Seriously: What if we can’t get rid of MB?
by TheHawkRules on Dec 10, 2009 3:09 PM CST
Email
Print
I still believe MB will be gone by Spring Training… but, is there a chance, even small, that MB comes back? I believe the odds are against it, but I won’t be surprised if he is forced to return. It appears the Cubs are trying to generate interest in him, but people aren’t biting.
If he remains, what happens next?
Have there been similar situations in MLB history that we can look at and compare?
Just wondering…
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.
141 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
be like the bulls
play with less than a full roster – keep MB on it but let him stay home on game days!!
by doofus cubs guy on Dec 10, 2009 3:14 PM CST reply actions
I think it would be more fun
to put Fuld in at RF every day or Hoffpaur, and then have a camerea permantly affixed on MB throughout the game. Eventually he’ll do something entertaining.
OR
Have a guest RF every week. Once a week the Cubs bring up some AAA player, he doesn’t even have to be an outfielder, and let him player in RF. Once again place the camerea on Bradley.
OR
The Cubs hire Ryan Lefebvre to do a daily interviews with MB
OR
Can we option him to the Iowa Cubs or even the Single A team? It would be fun to watch him ride the bus around the country.
Ok before someone starts ripping me apart I am KIDDING here.
That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.
by Ditkavsworld
Ryan Lefebvre
Hey – I worked with Ryan some, long ago. He’s not a bad guy, and I would not wish that on him for anything.
I used to listen to him all the time when I was stationed in Kansas.
But putting those two in the same room, day after day and watch the hijinx ensue!
That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.
by Ditkavsworld
Mine as well
This team, in its present form, will have to fight to even finish in 3rd place this year let alone make the playoffs. The sad thing is, that the person responsible for this mess still has his job.
dont ya know
Oakland, Fox will take them all the way to win the WS, no other team matters
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
Does anyone know...
… what Hendry’s timetable is looking at? I know he’s trying to trade MB, but how long is that going to be his number 1 worry? He can’t spend the whole winter JUST trying to trade MB. Has their been any speculation that there is a point to where he’ll stop worrying about trading him, and start worrying about improving the other weak spots in the roster????
I’m just wondering… I hope im making some sense. lol
Hey, he spent all of last winter on Bradley as well...
…unloading team players like DeRosa and Wood so that he could pay his overblown salary in dollars and years, which no one else was going to pay.
It’s sad, watching all of the other teams, even teams like the Pirates and especially the Mariners, spend money to try and improve their teams. Teams like the Yankees keep getting even better. It’s a lesson to all Cubs fans that there are other teams that actually know what they are doing.
The Mariners have money to spend - the Cubs don't.
And, ooh, the Pirates picked up Bobby Crosby. Bold!
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Garry Templeton in St. Louis in 1981
Templeton was actually a good player for St. Louis, but the Cardinals wanted to unload him because of his lack of respect for the fans there flipping them the bird. You might have heard of the guy the Cardinals got from the Padres, Ozzie Smith, in the Templeton trade.
Templeton didn’t have the kind of fat contract that MB does now. Garry was coming off a good year. That was 28 years ago. I don’t expect the Cubs to get an “Ozzie Smith” type player in return for Gameboard.
"The big possums walk late." - Harry Caray
Didn't Ozzie want out of SD also?
I think i heard that once also…
by TheHawkRules on Dec 10, 2009 4:06 PM CST up reply actions
Heard That, Too
I’ve lived in Cardinals country my whole life except for my 4-year excursion into Braves country at Mississippi State University, so I was acutely aware of Templeton’s dissatisfaction in St. Louis. I also heard that Ozzie was unhappy in San Diego. I’ll go out on a limb and say the Cardinals got the better end of that trade.
"The big possums walk late." - Harry Caray
Haha... yeah, I agree.
Templeton had a decent little career out in SD… but you are right, the Card’s got the better part of the deal.
BTW: I live in Card-country also. Out by O’Fallon.
by TheHawkRules on Dec 10, 2009 4:16 PM CST up reply actions
Go Bulldogs!!!
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Ozzie was considered a troublemaker
in San Diego. He very famously took out a classified ad looking for a part-time job because the Padres were only paying him $65k a year. He said he’d have to mow lawns to make ends meet. This was not popular, to say the least, since Ozzie only hit .230 that year and had hit .211 the year before.
