My First Post- Thoughts on Bradley
by Fight2win on Sep 21, 2009 1:17 AM CDT
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PrintThis is a guy who has shown "passion" his whole career. We laughed about an incident where after he struck out he flipped out in the playoffs while on national television. He came into the dugout, threw his stuff around spilling hot coffee on the day's starting pitcher. He didnt care about his team then. Only about his performance.
His incidents are numerous and vary in seriousness. From throwing a bag of balls onto the field to arguing with everyone's favorite racist 2bman. Well the dodgers kept the "racist" 2b. They didnt keep bradley.
This is a guy who has gone wacko on multiple umpires. He broke his leg arguing with a racist 1b ump with the padres. The same guy who charged a radio booth attempting to challenge a Royals announcer. His GM had to chase him down. I wonder why the Rangers didnt pursue him at all in the offseason... lol or the OBP desperate royals... He had to apologize to his team after that incident. For being a distraction. hmmmmm
And that isnt the first time he needed a change of scenery. The A's designated him for assignment because they feared he would blow up after being relegated to DH duty. They feared his attitude would be detrimental to the team.
What? He had problems before that? He hit over .300 and had a better than .400 obp one year with the Indians. They still had to trade him after he and Eric Wedge got into a heated fight. During spring training. Lol You've got to be kidding.
Or how about his troubles with LA? Once again he was objectified by more "racists" in the stands of Colorado and oh my, this must be wrong, St. Louis? wth? Best fans in baseball? And whats this? The media was against him in LA too? What is going on!!!!! LOL what? He verbally attacked a black columnist(jeff Reid) saying he was an uncle tom? oh goodness... Then he fought that beat writer? You have got to be kidding right? His time with the dodgers cannot be fully explained without the words "apeshiz" or "aszhole". From tearing off his jersey and jesturing to fans, or throwing a bottle back at them, Bradley is Bradley. Meanwhile his entire team is left to answer for his actions.
His incidents with the Cubs are just as numerous and wild. We know about his suspension after one of his many called strike threes. We know about his brain freeze in right forgetting how many outs there were. We know about his smashing of the water cooler and removal from the game by lou. We know about his argument with lou in the clubhouse. We know about his arguement with Zambrano in the dugout. We know about his comments to the press. We know about his weird "knee injury" and pulling himself out of the game early. (he did that with other teams and other managers lost their shit) We know about his hand taunts to fans. We have all heard the stories about fans who want his autograph. We know about what little was said by other players. Dempster said Milton wasnt happy in spring training. Lee, theriot and johnson all said that the guy never made an effort to belong. That was just in the first day.
This is what we actually know.
How much do you think we dont know? How much? we probably know maybe a fraction of what actually took place. The floodgates on milton are primed to open. It is rare that players talk about a fellow teammate to reporters in such a negative way. And it wasnt just one guy. Johnson, bradley, Lee, Ramirez, dempster and theriot. Remember that even soriano called him out early this year saying if the doesnt wanna play 100% that the cubs didnt need him. And that was before the Allstar Break!!!!
The last thing Hendry wanted was too look like an idiot for signing bradley. He took a risk on this guy. that he would stay both physically and mentally healthy. Hendry isnt a "pu55y". What he didnt send detectives up to the right field bleachers and seek out who was using slurs? Or maybe he did? Maybe people WERE asked to leave. How do we know? He put up with Sammy for YEARS. Bradley didn't last one.
Hendry took a pie in the face for having to suspend bradley in the last few games of the season. But bradley forced his hand. He generalized all the fans by the acts of a few. While he was booed (oh no not booed) by many he was only slurred by few. He isnt the first black outfielder to be called Ni66&#. We have had many, many black players who have been booed or embraced. Milton, latroy and Jacque all had something in common besides being black. THEY BLEW.
Milton, fans dont hate you cuz you are black. They hate you because you were bad. And Mr. Stats, we dont care that he walked alot or got onbase at a .370+ clip. We dont care that he played average RF. We care that his TEAM stats, yes TEAM stats su<ked. When Ramirez went down and we needed someone to step up, he wasnt there. The guy played most of the year and hit .205 in RBI situations. Our 30 million dollar outfielder was regulated to setup duty for Lee and injured rammy.
He wasnt humble about his failures, he was aggressive about them. He lashed out at everyone, fans, media, his manager, and now we find out, he wasnt a very good teammate either. He blamed everyone for his failure. Like Dempster said, look in the mirror!!! The fans were hard on him. He heard a few racial slurs. Oh no!!!
Andre Dawson. Leon Durham. Derrek Lee. Daryle Ward. I'm sure their have been others. There will always be racists in the stands. Sorry guys, its the truth. But generalizing an entire fanbase? Get real.
Now had he struggled and just took it instride instead of egging on the fans through hand signals and media bashing, he would STILL have gotten booed. Because fans are fickle. Duh. We boo Derrek when he grounds into 27 doubleplays in one year, and cheer him when he hits a home run. This is baseball. He is in the league for 10 years and he is just figuring this out? After his 6th franchise? Grow up Milton.
