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* Milton Bradley. What the heck?
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:28 am
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I think he just announced for Lt. Gov.
Comment by Speaking at Will Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:31 am
… As a Republican.
Comment by John Bambenek Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:37 am
Blago on the Ballfield.
Comment by Thomas Westgard Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:39 am
And he is greatly in favor of Monopolies
Comment by Pat collins Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:39 am
Hmmmm I think I have a Monopoly game at home by MB.
Comment by Levois Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:40 am
Miltie will be going on the road with Blagoof for the “It’s not my fault” tour. At least Jim Hnedry made 1 good move this season.
Comment by Dan S, a voter and Cubs Fan Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:45 am
MB is a jerk. He’s been a jerk on every team he’s been on. Knew it when the Cubbies signed him. Now I know he’s stupid too for spitting inthe face of a $30 million contract.
He should retire and become Blago’s agent.
Comment by Waste Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:46 am
And now his mother talks to the press more than he does: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-22-haugh-chicago-sep22,0,798187.column
Hendry’s biggest blunder ever. Good riddance.
Comment by Tim Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:46 am
Milton Bradley for Cook County Board President!
Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:48 am
Yo Milton, I’m really annoyed with you and imma let you get ran out of town but Lee Elia had one of the best rants of ALL TIME. ONE OF THE BEST RANTS OF ALL TIME. *shrug*
Comment by Peter Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:48 am
Redeye had a fun piece on the Sosa curse in Right Field.
Comment by D.P. Gumby Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:49 am
The epitome of Cubness. Whines, cries, proclaims how great he is notwithstanding the historical evidence, and then shows up the next season proclaiming how this year will be different.
One difference though: while most of the rest of baseball thinks Bradley and Cub fans are annoying and have a Blago-esque sense of self-importance, they’ll politely humor Cub fans as the crazy old aunt/cat lady at the reunion. MB merits and deserves no such respect.
Comment by South Side Mike Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:49 am
Zambrano’s behavior seems worse than Bradley’s and they never do anything about that, but Bradley gets bounced for the rest of the season? I’m not defending Bradley but the Cubs seem to have a set of rules only for Bradley.
Comment by Scooby Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:51 am
The man just can’t find happiness, anywhere, working half the year playing baseball a few hours a day and traveling first class — all for $10 million a year.
Milton, what kind of work do you see yourself doing after baseball, and how much do you think you’ll be compensated for that?
Milton exceeded expectations right from the get-go — couldn’t hit, a butcher in the field, tossed, suspended, complained about teammates — all in April. I think it only took until June for Pinella to send him home during a game, calling him a POS to his face — and in front of many — on his way out the door.
Hendry’s hilarious. He breaks up a lineup that scored the most runs in baseball — a National League team, to boot — and won 97 games to add the most notorious clubhouse cancer of recent years. It was and is mind-boggling.
Now, in late September, he suspends Bradley for conduct unbecoming. What a bold move. Guess what, Jim? You’re going to have to pay him. The Player’s Union will roll you like the town drunk if you try not to.
As of now, I’m setting the over/under at $12 million on how much the Cubs will have to eat on his remaining $20 million contract to get rid of him.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:58 am
1. In ten seasons, Bradley played 141 games for the Dodgers in 2004. Next highest seasons:
2008 Rangers 126
2009 Cubs 124
2003 Indians 101
In every other season, the guy played less than 100 games.
Arguably, Bradley performed more than should reasonably be expected from his history.
Subpoint: Bradley never played more than two years straight with any team in ten years. Why sign him to a three-year deal?
2. Bradley might be a lousy teammate and have a bad attitude, but that’s legally allowed. If Cubs fans were engaged in racial taunting (and this was largely confirmed by Soriano), and Bradley did raise the issue with the Cubs, and the Cubs failed to enforce their policy of ejecting fans making racial taunts of players, then the Cubs probably violated of federal law.