Ozzie turned his attitude around in St. Louis. I had hoped that MB would turn his attitude around, but he’s been given a ton of chances and ever has.
by Josh Timmers on Dec 11, 2009 12:17 AM CST up reply actions
Maybe this time he will!
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on Dec 11, 2009 12:26 AM CST up reply actions
its gonna happen?
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
OMG GETIT DON EMILT!!!1!1!
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Dec 11, 2009 9:18 AM CST up reply actions
Thanks for the Link
It was big news in my neck of the woods with Templeton’s “finger incident”. I never knew about Ozzie Smith’s classified ad in San Diego.
"The big possums walk late." - Harry Caray
Bruce Miles’ blog
States that this shall not occur
Here is a linky
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Dec 10, 2009 3:50 PM CST reply actions
How long should Hendry...
… make his focus dealing Bradley? If it does take too long, I think he’s going to miss out helping the team in other area’s it needs help with.
by TheHawkRules on Dec 10, 2009 4:05 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I don't think...
…this is up to Hendry any more, it is up to Ricketts.
Obviously, the Cubs could have traded him in the last couple of days if they were willing to eat the right amount of dough on the deal. Whatever that amount is, was too rich for Ricketts to stomach – at least for now.
Clearly, they are banking on things changing in the coming weeks and hopefully someone coming down some in their demands. Also, they probably feel the same deal will be on the table several weeks from now, so why not wait.
What would really screw this thing up is if their current options do go away for some reason, and that would really make this whole thing nasty.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Yeah...
… if your going to do it, then do it. The longer they wait, the tougher its going to be to fix other issues.
At least I think so…
by TheHawkRules on Dec 10, 2009 4:49 PM CST up reply actions
And in the meantime...
Hendry and company will continue to talk poor, while waiting for useless players that no one wants to be released so that they can pick them up. They are acting like dogs waiting next to a table for scraps that is being sat at by teams like the Cardinals, Yankees, and Red Sox.
Until they hire management, on and off the field, that knows how to play with the big boys (instead of getting fleeced in trades/free agent signings while getting rid of team leaders/quality players and playing the wrong players on the field), the Cubs have no hope of ever competing in a World Series.
I think we should use this thread as a fiction writing exercise.
Everyone contribute their own (science) fictional account of what would happen on Opening Day 2010 if Milton Bradley were to trot out to right field in a Cubs uniform.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Thanks for the heads up
I thought I was the only getting long term mortage help?
No seriously what about cnn.com
That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.
by Ditkavsworld
Opening Scene (daytime, cloudy chilly)...
The last echos of the Star Spangled Banner still rang in the ancient steel of the upper-deck as the first cleat impacted the hard clay in front of the dugout. The unbroken crust of cold sand and clay shattered beneath the spikes as the lone figure began to trot across the infield grass. Spectators in their seats snapped to attention, people walking in the aisles and on the stairs stiffened in unison and grabbed railings, arm-rests and each other. A silence shot out over the bleachers, beers teetered between fingertips and slipped out of their owners grasp…tumbling onto shoes and spilt popcorn. The man with one glove came to a gentle halt just yards away from the tangled bare web of vines that once held broad leaves of hope and promise. A single child cries out in the vacuum of the noiseless air. A giant meteor crashes into the earth and everyone dies. The End.
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on Dec 10, 2009 4:19 PM CST up reply actions 4 recs
Excellent
I like how you left it open for a sequel
"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, 'Sorry, Mom,' but nobody beats me." ~ Leo Durocher
make it about aliens!
This Chicago Cubs team is currently Aaron free. Keep it that way, please.
by jesus christos on Dec 11, 2009 5:48 PM CST up reply actions
where the Cubs are playing in outer space
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
On opening day
Milton Bradley reveals himself to be an alien and kills Kenny McCormick…
That would be a South Park episode. Sorry.
And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.
SIMPSONS DID IT!!!
"I have the time and hatred but not the knowledge." ~Madison Cub Fan (Aug. 25, 2009)
MB is a CRAB PEOPLE?
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
Milton's suspended before the first pitch on Opening Day is thrown.