There was a player named Jackie Robinson . Milton, you may have heard of him. You think you faced adversity? You feel alone and that no one loves you. Well Milton- SCREW YOU. Im sorry you feel picked on. Im sorry that a couple aszholes who call themselves cubs fans called you a name. Im sorry Milton that you cannot handle Major League Baseball. You saw the worst of us cubs fans. You ignored or didn't see our best.
You hear that cheer at Miller park? That's us. You hear that applause at Great American Ball Park in the 12 inning of a night game? That's us. You see those kids wanting your autograph after you struck out looking with the bases loaded for the millionth time this season? That is us. And you know what? We will be back next year. And the year after that. Rain or shine, win or lose cuz we love our fu<king cubbie blue. We love something other than ourselves. We love sitting in those stands watching true professionals play the game. We love listening to Pat Hughes and Ron Santo. We love cold hotdogs and warm beer. We Love this game Milton. And we wanna win. Sometimes our ache for that World Series win hurts and we do stupid stuff. Sorry buddy.
Cubs fans will be here tomorrow. You wont. Enjoy the Newark Bears. Cuz the Majors wont touch you.
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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Milton Bradley screwed Milton Bradley
Enough said….
Great post btw!
I'm not on board with all of this
Just at a glance -
The umpire in SD was disciplined publicly by MLB, which NEVER happens. The umpire was wrong.
The ball in the stands, well, that happens. A stupid mistake, yes, but not the big deal people made out of it. He’s not the first, nor will he be the last, to forget the # of outs.
I’m not the only one that dialed back participation here significantly once anyone who criticized Bradley got labelled a racist – I’m sure even more will do the same if BCB is going to turn into a Bradley hate fest.
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 Sep 21, 2009 6:05 AM CDT reply actions 5 recs
When your afraid
that a comment that you make about Bradley’s skills or attitude or demeanor will be considered racist, you become the racist.
Not criticizing this cancer because of his skin color is just as dispicable as criticizing him for it.
I'm Buck Melanoma. Moley Russell's wart. Not her wart. Not her wart! I'm... I'm the wart. She's my tumor. My... my growth. My... uh, my pimple. I'm Uncle Wart. Just old Buck "Wart" Russell. That's what they call me, or Melanoma Head. - Uncle Buck
by Andiamo Cuccioli on Sep 21, 2009 8:00 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
This makes no sense on a lot of levels
I never accused anyone of being racist, and it’s pretty clear to anyone who’s paid attention that I have been highly critical of Bradley, even before it was en vogue and got ripped on by a few because of it.
The point stands that there’s no reason to make crap up. He did enough on his own to create the mess without adding things.
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 Sep 21, 2009 8:15 AM CDT up reply actions
I thought
you wrote, that you ‘dialed back participation here significantly once anyone who criticized Bradley got labelled a racist’. I must have been mistaken.
I didnt mean to imply that you called anyone or that you yourself may be a racist. I dont believe you are. I do believe 99% of the people on this board are fair minded and dont care about skin color. I think most BCBers are level headed in their thoughts about race.
That being said, I also believe, that dialing back participation for fear of getting labeled is awful. Anyone on this board should be able to criticize this jerk for his actions and attitude. Those that would label you a racist for citiquing a players performance on and off the field have their own issues to deal with.
In short, no one should hold back on taking a stand on how they feel about Bradley as a player or a person, because of fear of being labeled. Most of us thought this jerk would be a cancer on the organization. And he proved them right. Black, white, red, brown, orange doesnt even enter into it.
I'm Buck Melanoma. Moley Russell's wart. Not her wart. Not her wart! I'm... I'm the wart. She's my tumor. My... my growth. My... uh, my pimple. I'm Uncle Wart. Just old Buck "Wart" Russell. That's what they call me, or Melanoma Head. - Uncle Buck
by Andiamo Cuccioli on Sep 21, 2009 11:18 AM CDT up reply actions
It wasn't for fear of being labelled
It was tired of reading the vitriol.
And even if it was for “fear of being labelled”, how, exactly, would that make anyone racist?
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 Sep 21, 2009 1:35 PM CDT up reply actions
rec'd
some of this is valid points by the OP, some seems like the OP is just happy to bash away with many “lol’s”
MB made mistakes, but so did fans, and media, especially the media on the way to the current SNAFU that the CUbs and MB are in together
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
Criticism of Bradley does not = racism
no matter how much Bradley and his apologists try to make it that way. Bradley is a nutcase. The sooner the Cubs find a way to get him out of town the better.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 22, 2009 8:48 AM CDT up reply actions
Agreed on all counts
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 Sep 22, 2009 10:17 AM CDT up reply actions
*with a qualifier
Criticism of Bradley does not = inherently racism
I don’t doubt that he’s been exposed to it, which is deplorable. But that doesn’t mean someone who says, “Bradley sucks with RISP” is a racist, and for a while, that’s what BCB was.