Just because Bradley is jerk, does not relieve the Chicago Cubs of their obligations under federal law.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:00 am
this story screams bad management. bad decision to bring him in. Pinella does not have control of the team in general, personalities or play. What’s up with the Zambrano vs. Bradley standard? on line posts elsewhere have stated that the racial taunts are real. is the team checking that out? as a baseball
fan I was stunned that Bradley is suspended for the rest of the
year. yes, he is a head case, but at times he is a very good player so this is spectacularly bad management of expensive resources. Hendry is a goof.
as a Sox fan, it makes me laugh and laugh and laugh. and
to value Ken Williams. we got Peavy! as a person who cares about racism, i do wonder.
Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:01 am
My favorite memory of the Bradley Era, and there were so many, was when he flipped the bird to Cubs fans then denied it. There were only like 10,000 witnesses in right field.
Oh, and when he forgot how many outs there were and tossed the ball into the stands and started jogging for the dugout, only to be told that his catch was the second out. Oops.
And remember that time when he was getting booed a lot for misplaying easy fly balls and batting .200, and he thought the booing was racially motivated. As if we wouldn’t boo anyone who played that badly regardless of race. The only race that matters is the pennant race.
So many memories. Mostly bad ones. The $7 beers that pay his salary help me forget some of his better moments, but I guess those will be $8 beers next year while the Cubs pay him $23 million to stay away from Wrigley.
He’ll be missed. Given his track record with every team he was ever with over the years, it’s amazing that no one saw this train wreck coming. If there was a prize for General Mismanagement, it should be named the Jim Hendry Award for Criminal Negligence in Signing Free Agents.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:02 am
So what does Hendry do for an encore?
Comment by Bluefish Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:02 am
What a mess. I think the decision to suspend Bradley has as much to do with the Cubs’ and Bradley’s lousy season as it did his petulance. If they were in contention, there’s no way he’s not playing every day.
I’m not sure the Cubs had much choice considering his erratic behavior, but this was a horrendous deal, especially considering what the Angels and Phils got in Abreu and Ibanez - fewer years, fewer dollars, and much more production.
Comment by The Doc Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:06 am
Not that his days weren’t already numbered, (certainly in the low double digits by now) but if nothing else this should seal Jim Hendry’s fae. I don’t know anyone that can make an obvious mistake that would cost his company tens of millions of dollars, and still retain his job.
The only question now to ponder is: How many more beers will the fools in the bleachers need to consume in order to offset that contract?
Comment by Baines for Prez Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:13 am
Send him to the Sox.
Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:14 am
Bonus Question: How much money in fines will be collected by the city, from the ensuing arrests?
Comment by Baines for Prez Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:14 am
If some moron fan in right field at the Cell directed a racial slur at Jermaine, who is having a terrible 2nd half, worse than this mope Bradely even, he’d have to be carried out on a stretcher. Sox fans police their own. We take pride in our team and our stadium. This is typical for the Cubs and their fans.
That being said, Zambrano, Bradley, and the rest are a bunch of crybabies who blame everyone but themselves for the fact that they suck. Miltie gets much more attention than he deserves. good riddance.
Comment by Bill Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:20 am
Milton Bradley is the modern day version of Richie Allen, but without the same talent.
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:20 am
Hold on, Louis. Richie Allen fought with management, a lot, for more money (they didn’t make the big cash, back then).
I don’t recall him throwing fans and teammates under the bus on a regular basis with vague charges.
Richie Allen was one of the most entertaining players to watch, ever. The Sports Illustrated shot of him with a smoke hanging on his lips, swinging a bat in the Old Comiskey Sox dugout is classic.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:26 am
I’m not sure I believe that in 2009 the Wrigley right-field bleachers are a hotbed of racist taunts. Can’t pick up chicks that way.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:27 am
That’s Dick Allen to you guys.
Comment by Bill Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:30 am
The Sox got Peavy, the Cardinals got Matt Holliday and (some years ago) Jim Edmunds all of whom have made huge impacts on their respective clubs. The Cubs got…Bradley? And wasn’t Alfonseca supposed to be the savior? The list goes on and on.