He’s in the locker room before the game, doing some interviews. All jolly and full of cheer, Milton confesses to slipping Lou some laxative before the game so “I just wanna run this joint for one game.” Lou, full of shit, piss, and anger, grabs a cup of Gatorade and throws it in Milton’s face, missing, and hits his crotch. It’s revealed through the wonders of instant-replay that Milton, in his jock strap, Under Armour shirt, and hat, pulled a Lady Gaga few years back, converting to the male gender in hopes of achieving his dream of playing baseball; all the rage throughout the years can be attributed to his hormone treatment. Milton Bradley becomes the first Major League Baseball female player on a 25 man roster (now 24+1 female), but before he can limp out to right field and injury himself, Bud Selig in his last act as commissioner (and his only sane decision) sends an emergency fax declaring MLB “A Gentlemen’s Sport”. Milton is hereby effectively suspended from the game of baseball, becoming infamously known as “MLB’s True Biotch.” Fin.
Dan
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
LMAO
well played sir
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
There is no chance...
He comes back. If they can’t trade him, he’ll be released.
/thread.
Someday we'll go all the way...
I honestly believe
that you will never see Bradley play for the Cubs again in any capacity. They will pay him to stay home if they have to.
by jerry morales rules on Dec 10, 2009 4:26 PM CST up reply actions
Well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense.
- The Mock Turtle, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll -
That is one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time
Thank you for that :)
Still chuckling five minutes later
"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, 'Sorry, Mom,' but nobody beats me." ~ Leo Durocher
So cute
but yet so morbid and deranged.
We're not scaremongering (nightmare of a season continues), this is really happening (Bears are more than done) - Radiohead
At least that kitten isn't taking it out on everyone else...
I anxiously await the reasonable trading of Milton Bradley.
Dum spiro spero... | Follow me on twitter or else: @andrewjstone.
by AndrewJStone on Dec 10, 2009 5:40 PM CST up reply actions
Spontaneous combustion
Seriously, it can easily happen!
We're not scaremongering (nightmare of a season continues), this is really happening (Bears are more than done) - Radiohead
Hold in your farts
(South Park reference)
"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, 'Sorry, Mom,' but nobody beats me." ~ Leo Durocher
Oh really?
Well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense.
- The Mock Turtle, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll -
Three words, applicable to everyone involved:
Suck.
It.
Up.
To those who can’t stand the thought of one ST game with Bradley on the mound: suck it up. Milton Bradley may be a douchenozzle, but he’s a ballplayer, and for the time being he’s one of twenty-five men that make up your Chicago Cubs. When he fields, hits, and runs the bases, he’s fielding, hitting, and running for your favourite team. Yeah, the chemistry’s not the best, but if he’s going to be manning right field, you’re going to have to deal with it. He didn’t force Hendry to make the deal, he didn’t feed Geo twenty pounds of pot and twinkies, he didnt’ trip A-Ram, and he didn’t take the wood out of Soriano’s bat. He has an attitude, but that’s about it. Quit your moanin’ and have a beer.
To those who want to let bygones be bygones: suck it up. If MB comes to ST, you can bet your ass against my doughnut that there will be a media circus. You may quietly resent those who say he shouldn’t be here, and would sooner curse his name than cheer it, but he did screw things up for himself quite royally at the end. The media outlets will talk and talk and talk about how ridiculous the scenario is, and even though you want things to go back to the way things were, he’s going to have to earn it first. Don’t get up on the soapbox, don’t write to your alderman, and don’t go complaining to ME about it. Just sit back, ignore the negativity, and suck it up.
To the twenty-four players who may have to share a lockerroom with Bradley: suck it up. If he’s still there come opening day, you may feel awkward at having a non-entity like him sharing your showers, but he signed the papers with the same guy you did. He’s wearing the same hat with the same “C” on it. You’re here to be a team player, not to fuss about what a person says or doesn’t say. I’m pretty confident that you’ll do exactly what I would like you to do, but just to be safe… suck it up.
To Lucky Lou & Company: suck it up. Just like with the other players, you’re here to field the best team you can. Maybe you rubbed each other the wrong way last year, but it’s a new season, and you should focus on putting your best foot forward. You know a headcase won’t play at his best unless he’s nice and calm, so help get him there. You don’t need to baby him, you don’t need to coddle him, but you also don’t need to keep him in that doghouse of yours. If Jim can’t move him, you’re just going to have to suck it up.
To Jim Hendry: oh, you bet your sweet, luscious ass you better suck it up. Your guy, your contract, your burden. You tried your best to move him under somewhat tolerable circumstances, but so far you have failed. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be trying, but what it does mean is that, for the moment, your guy isn’t going anywhere. While it’s your mess to clean, don’t clean it fast, clean it RIGHT. Until that happens, or until he wins the city over, you’re just going to have to suck it up.