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 Sep 22, 2009 10:20 AM CDT up reply actions
So let me get this straight
Bradley signs what is perceived to be a large contract to play with the Cubs. He also replaces a “fan favorite” (at least last year) in Jim Edmonds. Combine that with his perceived problematic history, and it was clear that he was not going to be liked very well here unless he had an all star season or something.
He then struggled a lot the first month (in large part to a hilariously low BABIP), and combined with that whole fly ball thing, is basically hated by most fans and the media in Chicago.
Then the Cubs start to player poorly, and instead of blaming Soriano, Fontenot, Soto, etc., they (which includes the the fans, the media, and almost certainly some players) blame Bradley, even though he’s had a solid, if not disappointing year.
So Bradley, who by now is basically getting booed every time to the plate, being questioned and attacked by the media, and probably alienated in the clubhouse, says he doesn’t enjoy playing here. He gets suspended for that.
by vivaelpujols on Sep 21, 2009 7:41 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs
No, you've got it wrong.
No one blamed Bradley. The issue is that BRADLEY blamed everyone but himself for his problems.
Read the quotes from his teammates regarding that supposed “alienation” in the clubhouse. Every player in that clubhouse reached out to Bradley, and was rejected. Bradley says he hated playing in Chicago. He’s the only player who has come to the Cubs and said that.
There’s something seriously wrong with him and I hope he gets the help he clearly needs.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Agreed completely...
not just that, but to say that Soriano has gotten none of the blame is patently wrong as well. Soriano has gotten PLENTY of his share of grief from fans and the media.
"No one blamed Bradley"?
Al – come on. Bradley’s got his own problems, but let’s not overstate the case. Bradley has been blamed throughout the season, and it was clear that’s what Lou was talking about when he talked about the “5th spot in the order.”
Just because Bradley deserves blame doesn’t mean there isn’t other blame to go around.
Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.
by DGU on Sep 21, 2009 8:27 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Bradley was blamed before we threw one pitch
in Spring Training by media and many fans. There are three guilty parties in this situation, and each needs to carry some blame. I am not saying its an even amount of blame, dont misunderstand that part.
The gulity parties (in no particular order)
1. Media
2. Fans
3. MB
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
You forgot Lou too.
He could have done much more to make this more of a hospitable situation or at least take the blame himself for the situation instead of..“Look, what can I do?” That only leads the reporters and everyone else to put the blame on the players and not the manager.
If Lou had been more accountable for his actions and inactions, then the story would have been more on him this summer.
Say this much for big league baseball - it is beyond question the greatest conversation piece ever invented in America. ~Bruce Catton
Could be...
…but it also could be that his GM put him in one hell of a tough spot, and very little he did or didn’t do would have made a difference.
By the way, it was Hendry that was publicly making excuses for Hendry until the last few days, so don’t you think the manager’s boss doing that created a bad situation?
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
I meant...
…Hendry was making excuses for Bradley.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Can anyone say with a straight face
that they haven’t underperformed this year? Of course they have, and who’s responsibility is it to get the most talent out of the ballclub, the manager.
Whatever roster Hendry gave Lou, he could have done way more to at least make us a contending team. I could make a laundry list of the horrible moves that Lou made, but just look at what has happened with playing Scales and not Fox in right field. We are having trouble scoring runs and the only reason not to play Fox would be to have a good defender in there. So Lou plays Scales, it seams like Lou is intentionally trying to screw this team into the ground.
And that’s just talking x’s and o’s. How about his quotes about “Look what can I do?” all season long. Lou could have been accountable and made himself the story about this bad season, but he has put the blame on the players for this horrid season.
Everyone can dump on Bradley for this year, I put the blame on Lou.
Say this much for big league baseball - it is beyond question the greatest conversation piece ever invented in America. ~Bruce Catton
I differ...
…for the many reasons I have been stating for a long time.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Agreed...
Somehow I missed or forgot that first sentence when I posted my agreement. Bradley has definitely gotten a lot of blame. But he has not gotten ALL of the blame. Soriano got a TON of blame throughout the season from all parties. Soto was bashed for being out of shape – less so than Soriano and Bradley, probably because he makes so little money.
But Bradley has definitely incurred some blame. Partly because of his poor start, but partly because he’s been combative with basically everyone.
Right
and just recently, the manager said that the biggest problem this season was the #5 spot, which everyone knows is what MB was brought in to do.
Lou said MB was the reason we lost this season and what needed to be fixed. You can agree or disagree with Lou. You can’t ignore that he said it.
Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.
Of course you can ignore that he said it
Since he, you know, didn’t.
At no point did Lou say “MB was the reason we lost this season and what needed to be fixed”. For you to come to this conclusion is absurd and actually pretty disappointing.
