OK, Milton Bradley has won me over

by Not Bruce Froemming on May 13, 2009 11:02 PM CDT Comment 47 comments

Say what you will about him. And I reserve the right to change my mind if circumstances see fit.

But was I the only guy impressed with his bunt single Wednesday night?

A guy in his position, particularly coming off an injury, probably never would attempt a bunt single in that situation. When was the last time you saw that from someone like MB? (Zambrano doesn't count.)

Maybe he's right. He doesn't play baseball, he feels it.

Anyway, MB just bought a bunch of bonus time from me.

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.

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Agreed

The guy unfortunately carries a lot of baggage with him, but, from what I’ve seen, he works hard and plays the game right. If he can stay reasonably healthy, I think this could end up looking like a very good move by Hendry.

by bluekoolaide on May 13, 2009 11:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Do I think Milton is a great talent?

Absolutely. Has he played better lately? Clearly. Has he won me over? No. If he plays the next 20 or so games without more than a day or two off and gets that average a healthy distance over the Mendoza line, we can talk. I WANT to like Milton. Really I do. But just as I haven’t completely given up on him during these early, disastrous struggles, I think I’ll wait to fully embrace him as well.

It was a nice bunt. One bunt however, does not a successful Cub make… or something like that.

And on the sixth day, God created Joakim Noah...

by TheTruth11 on May 14, 2009 12:01 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

He had me the first week of the season when he high-fived the Cubs fan going after a foul pop (in Houston, IIRC).

Come visit me inside Wrigley along the Addison side mezzanine fence straight up from 1st base.

by section229beer on May 14, 2009 12:03 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Hold On...

Hold on to your cubbie kool aid…yes I am very pleased he is playing better. But, WON ME OVER, not quite. I remember Jacque Jones and Jeromy Burnitz having a few nice games strung together over a week or two. I need to see more of Bradley before I make that statement.

by SammySosa on May 14, 2009 12:09 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...let's see if he leaves early during the last game of the season before we pass judgement.

As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.

by santoswoodenlegs on May 14, 2009 12:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not necessarily talking about "nice games"

I’m talking about his attitude. I appreciate his effort to get on base. I’m not sure a “jerko” (to quote Mike Ditka) would do what he did.

I’m not going to nominate him for sainthood or anything. But I must say I was impressed.

by Not Bruce Froemming on May 14, 2009 12:16 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Dude...

it was one frickin bunt get over it.

"Blagojevich's telephone log shows several calls to members of the team, including manager Lou Piniella, coach Larry Rothschild and John McDonough," -The Chicago Tribune 3/31/09

by TheRamZamDLEE on May 14, 2009 12:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I am over it

but sometimes, little things are indicative of a bigger picture. We’ll see.

by Not Bruce Froemming on May 14, 2009 12:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

pffft

a bunt tonight = a win tomorrow?

"Blagojevich's telephone log shows several calls to members of the team, including manager Lou Piniella, coach Larry Rothschild and John McDonough," -The Chicago Tribune 3/31/09

by TheRamZamDLEE on May 14, 2009 12:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Huh?

Forget it.

by Not Bruce Froemming on May 14, 2009 12:41 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

No Dude...

it has been more than one frickin’ bunt. It was a 440+ ft homerun off of one of the perennially best pitchers in the game. It was the fact that he won two out of the last three games for us. There is a lot that he is doing. He has played well for many games now. Get over yourself.

.253/.308/.293

by jesus figeroa on May 14, 2009 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Well said

or written.. typed.. whatever.. :)

by CubFanInCanberra (9387milesfromWrigley) on May 15, 2009 5:04 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

And

I don’t slug Cubbie Kool-Aid, thanks. Although some of you might eat Cubbie Rat Poison on a regular basis.

by Not Bruce Froemming on May 14, 2009 12:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

+ 25

amen

Well, Next Year is here .. and Jack's century's gotta end some time .. GO CUBBIES!

by cubnational on May 14, 2009 8:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

LIFE the board game has always been my favorite Milton Bradley game, followed closely by CLUE, but then again, GameBoard may rise in my rankings if he keeps this up.

"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money."