To Crane & the Ricketts: sorry, guys, but you’re going to have to suck it up, too. Crane, you decided to keep Hendry on this offseason, so don’t get pissed becuase he hasn’t been able to pull off a miracle trade. That goes double for the Ricketts. If you want him gone so bad, drop the cash, but if you’re okay with letting Jim do his job, let him do his job. One way or another this will work itself out, but there’s not enough whipped cream in the world to make shit pie taste good, so let’s keep cool heads when Jim doesn’t trade MB for PV. Suck it up.
And, last, but certainly not least:
MB: SUCK IT UP. You signed the contract. You agreed to come here, to Chicago, to the third-largest city in the country, to a team with rabidly supportive fans who haven’t seen a World Series victory for their team since TR was calling the shots. You know that every fanbase has bad seeds, and that if you didn’t live up to your cash money contract, you’d hear about it. You know that there are racist people out there, and ignorant people, and just plain fools… and some of them will be supporting the team you join. You made the stink you promised not to make, and you drove your own value to the ground with your runny mouth. So when you come back here for Spring Training, and the press mobs you about what you said, don’t throw a hissy fit. Don’t cry foul on the bloodthirsty media. Don’t try to pin the blame on some unknown “them.” And don’t you even think about making it sound like all of this is OUR fault. You made your bed, and now you’re going to have to lie in it. So take it as it comes, thank God for your Major Leauge ability and contract, go home to your loving family, and SUCK IT UP!
by Flatley on Dec 10, 2009 5:42 PM CST reply actions 10 recs
Suck it up.
Too many fans care about what four (and three) letter networks are saying. Crusty old white guys who can’t sit through half a baseball game are the ones who feed us this MB crap.
Fans don’t like hearing the media talk about our beloved Cubbies in such a negative way.
This is why people won’t SUCK IT UP when it comes to MB. They got their head up some journalists ass, or their afraid MB will ruin their summer.
C’mon, Cub fans, you’ve never watched some a-hole play baseball on this team before?
SUCK. IT. UP.
"Anyone on our team that thinks we are cursed will be moved to a lesser-cursed team"
-Tom Ricketts
by WiscoCubs on Dec 10, 2009 6:08 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Won't be watching if Bradley is a Cub in 2010
I’ll hold myself to that.
And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.
We'll hold you to it, too...
…though I don’t think you have much to worry about…yet.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
I'll still blog here
I certainly won’t be negative all the time.
And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.
How could you blog here if you're not watching the games?
Or do you mean you won’t actually watch the games, but you’ll still read about them and stuff?
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
I'll still read and keep up with them
That’s what I mean.
And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.
OK.
But you realize you’d give in by the third week in April, right?
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
I wish baseball was on right now….with or without Bradley… just give me a game. I just watched parts of a 70’s game on MLB -Mark Fidrych was the pitcher for Detroit. He was a funny/strange guy. Good game.
A woman's guess is more accurate than a man's certainty.--Rudyard Kipling
by cooliogirl47 on Dec 11, 2009 4:54 PM CST up reply actions
So what you are saying...
No one should complain and everyone should be happy :P
That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.
by Ditkavsworld
Hear hear
Clearly, everyone needs to put up or shut up whether or not MB comes back. A lot went wrong last year.
To the twenty-four players who may have to share a lockerroom with Bradley: suck it up. If he’s still there come opening day, you may feel awkward at having a non-entity like him sharing your showers, but he signed the papers with the same guy you did. He’s wearing the same hat with the same "C" on it. You’re here to be a team player, not to fuss about what a person says or doesn’t say. I’m pretty confident that you’ll do exactly what I would like you to do, but just to be safe… suck it up.
My fav suck it up-ism.
We're not scaremongering (nightmare of a season continues), this is really happening (Bears are more than done) - Radiohead
This is the best things I've ever read on this site
In Australia we call this “Harden the F*** up”
[img]http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:large/view:main/3177544-3-harden-the-f-k-up-australia.jpg[/img]
Harden the f*** up?
I guess that’s what the Texas Rangers just did.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
If I didn't know any better...
…I would swear this is Worf.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Hey, not saying it's wrong.
I enjoy many a Worf and Worf-like post.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
This is well written, but the key is the last one.