Let me draw a comparison alluding to your last post on how Lou is killing this team. You pointed out how it was foolish for Lou to be so “obsessed” with fixing the fifth spot when we, at the time, had a 322 obp from the leadoff spot, 13 points below average. This year, Alfonso Soriano has 302 at bats as the leadoff hitter. His obp there? A wretched 295. The cubs leadoff hitter has batted 623 times, so Soriano has about half the at bats. Still, even with that awful obp of his in half the leadoff at bats, we still currently have a 333 obp as a team from the leadoff spot, only a couple points below average, which means that the replacements have actually done a really good job. Hooray! Now Lou doesn’t have to say leadoff is a problem in the offseason because it’s been FIXED.
You’ve argued that Lou needs to concentrate more on other spots than the five hole. Fine. You seem fine with getting league average production from the five hole and Lou isn’t. Fine. But Soriano failed as a leadoff hitter. Since it was fixed (not by Soriano) to Lou’s liking, it’s no longer an issue. Bradley failed as a five hole hitter (Bradley only had about 20 percent of the team’s at bats there). The five hole has yet to be fixed to Lou’s liking. By no means does that mean “MB was the reason we lost this season”.
Saying “That’s a spot that needs to be solved this winter more than anything else” (aka prioritizing) and saying “this is the reason we lost this season” are two very different things. I think you’re letting your agenda get the best of you.
As I said, somewhere else
no one is going to come out and say “One player is the problem,” because a disappointing season is almost certainly and obviously not the fault of one player, but you can hint at things and take actions that lead less clear thinkers to place all the blame on one place (removing it from you), especially when terms like “clubhouse cancer” are being thrown around.
shoemile, you are a clear thinker, but your case on both issues lacks depth. For example, Ryan Theriot has some of his worst numbers this season batting lead-off. He’s been able to get his lead-off OBP up recently, but his numbers didn’t look good when I wrote that fanpost you’re talking about, and they don’t look all that great now. My case before would still stand that lead-off looks worse than #5 heading into next season, except that we’re running our #5 hitter out of town.
As for, Bradley – I think people are letting their disgust with Bradley get the best of them. I’m no fan of Bradley, personally. But people get whipped up into this frenzy over him that I have trouble understanding. And I’m not the only person who has read the actions of the Cubs’ clubhouse managers as trying to scapegoat Bradley – see the Sheehan article cited elsewhere. Bradley’s an easy target.
Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.
I agree with you on your opinions of Bradley
I haven’t seen the entirety of the Sheehan article, just the excerpts in the fanpost, but it seems as though he’s putting the blame on the general manager, not the clubhouse manager, and that includes the comments in the thread.
Yes, theriot’s numbers aren’t all that great leading off. My point though, is that whoever’s been batting leadoff has brought about quite a jump in our obp from the leadoff position since replacing Soriano. It’s been done by committee, and clearly we’ve seen a marked improvement.
You and Lou will have to just disagree on the number five hole hitter in our lineup, which is fine by me. Bradley’s attitude apparently got to the point that it could no longer be tolerated. However, neither his numbers nor his attitude are the biggest reason for this team crapping out. I know it, you know it, and I’m sure Lou knows it as well. Bradley was put in other spots and succeeded. If he had the opportunity to come back, his talent could help the team. Looks like that won’t happen.
Still, I hold fast that you have an agenda to tear down Lou. Shanghai, one of the more respected posters on this site, disagreed with your jump from “we need to fix the number five hole” to “bradley is the reason we lost”. I’m sorry DGU, but it’s pretty absurd, and reeks of bias. You’re also referencing a post ripping the general manager and stating it’s actually about the clubhouse manager. Oh well.
It's a debate tactic I myself use
to try and take someone’s position to the logical extreme. But it’s getting overused on this board, with the whole “racist” debate being a prime example.
Anyway, I have repeatedly said that I think Lou is a good manager, that I think he should come back next year, that he’s got a lot to offer. I’ve also criticized him for his obsession on the lefty imbalance how that has led him to push aside talented players. Part of that criticism has, by implication, included Jim Hendry for following Lou’s public comments.
Yet, I’ve spent too many minutes typing refutations for people that want to oversimplify my position as a black-and-white Lou-basher or Hendry-defender. In other words, that you think my post “reeks of bias” says at least as much about your e-proboscis as it does about me.
Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.
Alright fine
But of course you’re going to be challenged when you state that Lou said MB was the reason we lost this season.
I'm going to be challenged no matter what I say!
And that’s part of the fun of a blog – at least for me – at least most of the time…
Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.
Now I've got a new sig line!
Oh, and shoemile, I wasn’t saying I’m not enjoying this particular conversation, nor will I not be backed into a corner and not kept from doubling my negatives. No way – never!
"Jim is a smart man. He knows what he has to do. He knows what went wrong. I'm pretty sure he's going to fix it." - Aramis Ramirez on one of the best GMs in the game.
Also, a question
By your leaps of logic, I could say:
“DGU believes Alfonso Soriano is the reason we lost this season”
and that would be correct, right?
Dude (doing my best Dusty Baker impression)
You clearly haven’t gotten what I’m saying.
