Professional baseball career Lastings Milledge

1 professional baseball career

1.1 minor league career
1.2 new york mets

1.2.1 rookie season
1.2.2 2007


1.3 washington nationals

1.3.1 2008
1.3.2 2009


1.4 pittsburgh pirates

1.4.1 2009
1.4.2 2010


1.5 chicago white sox

1.5.1 2011


1.6 tokyo yakult swallows

1.6.1 2012
1.6.2 2013-15


1.7 lancaster barnstormers

professional baseball career
minor league career

the delay in signing milledge prevented him beginning professional career until shortly before end of minor league season in 2003. appeared in 7 games, hitting .231 kingsport mets of appalachian league. in 2004, slated start year class capital city bombers, suffered fractured metacarpal on right hand in spring training, missing first 6 weeks of season. in 65 games bombers, hit .337 13 home runs, 58 rbi , 23 stolen bases, earning him promotion st. lucie mets in august. in 2005, continued minor league success hitting .302 st. lucie in first half of season , .337 aa binghamton mets in second half. began 2006 season leading off , playing right field aaa norfolk tides.

new york mets
rookie season

milledge mets in june 2006

milledge made major league debut on may 30, 2006 starting right fielder mets in 7–2 loss arizona diamondbacks. went 1 4 double off arizona pitcher miguel batista. milledge 21 years, 55 days old on day of debut - same age former met darryl strawberry when made 1983 debut. in 3 separate stints in majors in 2006, milledge hit .241 4 hr , 22 rbi in 56 games.

on june 4, 2006 against san francisco giants, milledge hit solo home run – first major league career homer – off giants closer armando benítez tie game 6–6 in bottom of tenth inning. when mets returned field following inning, milledge, still excited, high-fived home fans in attendance @ shea returned position, inciting ire of manager , teammates, not mention national sports media. in late september, 1 of milledge s mets teammates placed sign on locker read, know place, rook! sign-placer identified in published reports then-mets closer billy wagner.

2007

after having impressive spring training both on , off field, milledge named mets opening day roster. saw limited game action, , subsequently optioned down aaa new orleans after game on april 12 create room on roster starting pitcher mike pelfrey called , make season debut in following day s game.

in may, reported milledge appeared in rap song, bend ya knees , manny d, childhood friend. song contained words bitch , ho , , nigga . mets organization responded saying, disapprove of content, language , message of recording, not represent views of new york mets.

upon recovery foot injury, milledge called major leagues after all-star break on july 12. veteran julio franco designated assignment make room milledge.

milledge nationals in 2008.

on november 30, 2007, milledge traded washington nationals ryan church , brian schneider.

washington nationals
2008

milledge served everyday starting center fielder nationals. until end of june, had been batting third in lineup in place of injured ryan zimmerman, posting .245 average, 7 home runs, , 32 rbi season. however, on june 28, suffered groin strain, , placed on disabled list next day. roger bernadina called take place. on july 24, nationals activated milledge dl , designated johnny estrada assignment. milledge went 2 18 in first 5 games after return. however, in month of august, batted .336 6 hr , 16 rbi.

2009

on february 19, milledge willingly gave uniform number, 44 adam dunn, wearing #85 birthyear. milledge began season nationals leadoff hitter. because of slow start batted .167 1 rbi , no base hits in 24 at-bats, optioned down aaa syracuse on april 15, 2009. on june 30, 2009, nationals traded milledge , joel hanrahan pittsburgh pirates nyjer morgan , sean burnett.

milledge pirates in 2009


pittsburgh pirates
2009

milledge, still rehabbing injury occurred @ aaa syracuse when trade made, assigned pirates gulf coast league team in bradenton, florida complete rehab, , moved pirates aaa affiliate, indianapolis indians, short stint @ lynchburg hillcats during aaa all-star break. after recovering injury became pirates everyday left fielder. showed growth in work ethic , glove work improved. finished below par 2009 11 doubles, 0 triples, 4 home runs, 21 runs batted in, walked 13 times, struck out 47 times, stole 7 bases, went along .276 average, .323 on-base percentage, .373 slugging percentage, in 244 at-bats.

2010

in may 6 game against chicago cubs, milledge appeared have hit first home run of season in 4th inning. however, ball hit top of left field wall in pnc park , bounced play. milledge rounded first base, stadium fireworks set off , celebration music began play. chicago outfielder alfonso soriano picked ball , threw infield milledge tagged out. milledge officially credited double on play.

on december 2, 2010, milledge became free agent when pirates elected not tender contract offer him 2011.

chicago white sox
2011

on february 3, 2011, chicago white sox signed milledge minor league deal. on march 30, 2011, white sox bought milledge s minor league contract charlotte knights, , announced had made sox s 25-man opening day roster. however, on april 7, 2011, sox designated milledge assignment. cleared waivers , accepted outright assignment triple-a charlotte. after 2011 season, elected free agency.

tokyo yakult swallows
2012

milledge signed one-year contract club option second year tokyo yakult swallows on december 27, 2011. milledge played in 125 games swallows in 2012, hitting .300 21 hr , 65 rbi.

2013-15

milledge signed three-year, $4.4 million contract tokyo yakult swallows. in 4 seasons yakult swallows through 2015, milledge played in 255 games, batting .272 39 home runs , 129 rbis. hampered injuries in 2014-15, milledge appeared in combined 34 games years.

lancaster barnstormers

on january 24, 2017, milledge signed lancaster barnstormers of atlantic league of professional baseball.