As far as Bradley himself is concerned, I don’t have much respect for players (good, mediocre or bad) that don’t just shut up and play. Deion Sanders? Cade McNown? The list goes on and on. Give me Walter Peyton, Barry Sanders, Greg Maddux and Mark Grace!
Comment by What planet is he from? Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 11:47 am
Cubs are going to have to eat $17 million + to get rid of this guy’s $20 million obligation. To think they got rid of Mark DeRosa to make room on the payroll speaks volumes about Hendry.
Comment by LincolnLounger Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 12:17 pm
Why eat his salary? Why trade him for peanuts or for nothing in return?
Just send him to Iowa, let him ride the minor league bus, and keep him down there until he matures as a human being. He’ll be the most expensive minor league player in history, and will be worth zero in two years (unless he sees the light, which considering his past history and current history, is as likely as Blagojevich accepting responsibility for his actions).
and OK! Dick Allen! And I seem to recall him having problems with everyone, including management and authority figures. At least Dick Allen had talent. I used a Dick Allen baseball bat as a kid. It was heavy but a great war club to use when playing 16 inch softball!
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 12:48 pm
I wonder if Hendrey’s days are numbered after the player trades this year. This being one of the worst.
====send him to the Sox====
Kenny Williams is smarter than that!
Comment by Third Generation Chicago Native Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 1:11 pm
Going beyond Bradley’s poor individual play and the Cub’s dismal season I think the suspension of Milton may be the result of recognition by management that he really is messed up and could crack and be a danger to himself or others in the dugout/clubhouse. No doubt many other players are breathing a sigh of relief and Cubs management is showing that the physical and emotional well being of the team is more important than the business end of Bradley’s contract.
Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 1:14 pm
I’ve always felt sorry for Milton. He just seems like one of those people that nothing can make happy. $10 million a year as a pro baseball player should make almost anyone very happy.
He has real talent. In 2008 his On Base and Slugging percentages were the best in the American League. Maybe the decline in productivity added to his unhappyness. He was not a good match for Lou Pinella.
Comment by Cardinals Fan Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 1:43 pm
I agree it is Hendry’s time to go. New ownership, turn the page. So let’s review the moves this year: dump DeRosa (now batting 5th for the Cardinals–couldn’t he have played 3rd while Ramirez was hurt? Huh?) for Bradley (now pouting at home); traded for disgruntled Oriole Ryan Freel…who lasted about 10 days; and suddenly decides to do something about one rubber-arm lefty by getting 2 who-dat’s from AAA Pittsburgh? Bah! Maybe next year…
Comment by Vote Quimby! Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 1:45 pm
A Cub tradition LOSER
Comment by Not a Cubs Fan Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 2:15 pm
“Kenny Williams is smarter than that!”
YEAH!!! Just ask Todd Ritchie and David Wells!
Comment by Johnnyc Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 2:25 pm
==Why eat his salary? Why trade him for peanuts or for nothing in return?Just send him to Iowa, let him ride the minor league bus, and keep him down there until he matures as a human being. –
I doubt if he has minor leauge options. He’s a vet. You have to pay his contract. He’never going to play at Wrigley as a Cub again. Cut your losses. He’s a DH.
Again, the over/under is for what the Cubs will have to eat of the 20 he’s owed.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 3:12 pm
–“Kenny Williams is smarter than that!”YEAH!!! Just ask Todd Ritchie and David Wells! ==
Those were good moves at the time. Relatively low risk, potentially high reward.
Kenny’s a riverboat gambler. He’s knows the angles and the edges, and he’s not scared of taking a risk. He wins more than he loses.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 3:17 pm
I think he just wants to be on “Dancing with the Stars.”
Comment by who me? Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 3:19 pm
Hey Now
Milton Bradley and Alfonso Soriano are hosting a defensive outfielding seminar for all youngsters out there….so just remember whatever they teach you go forget it and go with the opposite
Comment by Coach Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 3:20 pm
“Those were good moves at the time.”
