Milledge hopes to bounce back with Sox
GLENDALE, Ariz. — White Sox left fielder Juan Pierre’s locker neighbor was top prospect Jared Mitchell last spring.
Before he went down for the season near the end of Cactus League play with a torn tendon in his ankle, Mitchell directly benefited from Pierre’s experience, knowledge and off-the-charts work ethic.
This spring Pierre has a new neighbor — Lastings Milledge. He is a much different challenge.
“I’ve been talking to him and he’s a real good kid,” Pierre said. “He comes in here and people have some ideas about him even though they don’t know him. I don’t really know him, but I’m going to be here for him.
“I’m not going to be getting in his face or anything like that, but if he needs anything, I’m right here.”
Still only 25, Milledge is widely viewed as a washed-up outfielder who was not worthy of being selected by the Mets with the 12th overall pick in the 2003 draft.
He had trouble fitting in at New York and was shipped out after playing in parts of two seasons while upsetting veteran teammates with his overly flashy style of play, including high-fiving fans at Shea Stadium after hitting his first major-league home run in 2006.
There were rap videos, more clubhouse dissension and brief stays with the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates, who nontendered Milledge after he batted .277 with 4 home runs and 34 RBI in 113 games last season.
On Feb. 3, Milledge agreed to a minor-league contract with the White Sox that would pay him $500,000 if he makes the team. Right now he’s not even on the 40-man roster.
Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Milledge didn’t at all come across as a player with a troubled past, which includes being involved in a brawl this off-season while playing winter ball in Venezuela.
“I’ve definitely been through a lot,” he said. “The things I’ve been through were rough at the time, but I look at it and it was a blessing to learn a lot of different things.
“Right now I’m not a veteran guy, but I’ve been through a lot and had my back against the wall and fought myself off it and that’s the biggest thing, being a younger guy and being able to bounce back off adversity and being a No. 1 prospect and not being on a roster.
“How do you handle that? How do you bounce back? I don’t have all the answers. I have a pretty good plan on how you approach things.”
Milledge’s plan this spring is to keep the attention off himself and try blending in with a veteran group of players.
“They were the first team interested,” Milledge said when asked why he signed with the Sox. “Not only the first team interested, but also they were honest with me. They told me it wasn’t going to be a big-league deal, that I had to come here and prove myself, which is fine.
“But I knew I had to do that anyway. So just the honesty and the ability on this team was really a no-brainer for me.”
In need of a right-handed hitter who can hit left-handed pitchers, Milledge just might emerge as a reserve outfielder with the White Sox.
And he definitely fits in with the Sox’ personal-appearance policy, having cut off his dreadlocks at the insistence of his girlfriend.
“A lot of people put expectations that I’m this or that,” Milledge said. “It made it a little difficult when you look back … ‘This guy should hit 30 homers.’ But I just haven’t put everything on paper, yet, to be honest.
“At the same time, I’ve been average. Good enough to be on a team but not good enough to start every day.
“People look at what I’ve done. I’ve had success at times. I haven’t had success at times. Like I say, the expectations were already stamped on me before I got to the big leagues, which makes it that much harder to succeed at this level.
“But all in all, I’ve been an asset to every team I’ve played on. I’ve worked hard and played the game the right way, so I can’t ask for anything else.”