And I do not believe it possible for Milton Bradley to “suck it up”. And if he doesn’t, why should anyone else on this list?
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
So because he's of poor disposition...
…means everyone else has free license to be, too? Let’s not stoop to the lowest common denominator just because he’s there, is all I’m saying.
He's already made himself the lowest common denominator.
The rest of the people or groups of people on the list in that comment did not cause this problem. Only one person did.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I agree, but that's not what I'm getting at.
If you have a lousy neighbor that throws his garbage into your yard, does that justify you doing the same thing to that neighbor? Is it right to let that neighbor ruin your whole disposition with respect to your neighborhood?
Haven't forgotten about this.
I’m thinking on the best way to express my thoughts. I’ll post it when I do (and have some relief from work).
No...
If you are the Osbornes you throw a ham on their lawn.
That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.
by Ditkavsworld
Agreed.
I can only speak for myself but, if hell were to freeze over and Milton returned the Cubs, I would “welcome” him back with some polite applause and hope he performed well. Naturally, I’d also be waiting for the other shoe to drop at any point in time. But, until that happened, I would wish him all the success in the world.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Once again I state
If ol’ Milty stays around, what are we going to do? Be unhappy? Ok, we have a saying in the military. If you don’t like something that you can not change, get mad, and then get over it. Do I want him here, nope. Will I cheer for him because he is a Cub, yep. If he starts stinking up the joint and slamming everyone and everything that is Cubbie will I scream for him to be traded, you betcha.
Rob Ryan made a great statement, “He is our knucklehead and we love him”. Well Milton Bradley is our knucklehead, for now, and like or hate him we are stuck with him, so here’s to $9M #2 hitter with shaddy defense, a bad attitude and good OBP.
And in parting, a word of advice for Gameboard (if you happen to read this), Do your JOB, keep your mouth SHUT, and try to ENJOY your time in right field. There is alot of history on this team, be proud about it will ya?
That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.
by Ditkavsworld
He won't read it, but...
I just don’t think that doing this, as you suggested, is possible for him:
Do your JOB, keep your mouth SHUT, and try to ENJOY your time in right field. There is alot of history on this team, be proud about it will ya?
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
He did "stink" it up for a couple months
and he “sucked” free month at the end of the year and if the Cubds bring it back he’s going to “blow” it up, as in the clubhouse, but I think you are right that he just can’t “suck” it up, unless you mean a Big Gulp and tastee fries.
That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.
by Ditkavsworld
Definitely agree on your comment to the Ricketts
If they really want to um, well, WIN, they need to suck it up and grant a short-term waiver on the budget cap. Chances to improve the team have passed by while Hendry has obsessed on moving Bradley. If they improve the team, the fan based will put up the money, and at some point some other team will be desparate enough to reieve the Cubs of a chunk of Bradley’s contract.
And if they really aren’t willing to give Hendry some slack to improve the team because they don’t trust him, SAVE TIME AND FIRE HIM NOW.
The fanbase is already putting up the money.
And, though firing Jim Hendry would apparently make many Cubs fans very happy, doing so would only throw the team into managerial chaos, which would only make matters worse.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
My problem is that seems the budget obsession is killing chances to improve the team
And if the Ricketts don’t trust Hendry to maneuver to improve the team then get down to budget, the whole thing isn’t going to work. Leaving him in place just wastes the chances to give the team a shot in 2010 because it becomes all about Milton Bradley.
by ClarkFan on Dec 11, 2009 6:27 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I don't understand what you're saying.
What do you mean “budget obsession”? The Cubs are a business; they have a budget. That’s just reality. And the Ricketts clearly DO trust Hendry to manuver and improve the team – that’s why they’re giving him another chance to redeem himself.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
But he doesn't appear to have enough leeway to make improvements before dumping Bradley
And re-signing Grabow isn’t an “improvement” in my vocablulary.
What happens if Hendry still hasn’t dumped Bradley by the start of spring training and the Cubs still don’t have a CF?
Something will give...
…on this situation in the next 2-4 weeks. Either the Cubs will crater, or the Rays will agree to pick up a small portion of Bradley’s 2011 salary.
I don’t know which it will be, but if they go into ST without this resolved, I will begin to wonder what makes Ricketts tick.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
OK, but at point who is avaiable for CF or 2B for that matter?
And I would rather they not go to Cameron because he is the only choice avaiable – if nothing else he would just give teams more incentives to cue up RHPs against the Cubs. That was part of what made Granderson attractive.
