When the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Nyjer Morgan last year, many of the fans and players were unhappy with this move. Nyjer was a fan favorite as well as a good influence and friend to all in the Pirates clubhouse. The Pirates management gave the usual explanation for the trade by saying, this move was what is best for the team. In return for Nyjer Morgan, the Pirates received Lastings Milledge an outfielder from the Washington Nationals. Lastings Milledge was 24 at the time, 5 years younger than the player he was traded for. However, when Milledge made his debut with the Pirates, he was playing for his third major league team in just 4 years in the big leagues.

Lastings Milledge played his first year of pro baseball in 2003 after getting drafted by the Mets in the first round of the 2003 draft. He quickly became the Mets top prospect and he was compared to former Mets great Darryl Strawberry. Lastings Milledge Milledge made his major league debut on the same day Darryl Strawberry had many years before, May 30, 2006. A game tying home run early in his career quickly made Milledge a fan favorite, and the fans gave him the nickname "Blastings Thrilledge". However maturity issues were a problem for young Milledge during his time with the Mets and he was eventually traded to Washington for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider.

This offseason, Milledge has been working hard and he showed up to the Pirates minicamp this year in the best shape of his life. he batted .291 with 4 homeruns for the pirates after rehabbing in the minors from a wrist injury, the Pirates believe Mr. Milledge has proven to be a mature baseball player who is ready to produce in the big leagues. Milledge comes into this season looking to prove all the skeptics wrong and show that he can put together a good season in left field. Look for "Blastings Thrilledge" to make an impact for the Pirates in their pursuit of the NL Central division title in 2010.