No one is going to come out and say "One player is the problem," because a disappointing season is almost certainly and obviously not the fault of one player,
That means I think a disappointing season takes several factors – i.e. more than just Alfonso Soriano.
Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.
No one blamed Bradley.
This statement is a joke.
"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
by drewishdrewid on Sep 21, 2009 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
Who blamed him for the season, Drew?
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 Sep 21, 2009 10:30 AM CDT up reply actions
Well, if you feel that he is so misunderstood, maligned, and treated so poorly,
would you want him on your team? I didn’t think so.
There’s nothing perceived here. He DID sign a large contract, he DOES has a problematic history. I’ll grant that some of the problems were not brought on by MB, but they would have disappeared if he just kept his mouth closed.
There is plenty of blame to go around for this season, and you are just flat out wrong when you imply that Soriano,Soto, Fontenot and others did not receive their share. The difference is, they didn’t blame everybody and everything else.
by Southside Steve on Sep 21, 2009 8:12 AM CDT up reply actions
Why do you keep saying this? You are saying Cub fans are blaming Bradley for the season, and no one is.
VEP, I’ve got a lot of respect for your baseball knowledge, but your way off base here. Given your posting history, it’s surprising to me that you’d post something analagous to the goat and Bartman crap – Cub fans don’t blame those things, either, but fans of other teams keep claiming that we do.
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 Sep 21, 2009 8:17 AM CDT up reply actions
Okay
I don’t know the whole situation obviously, but this is just how it seems to me.
by vivaelpujols on Sep 21, 2009 8:18 AM CDT up reply actions
I think...
… that’s a reaction from anyone who hasn’t been a fan of a team Bradley has been on. If you’re looking at it from the outside, not seeing it every day, you wouldn’t see the dynamic between the player, team, media, fans, that we have seen every day.
I’ve heard from some A’s fans that Bradley was like this in Oakland — not to the extreme that he wound up suspended, but the same sort of antics.
There’s a reason he wore out his welcome in six different places, now seven.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Don't you find the reaction from the other Cubs odd?
If Bradley really was being treated completely unfairly (he is being treated a bit unfairly), someone would come to his defense. Not one player has. Further, they’ve been willing to be quoted on record essentially saying Milton needs some introspection.
That should lend credence to the argument that Bradley has brought a lot of this on himself.
As far as the season goes, I blame management for having a bad plan and executing it badly.
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 Sep 21, 2009 8:31 AM CDT up reply actions 7 recs
Fair enough
Something still feels a little fishy, but it’s probably nothing.
by vivaelpujols on Sep 21, 2009 8:57 AM CDT up reply actions
Well, to put a fine point on it, he got suspended for...
…characterizing the organization that employs him (as well as its fans) as “negative” and for implying that he played harder than his teammates.
I’d disagree with Al that no one blamed Bradley. Many, many people (fans, media) were all too willing to blame him for the slightest misstep from the second he put on a Cubs uniform – and they did (in many cases ignoring the fact the was playing hard and, at certain points, putting up decent numbers).
But I would agree that he handled the situation – a situation he put himself in by agreeing to play here – very, very poorly. And, as Shanghai has pointed out, the fact that none of his teammates are raising a finger in his defense is quite telling.
This has gone from being a baseball issue to an employment issue, and I can’t help but agree that Milton Bradley appears unemployable by the Cubs at the moment. I just hope Hendry can find some way out of this mess that doesn’t put the team at a disadvantage going into next season.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
They blamed him for his troubles, yes
Did people blame Bradley for the Cubs’ season? If so, they’re goofy.
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 Sep 21, 2009 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions
Who do you think Lou was talking about when he said:
Heading into Monday’s series opener against the Brewers, the Cubs are on pace to score about 140 fewer runs in 2009 than they did in 2008. Piniella believes the culprit is the fifth spot in the lineup. “That’s a spot that needs to be solved this winter more than anything else,” he said. “It’s been a big problem for us.”
It seemed to me like Lou is pretty clearly blaming the offensive woes on Milton Bradley.
Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.
Hm, that's a good point.
And Lou has been in baseball long enough to know how to throw a player under the bus without being too explicit about it.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
JUST GOTTA WONDER....
What type of crazy idea he has to fix the # 5 position . I would love to be a mouse in the corner at the Post season meetings ….( With the new owner present )……
That's taken out of context
The reporter is jumping to the conclusion. Where does it read Piniella is blaming Bradley for the Cubs’ season?
He is pointing to the #5 spot, yes. A spot that Bradley was miscast in to begin with.
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 Sep 21, 2009 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions
The logic of Lou's comment:
If the biggest problem for the offseason is the #5 spot, then
it follows that you think it was the biggest problem in the current season.
Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.
Sure, but Bradley isn't the only #5 hitter this year.
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 Sep 21, 2009 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions
Don't tell me...
…that was because Lou demanded him, right?