Yeah, but the extent teams set up for the Cubs became apparent when looking at Fukudome's 2009 splits
Awful performance, but only 67 PAs. But he wasn’t being platooned – he had 536 PAs against RHP (that split was 439-151 in 2008). 75-25 infavor of RHP I’d buy as luck of the draw; 90-10 means other teams are setting up for the Cubs differently.
Fukudome wasn't being platooned?
Then why did he have only 67 PAs vs. LHP?
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
To amplify my reply, Lee had 615 PAs
So 603 implies a guy was in full time for around 140 or more games – if Lou was hiding him against LHP, he wasn’t hiding him often.
OK, I guess I see what you mean...
…but I still don’t see how this negates Mike Cameron. If there’s some great choice for a left-handed-hitting centerfielder, I’d love to hear his name. I hope you don’t think it’s Rick Ankiel.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
No way
They definitely need to look at defense first in CF – Ankiel would have us talking about Soriano compensating for CF with HIS defense.
If it has to be Cameron, it has to be. But I do think Cameron won’t add that much on offense – he’ll hit 6th-7th with a pretty low BA, lots of Ks and semi-regular power. He’ll also be another RH bat, so parade of RH starters against the Cubs will continue.
I’d be interested to see if they could pick up a player like Gardner from the Yankees or Dickerson from the Reds (examples, if not exactly what the Cubs need) – maybe look for a leadoff guy to play CF – high OBP with enough speed to make a pitcher fret. And, no, I did not consider Granderson a leadoff guy. And I’m not in the “reacquire Pie” camp – his BA got better in 2009, but OBP was still pretty indifferent.
The Reds aren't going to trade within the division.
And certainly not Dickerson. I agree that Gardner would be worth looking into, but then you’re looking at trading away valuable trade pieces to the Yankees, which hurts the Cubs future and would only prolong the rebuilding effort you believe the Cubs are doomed to anyway. Plus, I believe there are still a lot of question marks about whether Gardner will ever produce offensively.
Meanwhile, Mike Cameron has put up an above average wOBA every year this decade. And all indications are that he played fantastic centerfield defense last year and the year before in Milwaukee, which would make him a good candidate for doing so in Wrigley Field. His age is unsettling, but there really aren’t any better available options out there right now. If the Cubs signed him for two years, he’d make a nice bridge to Brett Jackson in 2012.
Again, if you want to put a name to this CF leadoff guy with a high OBP, I’d love to read it. But I don’t think he’s out there.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
The other problem is that another team may sign Cameron before the Bradley opera has finished
Unless Lou has Cameron in his back pocket. And I’m not real thrilled about living with Piniella’s personnel decisions.
Which makes making a decision on Bradley NOW even more important.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Which brings up back to my original issue - Hendry needs to be able to get something else done why waiting to get rid of Bradley
Or there may not be anything left to get done.
I’m still disappointed at the Granderson outcome. He’s not that expensive, a good CF, and would have lured teams into starting more LHP against the Cubs (helping Soriano, who has become the anti-Granderson in his splits). And the Yankees gave up some guys who rate “meh” on the career prospects list to get him. I think there was deal there the Cubs could have done, but for the 24/7 Bradley patrol.
Doubtful.
The Tigers wanted a ML-ready centerfiedler, which the Cubs couldn’t offer. And I believe Austin Jackson, whom the Yankees gave up, was not “meh” but a very highly rated prospect.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
We just have to be patient.
These issues will get resolved one way or the other. And I’m guess Ricketts will see how the 2010 season plays out – or at least gets a pretty good idea of how it will play out – before he makes a move to replace Hendry.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
I've been patient for well over 40 years
And 2010 is probably the last shot for much of the core of the current team – by 2011 you are talking rebuilding and salary dumps. The current group has a decent shot at being a contending NL team in 2010 if Ramirez stays healthy, a couple of guys rebound, and they improve the players in the middle of the defense (no Fuld/Johnson theories, please). Miss that window and you are looking at several years, and “several years” has a nasty way of turning into “no World Series appearances since 1945.”
Whose salary do you think they'll dump in 2011?
The Cubs aren’t really a “tear down and rebuild” team. They’re not the Florida Marlins. We’re looking at gradual adjustments as these high-priced contracts run out. Seriously, if you’re looking at 2010 as a “must win” year, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Lilly, Lee, Dempster, Ramirez
Fukudome and Soriano won’t be marketable without the Cubs sending out $$$$$$.
