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.

Cubs may be done with Bradley

Like we didn’t see this coming. The Chicago Cubs have suspended outfielder Milton Bradley for the remainder of the season for conduct detrimental to the team.

The source of Bradley’s latest rant is courtesy of an article published in the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald. In the Bruce Miles article, Bradley had some not-so-flattering remarks about the Cubs organization and those that follow the Cubs.

Bradley was asked if his first (and maybe, last) season in Chicago has been enjoyable. His response was, to say the least, “insightful”

"Not really," he said. "It's just not a positive environment. I need a stable, healthy, enjoyable environment. There's too many people everywhere in your face with a microphone asking the same questions repeatedly. Everything is just bashing you. You got out there and you play harder than anybody on the field and never get credit for it. It's just negativity.

"And you understand why they haven't won in 100 years here, because it's negative. It's what it is."

This has to be one of the most preposterous statements Bradley has ever made. Let’s break it all down.

1. He needs “a stable, healthy, enjoyable environment…”. Milton, I guarantee you I’m not the only one that thinks this. What is so stable about you? You’ve been with seven teams in ten years. How much stability do you have? If it’s taken you this long to “confess'” this, your train left the station long ago.

2. “There's too many people everywhere in your face with a microphone…” Isn’t that part of your chosen profession? You wanted to be a professional athlete and that just goes with the territory. If you don’t want to answer those question, don’t do things that create attention.

3. “You got out there and you play harder than anybody on the field and never get credit for it.” When has that ever happened? I can think of maybe one Cub that you play harder than…and he’s out for the season.

4. "And you understand why they haven't won in 100 years here, because it's negative. It's what it is." It’s negative if you don’t produce. Any current and former Cub will tell you that. That actually happens in almost every fan base. It doesn’t make it right, but, to quote you, Milton, “it’s what it is”.

I actually thought Bradley and Lou would have a chance to mesh and propel the Cubbies back to the postseason and maybe even into the World Series.

Not a Cubs fan but I would love to see them win one before I leave this earth.

Cubs Bradley remaining in spotlight

We have heard a couple of things out of Chicago Cubs right fielder Milton Bradley this past week.

Earlier this week, Bradley stated that he was feeling hatred from Cubs fans. Considering the season Bradley is having after signing a 3 year/$30 million contract, that's somewhat understandable. But Bradley thrust himself into a bigger spotlight when it was reported by the Chicago Tribune that Bradley brought race into the discussion.

The only reference Bradley makes is by his statement that "America doesn't believe in racism". That comment was taken as having a sarcastic tone. I wouldn't blame Bradley for that tone, nor will I condemn him for his statement. In fact, even with that tone, Bradley is correct. I said it...Bradley is correct.

The comment from Bradley that I find totally incomprehensible (especially in the wake of the above comment) is one Bradley made after a loss to the Washington Nationals. There were reporters around Bradley's locker and the questions were begininng to come from the reporters. ESPN Chicago's Nick Friedell was in attendance and had to be totally shocked by what he heard. Here's the very beginning:

Q: Obviously not the type of beginning you felt you were gonna have here on the homestand:

MB: "No, we got a Rodney King beatdown tonight."...

Way to make yourself a bigger distraction, Milton. Did your comment have a sarcastic tone? In this case, no. You can read Friedell's whole article here.

I've been reading on Cubs message boards that Bradley's an idiot. If you're one of those, get a load of this. Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago posted early Friday evening that Bradley says he got off to such a slow start this season because of the many day games the Cubs play. Read this for yourself.

"Strange as it seems, [on other] teams you play mostly night games," Bradley said. "Here, you have to get up at 8 a.m. It's an adjustment for your body. You may say you're ready to do that, but your body tells you something else. It's an adjustment to get ready and revved up. This is the Major Leagues, it's not spring training. It counts. That's the only thing I can attribute it to, because I do everything else the same."

There is a history of players struggling in their first season in Wrigley. What I find extremely difficult to understand is why the outspoken Bradley is just now offering this info to everyone. Considering Bradley's past, we should have heard his explanation about two months ago.

I cannot write this and not shake my head at Bradley's outrageousness. Bradley is not really a pro baseball player, is he? At this point, the Cubs may view him as a sideshow that they want run out of town.