--Ernie Banks

by dtpollitt on May 14, 2009 12:09 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

MB's Recent Upsurge:

Most Cub’s fans really would love to have this move pan out, unfortunately MB’s career stats really don’t provide a good indicator. He is a .278 lifetime hitter with no more than 77 RBI’s in a season and a career year last year in homers with 22. 8 of his last 11 years of his career he has played less than 100 games. Let’s hope that he can add another year like last year when he had a .436 OBP and .563 SLG %! The reality is that it just doesn’t seem that likely.

It's hard to win a pennant, but it's harder losing one. ~Chuck Tanner

by JCubson on May 14, 2009 6:37 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

He is a .278 lifetime hitter with no more than 77 RBI’s in a season

Oh, be quiet.

"Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them, well, I have others." - Groucho Marx

by Keith on May 14, 2009 7:24 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

He's gonna do GREAT THINGS here.

I truly believe that. But then, I may be biased, I put his comment in my sig line.

That bunt was freakin’ AWESOME.

"I don’t really play baseball, I feel it." -- Milton Bradley

by drewishdrewid on May 14, 2009 7:42 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It's better than playing by sense of smell...

by SouthernCub on May 14, 2009 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Does he always beat the replay?

"Aramis Ramirez, with the guys I've ever played with in my career, is as clutch a hitter as I've seen. He smells it." -Ryan Dempster
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root

by Clutch16 on May 14, 2009 1:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on May 14, 2009 2:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I loved him being signed

and I am more happy each day when he finds ways of contributing. I love that he will go all out on every play, no matter what. Sure he is not perfect, but who is?

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

by Cubbie-Tim on May 14, 2009 8:40 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I watched with my mouth agape when he laid that bunt down.....a thing of beauty

…..I think most fans just want him to stay healthy and knock it all over the yard like he did last year. If he does that, he can do whatever he wants. No suspensions though!

New sig currently under construction

by JB 23 on May 14, 2009 8:43 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Weird post...

He’s won you over, but you reserve the right to dislike him again? Uhhhhhh…. okay. Strange thing to say, but whatever.

I’m a fan. A big fan. Love his intensity, intangibles, etc. And he’s really heating up over the last 9 games or so. Hope he can keep it going!

by kanderber on May 14, 2009 9:02 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Milton Bradley = Professional Hitter

Milton Bradley might be a lot of things, but the man can flat out rake with the best of them in baseball.

by BLou on May 14, 2009 9:11 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Prediction

Milton Bradley will finish within the top 5 for 2009 National League Batting Title. The biggest concern will him having enough at bats to qualify. But even with his mega slow start I have no worries on him hitting WELL over .300 on the season.

by BLou on May 14, 2009 9:14 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope you're right, because...

… that would mean he’d have to hit over .350 for the rest of the year to make up for his slow start.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on May 14, 2009 9:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bradley has a short, compact and very sweet swing

Especially from the left side. And his pitch recognition ranks up there with the best in the game. The only thing that sucks is not having Aramis Ramirez in that lineup for protection (for both of them).

But I’ll say Bradley finishes the season hitting .325 or better.

by BLou on May 14, 2009 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

And yet...

… Bradley has hit just fine since Ramirez went down.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on May 14, 2009 9:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point Al. The Cubs really need him to step up now that A-Ram is down. That's what the

Cubs lacked when DLee went down with his wrist injury, someone on the team to step in and fill the void. That’s what good teams do. You just can’t go out and pluck someone from another team to take an injured guys spot. Someone has to step up and take on the load. If Milton can do it, great.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on May 14, 2009 5:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd say it's pretty doubtful that he'll finish .325 or better for the season...

Assuming he gets 400 AB the rest of the season, he’d have to hit .350 the rest of the way to finish at .325 (actually .326). And that’s assuming he stays healthy enough to get 400 more AB.

Considering he’s never topped .321 in a season, I’d say it’s pretty unlikely that he’ll get to .325 for the season. I would not be surprised at all if he got up to .300 for the season though. To do that in 400 AB, he’d need to hit 320 the rest of the way (which would basically match his career best).

I think Bradley is a terrific hitter, but it’s just really difficult to overcome that slow a start.

by SouthernCub on May 14, 2009 12:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

As far as where I expect Bradley to end up...

I’d say around .280-.285, which would mean he hits .300 or so the rest of the season.