Every move is a good move at the time. If Milton had 22 HRs, 77 RBIs, a .325 BA and .460 OBP it would be a good move. He didn’t.
General manager’s decisions, as all decisions, are judged by their results. Ritchie and Wells were, therefore, bad moves.
It may seem like a good move to sleep with the hot girl at the bar, but if she gives you an STD it wasn’t a good move.
Comment by Johnnyc Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 3:29 pm
==It may seem like a good move to sleep with the hot girl at the bar, but if she gives you an STD it wasn’t a good move.–
Johnny C, better to have lost… than to not have….
Trip to the doc, then CVS and you’ll be fine.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 3:44 pm
No one outside of Chicago and baseball knows who Milton Bradley is and he can’t stand that. But, for $21M. I would think he could just be happy being himself.
I suppose he is just a strange dude, and I don’t really want to know how strange he is, or why.
Comment by PPHS Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 3:52 pm
I must say, I have a soft spot for Milton Bradley. When I played ball and was unfairly kicked off a team and sent home, I too was defended by my mother which really made me feel better.
However, I was 8 years old.
Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 3:56 pm
So who is Milton Bradley and what did he do?
I didnt see a mention of this while watching compeitive curling on ESPN… Go Broomstones!!! we dont need these biters!
Comment by Ghost Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 4:14 pm
PPHS
Everyone who follows major league baseball knows who Milton Bradley is. That is why most of us Cub fans let out a carnal scream last year when that idiot Hendry traded Derosa (for three minor leaguers and a ham sandwich) signed Miles and signed Bradley. Bradley’s track record speaks for itself, and Hendry got exactly was he deserves.
I’ll give Hendry the Soriano bust, because he was a hot commodity when he was signed (even though I preferred Carlos Lee at the time), but the Milton Bradley and Derosa debacles are the end of the line. Time for a new GM along with the new ownership.
Comment by Jaded Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 4:18 pm
another example of the fine managerial prowess of the Cubs organization…NOT!
Comment by Anonymous45 Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 4:19 pm
Should be traded straight up for a dozen bats and a bucket of used BP balls
Comment by downstater Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 4:25 pm
The Cubs always have some excuse to blame a lousy season on. This year its Bradley.
Why in the world would the new owners keep Hendry on as GM? He has put the team in hock for years with his Soriano, Zambrano and Bradley contracts. Over $200 million for 3 players! Sheesh!
Comment by Tom Joad Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 5:39 pm
who cares…. he’s a member of the chicago scrubbies. now… what is the cards magic #!!!! cya in the playoffs some year soon ya losers
Comment by The Horse Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 5:49 pm
Milton is so typical of the Cubs organization, as sure aas the sun comes up you know every year it will be “something” or “someone” with the Cubs.
But they sell a heck of lot of tickets every year. If filling the seats is what matters.
Comment by Anon3 Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 6:08 pm
He’s insecure about something and projecting it onto whoever he feels is antagonistic to him. I wish him self-enlightenment.
Comment by perplexed & perturbed Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 6:40 pm
Would make a terrific running mate for Marcia’s brother
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 7:14 pm
Jaded…I totally forgot about the Aaron Miles signing! I couldn’t believe it…is Hendry the only one who didn’t know he was washed up? Grrr
Comment by Vote Quimby! Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 8:22 pm
He is properly placed with the right team.
Comment by GO CARDS ! Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 8:41 pm
pretty predictable that he would turn out bad… might be the nail in Hendry’s coffin.. If your the new owner, why would you keep him or sweet lou?
Comment by The Court Jester Tuesday, Sep 22, 09 @ 10:52 pm
Who knew signing him to a multiyear contract to play centerfield in one of the nation’s biggest media markets was a bad idea?
Comment by Boone Logan Square Wednesday, Sep 23, 09 @ 1:08 am