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
I'm a little slow on this whole "reading betwen the lines" thing
Where, exactly, does that comment imply, suggest, or hint that Lou Piniella feels Milton Bradly single-handedly sunk the 2009 Cubs?
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 Sep 21, 2009 1:37 PM CDT up reply actions
He doesn't say single-handedly...
he says the #5 spot is the “most important problem.” Since Bradley was brought in to be the #5 hitter, he’s implying that Bradley’s (and Fukudome’s) failure to produce was the most important problem.
I still think this is a stretch to get to the original point
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 Sep 21, 2009 3:54 PM CDT up reply actions
I agree...
…and it was clear early on (and especially when Lou put him in the 2-hole) that Lou felt Bradley wasn’t a 5 hole hitter.
Very very bad due dilligence on the Cubs part, and there is no getting around that. Lou or any other manager can want this or that, but the GM doesn’t have to agree after talking to his scouts and other staff members.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
I'll just say this:
There seems to be an overriding theme amongst Cubs fans and the media that terrible clubhouse chemistry is what screwed the Cubs this season. And many are tracing that bad chemistry back to Milton Bradley.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
I think it's an ancilliary issue.
Seriously, I want someone to post a link where people are single-handedly blaming Milton Bradley for the Cubs’ season.
Anyone?
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 Sep 21, 2009 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions
I really gotta get to work here...
…but, if I get a chance, I’ll take a look around – and I’ll start with Dave Kaplan.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Ok, I'll read it objectively
Even though Kap is, well, sometimes lacking insight. However, I didn’t qualify the request, so he’s fair game.
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 Sep 21, 2009 10:56 AM CDT up reply actions
Bull crap
Everyone was getting blamed. Hell, even Derek Lee was getting a huge share of the blame in April and May. Bradley didn’t produce and that’s why he got booed. Bradley got nothing but support from his teamates and mgr until he started showing his true colors. It’s all about him and he’s the reason for all his problems, not the media and definitely NOT THE FANS.
"He can't hit, he can't field, he can't run—all he can do is beat you."
I'd agree that Milton is the source of his own problems...
…but would you admit that the media and many of the fans didn’t help matters – especially the media?
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
I would agree to an extent
Actually, in that case, I’d blame the fans more than the media. I suspect that he treated the writers like crap for a while. People can talk about the integrity of journalism, etc., but they are people too. Sooner or later, what goes around comes around – and that’s not a new phenomenon.
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 Sep 22, 2009 10:18 AM CDT up reply actions
Milton said repeatedly that he fed off the boos and welcomed the attention.
They just replayed the interview he did on CSN the day he was signed and he said it then. So no, the fans had nothing to do with his problems. After listening to his teammates and ex-Cub Dawson and I am even more convinced that the only problem in this scenario is MIlton.
"Any player who gets the opportunity to play at Wrigley should welcome it"
You know, I was thinking about that tonight.
People are so convinced the media had it out for him to sell papers, get headlines, etc. . . .
If that’s true, why didn’t other Cubs see it and speak up?
From all accounts, Lee, Soriano, Dempster (and others) are smart guys. Doesn’t anyone think they would notice, and tell the writers to back off for the good of the team? Wouldn’t Piniella and/or Hendry say something?
This doesn’t add up to me.
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 Sep 22, 2009 9:10 PM CDT up reply actions
My only guess is...
…Hendry and the players are so hardened to the Chicago media that they just kind of accept it for what it is. I believe DLee and Reed Johnson both spoke to Milton during the season to try and help him, but their advice was probably something along the lines of “Just keep your head down and say as little as you can and don’t let them get to you.” Bradley was simply incapable of doing that.
Moreover, I think Bradley’s personality was so distant and off-putting that none of the Cubs ever felt motivated to really go to bat for him. But that doesn’t change the fact that Sullivan and Wittenmyer, to name a couple, have lacked maturity and behaved unprofessionally throughout this entire unfortunate chapter in Cubs history (IMHO, of course).
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Do you still have access to some of their tweets?
I know some of the articles were less than flattering, but it seems that they may have been more candid on Twitter.
I dunno about the rest. I’ve worked with a couple of people that almost no one liked, but I’d like to think that a few of us would be willing to step up if they were being libelled.
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 Sep 23, 2009 10:04 AM CDT up reply actions
One thing I will say is...
… that Wittenmyer has, the last two days, tweeted the Cubs’ record without Bradley in the lineup.
That’s really unnecessary. Bradley’s gone. Wittenmyer should just let it go.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Agreed. That's juvenille.
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 Sep 23, 2009 1:34 PM CDT up reply actions
Oh, I have access.
I’ll try to put together a delightful sampler for you guys. On a conference call at the moment…
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Ok, I'd like (?) to read it.
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 Sep 23, 2009 1:34 PM CDT up reply actions
Oh, right.
OK, here’s a few recent selections from @PWSullivan:
Tweeted Sunday, 9/20, the day the suspension was announced:
Bad day gets worse for Milton. His favorite team, the Cowboys, lose to Giants on last-second field goal. What else could possibly happen?