Demp signed a four-year deal and probably isn't going anywhere.
The Cubs may renew DLee and Lilly. Or maybe not. In any case, I’d guess Aramis will pick up his player option for 2011.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
The issue here...
…is I think Ricketts has seen a lot of money that has been wasted, and he has put up firm guidelines moving forward – it’s as simple as that.
Hendry’s decisions have them in this spot, and all Ricketts is saying is you have to fix it with these parameters.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Right, but..
… there is one problem (Bradley) that needs to be fixed regardless of the cost. I suspect Ricketts will eventually agree to that, and tell Hendry, “This is the last time you make a mistake like that while working for me.”
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I agree...
…I really think part of this delay is Ricketts sending a message to Hendry, that it isn’t “business as usual” on his dime.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
You'd think...
… he could get the message across by saying what I suggested, considering this mess has to be cleaned up.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
One thing
those who can’t stand the thought of one ST game with Bradley on the mound: suck it up
If Bradley is pitching, we are doomed.
I didn’t read the rest. Suck that up.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
I skimmed it
Everyone needs to suck it up. Got it.
Know this. It never would have gotten to this point without respected leaders like Lee, Lilly, even Zambrano saying, “This guy is too much.”
These guys play hurt and suck up more than you ever have in your life. Lee, Dempster and others have played amidst family tragedies.
If they say it’s too much, I’ll side with them.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
Hey, like I said in my comments...
… I have every faith that they WILL suck it up. I’m a fan of our Cubs, and have every faith that they will not create a daytime soap opera just because MB’s still on the roster. I just tossed them in there because black eyes and Gatorade warfare is in our recent history, and that kind of acrimony would only make things worse, not better. But, again, I’m certain that won’t be the case.
Also...
This level of “suck it up” is so far below playing through the personal tragedies that some of the players have suffered. I don’t consider them even close to being equivalent.
Nothing debilitates a workplace more
than assholes. They become evil centers of power, sucking in everything around them.
Co-workers wonder why they can’t get away with the same crap. A few people reach out, but get slapped down. The asshole does just enough, or shows just enough promise, to maybe justify being kept around. Eventually, the asshole is so entrenched that it becomes tough and expensive to get rid of him.
None of that works.
What happens if MB stays? 103 years of no championships. That’s what.
I’d cut him even if it cost twice as much.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
Agreed again.
While I don’t support an outright cut, at least not at this juncture, my post shouldn’t be interpreted as support for keeping him on the team. Rather, it’s a reply to the question: “What do we do if he remains a Cub?” Me, I hope we trade him for… well, anything, but, realistically, that may not happen until after someone loses an OF/DH that they can’t replace internally.
Oh how I agree but...
get ready for the arguement that Baseball isn’t like your job and ballplayers are professionals and don’t act like that. Also we will get the sprinkling of the other players should just “suck it up” and do what is best for the team, even though Bradley does, the other players need too.
That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.
by Ditkavsworld
Post Failure
I meant to say “even though Bradley doesn’t”.
That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.
by Ditkavsworld
Not sure if I'm reading your comment correctly.
Are you saying that, if MB is on the team, everybody has license to act in the same way that he does?
Sorry, no
What I was saying was, I agree with Worf. That an asshole destroy a workplace but there are people here on BCB that will fight to their grave that Baseball players are different and it doesn’t matter what the work enviroment is because they are Professionals. Just because one player on a team is an asshole, doesn’t mean that the other players will be affected (I disagree with that opnion).
Also there are people on BCB that will tell you that the other player on the team need to let Milton be Milton because of what he does for the team with his bat, and it doesn’t matter what he says or does not just to the team but what he says agaisnt the players on the team because he is the star of the team. It is best to keep Milton Happy and the other 24 players don’t matter (Once I again I think this is stupid).
Hope that clarifies what I was saying.
That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.
by Ditkavsworld
That does. Thanks for that.