And that ignores the more relevant stats (OBP and SLG), which is where Bradley makes his living.

by SouthernCub on May 14, 2009 12:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

right....

by Cubs and Hawks fan on May 15, 2009 1:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bruce - I thought I was the

only one that says this:

“And I reserve the right to change my mind if circumstances see fit.”

lol

I’m gonna wait on MB. I wish the fans would just give him a break and let him work on his game for a few months. It is pretty frustrating, but the bunt shows me the guy is competitive and wants to win.

When’s the last time D.P. LEE (who is working on K-Lee), or Soriano has even attempted a bunt?

by The E-Man on May 14, 2009 9:31 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I remember

D Lee bunting at I game I attended in 2004. I thought it was the Cubs 8-4 win at Busch Stadium on July 11 but baseball reference has proved me wrong. I do remember it though cause it totally surprised me!

by AndHart120 on May 14, 2009 9:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

"A few months"?

We don’t have a few months. A few weeks, sure. But in a “few months”, we hope to be in the postseason with Bradley helping lead us there.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on May 14, 2009 9:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

A couple things about MB..

1. If he pulls a hammy beating out that bunt the flood gates of hate open up on this site!!

2. I am a little frustrated about all the called third strikes he’s taken so far this year.

3. I love Milton Bradley and continue to believe he will be this teams MVP this year.

4. GO CUBS!! SWEEP THE PADRES!!!

We're born again, there's new grass on the field. -John Fogerty

by muehlman on May 14, 2009 9:42 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

1. If he pulls a hammy beating out that bunt the flood gates of hate open up on this site!!

and there will be a minority like myself who believe he was making a smart baseball decision to lay the bunt down. Just like I said about Zambrano

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

by Cubbie-Tim on May 14, 2009 10:15 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm pretty sure

we’re a majority.

"I don’t really play baseball, I feel it." -- Milton Bradley

by drewishdrewid on May 14, 2009 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

does being in the majority or minority

affect ones aKOWZR

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

by Cubbie-Tim on May 14, 2009 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, I am with you.

I have no problem with either bunt at all. I just remember all the hate when Z did it.

We're born again, there's new grass on the field. -John Fogerty

by muehlman on May 14, 2009 11:03 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not me

I’m still not a fan of his and I still wish Hendry didn’t sign him.

Still. I want him to do one of two things.

1. Succeed. Even if I wish he wasn’t on the team, the fact still is… he is a part of the Chicago Cubs and I want this team to win. If he fails, it will hurt the team. So, because of this, I want him to succeed or…

2. If he’s going to keep getting hurt and missing games, I wish he would just hurry up and get hurt early in the season so if he has too… Hendry can make a trade to get a player to take MB’s place.

Personally, I don’t hate him… but we are so close to winning, I want a winning team. MB has a fire, but the facts are, he gets hurt and he causes problems. With us sooo close to actually winnning the whole thing, those are 2 things we can do without.

Still…. it’s here. Either make the best with what we got or hurry up and get somebody in who can.

Hope I am making sense. I just want my Cubs to win. I’ve been a fan since ‘87… I know that’s not as long as some others, but it’s long enough.

Go Cubs go!

by TheHawkRules on May 14, 2009 11:01 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

but the facts are, he gets hurt and he causes problems.

elaborate please. what do you mean he causes problems?

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

by Cubbie-Tim on May 14, 2009 11:41 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Come on...

… History speaks for itself. Junk like this suspension is because he causes problems. I think it’s undeserving, but history has a way of catching up at the worst of times… and all I am saying is that with the Cubs SOOO close to winning it all, this is something they don’t need to deal with.

Because of this, and the serious potential of MB and Chicago fans/media turning against each other… it’s just something I think we don’t need to deal with. That’s one reason I believe there were better options out there.

by TheHawkRules on May 14, 2009 5:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

its a rep of speaking his mind, and knowing the strike zone

like the back of his hand. That is not being a troublemaker, I was thinking you were saying troublemaker as in a clubhouse cancer type of ordeal

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

by Cubbie-Tim on May 14, 2009 6:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Your such a softy NBF

One nice bunt as he has you. I can’t complain . I am a fan of Milton’s . Partly from the NY Times article last year and just cause when he is healthy he is AWESOME. Ok he has "anger management " issues but he is not a selfish player or bad guy in the clubhouse. I just want him to stay healthy.

"I daydream just like everybody else, I just do it with my body facing the field, so everybody thinks I'm paying attention."- Greg Maddux

by Doggie Stalker on May 14, 2009 3:59 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs