I clearly do)" chapter. |
|
Nate
said:
|
... Give me one good reason we SHOULD keep Adam LaRoche, Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez? (OK, legit case can be made for Wilson.) Exactly how many winning season have we had with them on our team? And they were in their PRIME. It's all down hill from here for those players. |
|
Nate
said:
|
... Bye. See you later. We don't need fans like you. Don't come crawling back when this team is competing for World Series. Don't scream "city of champions" at me. It's pointless to hear it coming from your mouth. Get out of here, dead weight. Either stick with your team through thick and thin or bail out, but don't you dare jump back on the bandwagon when they improve. |
|
Nate
said:
|
... When Milledge went to the Nationals last year, he and Zimmerman were the only players with any kind of potential or competency in the lineup. He was clearly expected to save the world. |
|
Nate
said:
|
... I don't get everyone's take on "Milledge is an asshat," really. All the supposedly asshattish things he's done are things I would expect from a player his age. He performed on a rap album? How many 22 year olds wouldn't, given the chance? He high fived some fans after he hit a home run? If Jack Wilson or Nyjer Morgan or Derek Jeter do that, they're great guys connecting with the fanbase. If Manny Ramirez or Lastings Milledge do it, they're cocky players with attitude problems showing off. That's the type of thing where an opinion can sway either way based on reputation. He got expelled from a Christian school for having sex with teenagers when he himself was a teenager? Scandelous! No teenager not named Lastings Milledge has sex! We tolerate worse from the Steelers. Milledge has never tested positive for any drugs, performance-enhancing or otherwise. He's never had any domestic abuse charges. He's never had a DUI. These are all things that are tolerated by other athletes. All Lastings Milledge has done is act like a normal 22-24 year old. He doesn't need to go to counseling, he just needs to mature like normal human beings do. |
|
Nate
said:
|
... He's never had a DUI. These are all things that are tolerated by other athletes. All Lastings Milledge has done is act like a normal 22-24 year old. He doesn't need to go to counseling, he just needs to mature like normal human beings do. |
|
Nate
said:
|
... People noticed with Tampa, and they bashed the trades with them just like they do with us. Some people never learn. |
|
Nate
said:
|
... Because quality veteran free agents require more than the $400,000 we sent to the Yankees? Like, a lot more? |
|
JustinM
said:
|
... Yeah, and Morgan couldn't start on the Pirates until he was 29. Why care about where he ends up? |
|
JustinM
said:
|
... Morgan hasn't ever been an average OF and never will be. His bat is far too anemic for that, almost no matter what he does out in the field. |
|
JustinM
said:
|
... He has an ego. OH NO, IMAGINE THAT. A talented professional athlete having an ego. Guess what, you could probably count on one hand the talented professional athletes that don't, and they'd probably all be hockey players. :p |
|
Write comment
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please 
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. Here are some of our high-priority areas that we're specifically looking to grow. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our 
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? 