Then here’s four in-game tweets in a row from that same night:
Fox two-run homer gives him 41 RBI, one more than Milton. Meanwhile, Milton is having trouble with the towel dispenser.
Umpire calls interference on Holliday to negate winning run from scoring, while Milton nudges guy in 8D for hogging arm rest,
Kevin Gregg posts seventh blown save, while Milton is complaining to flight attendant about the in-flight movie, “Secret Life of Bees.”
Fukudome slams into outfield wall to rob Ludwick while Milton is asking for more peanuts on plane ride home.
The next night, 9/21, Sullivan and some other writers appeared to be having a party to celebrate Milton’s departure. Sullivan tweeted this:
The cork has finally popped in Miller Park press box. Cubs beat writers celebrate the end of an era.
And then, that same night, Brewers beat reporter Tom Haudricourt tweeted this:
Cubs scribes seem pretty broke up about the departure of Milton Bradley. Can barely see their laptop screens through the tears — of joy.
So there’s just a lot of juvenile stuff like this going on. Again, if Sullivan and Wittenmyer were just garden-variety bloggers, it would be no big deal But, to me anyway, paid sports journalists acting this way toward a player – yes, even Milton Bradley – just seems patently unprofessional.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
by daver on Sep 23, 2009 2:11 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
Absoultely unprofessional
Not so much the happiness, but the advertisement of said happiness.
Still, those are recent. It does nothing to support the hypothesis that some have – that the media was out to get him from day one.
I just can’t see that happening without at least one teammate speaking up.
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 Sep 23, 2009 2:32 PM CDT up reply actions
Rec'd
It reads like a table of grade schoolers at lunch celebrating because they finally bugged another kid enough to get him to leave and sit by himself.
"Jim is a smart man. He knows what he has to do. He knows what went wrong. I'm pretty sure he's going to fix it." - Aramis Ramirez on one of the best GMs in the game.
Perceived Problematic History?
Thats an interesting take
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
I say percieved
Because nobody knows exactly what happened.
by vivaelpujols on Sep 21, 2009 4:23 PM CDT up reply actions
I think his history is pretty well documented
so I dont know how anything can get lost in translation or become a matter of perception.
Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.
Second that for a great post
After watching the Bears pull off the win yesterday, I was more than happy to see that Bradley was suspended. Almost takes that dark cloud of this season away and brings in a little sunshine. Sure the whole team top to bottom didn’t perform as expected, but this hopefully is the first of many steps in the right direction. Lets go out and win the remaining four series and look forward to 2010.
by NebraskaCubsFan on Sep 21, 2009 2:24 PM CDT up reply actions
The thing with bradley
Is he is never in the wrong. I feel as though Soto has gotten his fair share of criticism, same with Soriano, Miles, Fontenot etc. and all of them have taken it on the chin and move on. Bradley continues to make excuses. This is why Chicago dislike him. The more a player admits he needs to improve, the longer we respect and give time for them to work it out before booing constantly. Bradley just talks about playing 9 innings and going home, or fans are racist or reports this, or teams that. That is why we hate Milton. He has had a poor year no doubt. But he is hardly the BASEBALL reason we are losing.
I knew it was going to be a long year during the begining of the season when he would bat and show with his hand where the ball was coming over the plate. Anyone else remember this? No wonder people hate him
Your last 2 paragraphs were awesome
summed up a lot of my bluebleeding.
This is only the beginning....Lou Pinella end of '07 season and Chicago Transit Authority (the band when they were really good).
I don't think this post was needed.
Besides, even thought MB won’t be “here” tomorrow, wherever “here” is, he’s still going to get paid more than $20 million, so I doubt that the original post will instruct him in any way that’s beneficial. It does not matter. The Cubs will trade MB and pay a significant portion his salary. All of those other things with other teams don’t matter to me and they didn’t matter to the Cubs either. the important thing here is MB coming down on his teammates, the organization and the fans and for that he’ll get his wish and be gone—and still be fabulously rich!
GOOD POST....
All Milton needs is to look in a mirror . Thats who’s fault this mess is the fans are fed up with it . Next time Hendry offers a contract to a player with baggage . Let’s hope he thinks long and hard about this situation he helped create . Go Cub 2010 and beyond..
I've been a Bradley apologist all season...
…but this shit’s too far. Someone will pick him up… some team like Seatlle or Tampa Bay or something, where he doesn’t have to deal with as much media.
Maybe we can squeeze a good reliever like David Aardsma or J.P. Howell out of the deal if we can eat Milton’s contract.
Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.
There's no way Seattle trades Aardsma for Bradley.
The better choice would be getting them to take most of the deal in exchange for a face-saving prospect.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Fair enough...
Why not ship him back to Texas for Kevin Millwood? Not sure if Texas would shop him, but if Ron Washington had such glowing things to say about him to Hendry, then maybe he’ll return to them in a DH-type role.
