Bradley Chose...Wisely

Bradley was 0-for-3 on May 4. After the
sixth inning, he was pulled.

On December 18, 2009, The Seattle Mariners sent pitcher Carlos Silva packing to Chicago. What the Cubs dispatched to Seattle to complete the deal, threw me off guard, talented, but oft-deemed troublesome, outfielder Milton Bradley.

As a Mariners fan, I was completely torn by this transaction. Silva had not lived up to the expectations from a four year, $44 mil - $48 mil deal with the Mariners. In his two seasons in Seattle, Silva "compiled" a 5-18 record with a mind-boggling 6.81 ERA. Sending Silva packing seemed logical enough. But what was with taking on Bradley?

Bradley has been known for a couple of things. One was being labeled as a "head case". Another was for the number of organizations for which he has played for during his stint in the majors. If you include Seattle, it's now 8 different teams in 10+ years. That's mind blowing to say the least. A dark cloud follows Bradley.

Many have been critical of Bradley and I am no exception (here and here).

Why would my beloved Mariners take this plunge? I know Silva and his well overpaid contract will be gone, but why Bradley? It's simple. Bradley can play despite all the other "issues". He may not be a household name when it comes to stats, but he is talented. We've never really gotten a feel for what his game is. The bigger question really was would the Mariners as an organization be able to handle/address any issues if they were to transpire?

The answer is a resounding yes, but it did not come about in a way we had thought.

After taking a call strike three (with the bases loaded, no less) during a game this past Tuesday. It was Bradley's second K of the game and Mariners skipper Don Wakamatsu removed Bradley from the game. Bradley proceeded to tell Wakamatsu "I'm packing my stuff. I'm out of here." He left Safeco Field. The following morning, Bradley contacted Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik and desired a audience with Zduriencik. Wakamatsu and Zduriencik obliged and had to be floored when Bradley revealed that he needed their help in dealing with "emotional stress".

Bradley's departure after Tuesday night's game had led to conflicting reports that Bradley was possibly done. If not only in Seattle, but period. He refuted that conjecture in a message sent to ESPN's Colleen Dominguez.

"Any reports that I said I'm packing up and leaving are 100 percent fabricated."

Bradley added, "I'm with an organization of people that I trust have my best interest in mind and have never passed judgment. I'm a human being first to them."

We have not viewed this side of Bradley previously. All we have been given is quite the opposite. Sure, there are things about Bradley none of us will ever understand. He proclaimed himself to be the "Kanye West of baseball". We remember the knee injury he suffered after disputing an out call while being restrained by manager Bud Black as a member of the San Diego Padres. We recall the incident involving then Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge which led to Bradley being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. There's more, but you get the drift.

Don't think that I'm pulling an "about face" just because Bradley a member of the Mariners. There is still work to be done both on and off the field for Bradley. With Seattle placing Bradley on the restricted list, he cannot be around the club for at least a five day period. That is actually good for both the Mariners and Bradley. He will have a chance to sort through the issues plaguing him. With his coming forward and finally asking for aid, I do view him a little differently, as do the Mariners.

No matter how much you dislike him, he's a person first. A baseball player second.