And I’m not one who thinks Milton should be Milton, and I don’t think the guys will be unaffected. I just don’t want to see fistfights in the dugouts, wars of words fought through the media, and the like. I work with people I don’t like, but I do my best to keep that fact as minimally impacting as possible. Maybe I talk about “that asshole” to my buddies, but I wouldn’t say it to that person, nor would I say it to the CEO.
i take offense
for 12 years I worked as a bill collector, and we are professional ass holes adn damn proud of it. these other ass holes you refer disgrace the name ass hole when it comes to working
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
I'm surrounded by Assholes
That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.
by Ditkavsworld
dark helmet agrees
This Chicago Cubs team is currently Aaron free. Keep it that way, please.
by jesus christos on Dec 11, 2009 5:54 PM CST up reply actions
May the Schwartz be with you
That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.
by Ditkavsworld
So, Lord Helmet, at last we meet again for the first time for the last time.
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
"I am your brother's cousin's nephew's former roommate."
“What does that make us?”
“Absolutely nothing – which is what you are about to become!”
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Baseball is a job
I get so sick of people saying, “You’re playing a kids’ game!”
No, they are doing a job. If they were playing a kids’ game, you wouldn’t boo. Shut up.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
I agree
but you have to admitt that as far as jobs go, playing versus working is a much better way of making money!
That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.
by Ditkavsworld
Oh, I'm not saying it's a BAD job
But it IS a job.
Actually, it was an NFL issue that got me burned up about this. It was Mike Greenberg, or Cowherd, or some other radio twerp, talking about concussions.
“You’re playing a KIDS’ game. Sit down!”
No, they are doing a job. I happen to think it is stupid to play on Sunday with a concussion — much the same as it would be stupid to work as a doctor, teacher, cop, telephone repairman or ditch digger with a concussion — but it is someone trying to go to work.
Fans like Greenberg piss me off. He acts like someone pooped in his mailbox if the Jets lose, but then turns around and pulls the “It’s a GAME!” card.
Fuck you. It’s not a game. It’s a job. You are paying for a service and you expect services delivered.
Bradley has failed on and off the field. He has not done his job. Based on his performance alone, his contract would be considered a bad one, even if he was a perfect angel.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
Their job is much more stressful than ours.
I dont’ have to be “on” 24 hours a day. I don’t need to perform at or beyond my ability 162 days a year. I don’t need to work in front of 40k+ people a day, and I definitely don’t need to do it with millions watching me on television. I don’t need to spend my offtime prepping myself for the aforementioned. I don’t need to hear reviews of my work every single day when I turn on a TV or radio, read about it in a paper, or have strangers scream at me about it when I’m out of the house. My results aren’t on display to my friends, family, well-wishers, detractors, enemies, and stalkers.
It’s a game when you’re 9 and hitting an infield single to 2nd. It’s not a game for them. That doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy it, but I don’t envy them their work.
The paycheck, on the other hand…. ;-)
All the more reason you don't need to be surrounded by soul-sucking assholes
like Bradley
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
The paycheck should be the reason they do all of those things without complaint.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
That's correct, and that's...
… another reason MB has to go.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Team leaders, captains need to challenge him
Who are they? Dempster? D Lee? Big Z? Maybe part of the problem, is we don’t have leaders. If we did, they would have to step up and challenge him, publically. Does MB want to be a joke the rest of his career? Does he want a career after this contract? Seriously, I think that’s what he’s dealing with. He’s got something to prove, and that is, whether or not he is a MLB player.
With the Red Sox it was Kevin Millar and “Cowboy Up”. For Milton, ask him…“Chute or Ladder?”..“Every game is the game of his LIFE”….or just fu$@#ing “Game On”..“Man Up”.
He was a good productive player not too long ago, so it’s not out of the realm of possibilities he could be again, if he wants to. Of course, if he doesn’t respond, or responds negatively to being called out, he’s just as useless as we think, and his career likely over.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Cubs By The Numbers
Cubs By The Numbers is a history of the ballclub by uniform number, but the biographies help trace the history of our beloved team in a new way. For everyone who's a Cubs fan, anyone who ever wore the uniform is like family. Cubs By The Numbers reintroduces readers to some of their long-lost ancestors, even ones they think they already know.
Click here to order your copy, available now!
Recent Stories in Ticket Exchanges
Baseball Nation Recent Stories
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- The Cardinals Hall of Fame can now be found at Bill Clinton’s library in Arkansas (Huh?)
- Will Bryce Harper start the season with the Nationals?
- Mitch Mustain puts football behind him, signs reported rookie deal with White Sox
- Robinson Cano and Denzel Washington face off in Jay Leno’s Yankees trivia contest
- Shane Victorino lands role on ‘Hawaii Five-0′
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