Bradley and Millwood both have bad contracts, and we’d be more apt to shop Z with another solid starter. Just a thought… Perhaps there are other toxic contracts out there as well?
Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.
I would bet you 100 dollars they would make that trade
by vivaelpujols on Sep 21, 2009 4:24 PM CDT up reply actions
I tend to believe Al here...
… Aardsma’s value is at an all time high, though I bet it all matters which arbitration year he is in. You have to keep in mind that we’d be paying $20 million, plus whatever is owed to him in arb. As we saw this year, with closers such as Gregg, this can get pricey.
Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.
Aardsmaa is a closer
And one who has really only had one good year that’s buoyed by a low BABIP, a high strand rate and a low HR/FB ratio. He’s been lucky, and like most relievers (see Gregg, Kevin) he could easily have a terrible year.
by vivaelpujols on Sep 21, 2009 4:54 PM CDT up reply actions
Al,
Your tag line says it all when it comes to Bradley- too bad the Cubs didn’t heed the venerable Yogi. Do you really think any team will take a chance on Bradley, regardless of what the Cubs eat on his contract?
"Chicago Cubs fans are ninety percent scar tissue." - George F. Will
I hope the Perez/Bradley rumor gets shut down
Perez or Castillo in Cubbie Blue won’t help the Cubs one bit in my opinion.
I agree with that.
If it’s just getting rid of him, the Cubs may have to eat the contract.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Um, you mean Luis Castillo?
Who currently ranks 12th in the NL in OBP? I think he could help the Cubs…at least a little.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Well...
…You gotta believe that the .349 BABIP is going to even things out eventually, right? And UZR has rated his 34 year old defense as a liability at -10.3. We’d be better off defensively with a switch hitting Blanco. PASS.
Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.
Hm, good points.
Had no idea his defense was that bad. And, honestly, I’m not saying I want him – I’m saying getting him in return for Milton wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
The plus about living in NY
Is that I get to see first hand other players and more importantly hear on the sports talk who the fans hate.
I think the dislike for a player 90% of the time will spread wherever he goes. Aaron Heilman is a great example. They hated him in NY! He wasn’t the biggest problem they had on the Mets but he sure helped them miss the post season in 2007 and 2008. Had I not lived in NY I would have been indifferent for this trade in the off-season but I knew what to expect since I saw it first hand.
Castillo didn’t do well last year and Omar Manaya was criticized for signing him for 3 years. He has been solid this year but who knows how long that can possibly last for?
Cubs will do whatever they want and if this trade happens, I’ll hope to eat my words and be proud he’s our starting 2B.
He's having a good year
Which is what worries me. He didn’t do much for the Mets last year.
Plus, I still can’t forget that pop-up he dropped against the Yankees. Embarrassing! Imagine if he did that with the Cubs!
Ha, yeah, that was one of the more memorable moments of 2009 baseball season.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Great Post!
well said. Baseball doesn’t need Milton Bradley.
Baseball first, teams second, players third, agents last.
by Dave Pendleton on Sep 21, 2009 12:52 PM CDT reply actions
Where can he go?
I can see this as a situation where the Cubs tell his agent “go make your own deal” – and he finds a team that wants him and the Cubs trade him there for nothing, or next to nothing, in exchange for getting out from under the contract.
The question is, where is that team? It needs to be a place where he won’t be pestered, where the media doesn’t bug him. In the old days, Montreal would have been a perfect fit (ironic, since that is where he started). But where could he go now? A quarter of the teams in baseball have dealt him away. Who is going to want that extra baggage?
I can see a situation where nobody wants to take him on – just not worth the baggage. I also bet there will be some speculation that he goes to Japan. If that happens, the inevitable explosion there will be visible from space. But it would be interesting to watch.
I think I speak for everyone here when I say, "Wait, what the hell are you talking about?"
Toronto and Tampa have been mentioned as possible destinations.
I think the Vernon Wells deal I originally mentioned is not that great an idea after all. But maybe there’s another deal the Cubs could make with the Blue Jays.
Tampa? I dunno. But if Milton wanted to play out the contract in a place where he wouldn’t get any attention, Tampa would fit the bill.
In any case, I think we can be certain of this: Milton Bradley’s major league career will end after 2011.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
The OP makes some valid points
But he loses me on his/her extensive use of “code” for vulgar language and racial slurs. Oh and the heavy use of “lol” is very distracting.
Just sayin’
"Ask Dad. He'll know. And on the off chance he doesn't, he'll make something up"
A Bradley backer checking in
my thoughts on this latest episode in the saga of MB are all over the place. In no particular order:
1) MB has some real issues—marital, relational, etc. He has to accept most of the responsibility here. Dude has some deep rooted problems.
2) Jim Hendry has, once again, dimished any trade value whatsoever by coming out in this fashion. Why not levy a $1MM fine and let MB, his agent, MLBPA, and the Cubs discuss it later? It makes no sense for the “player’s GM” to come out against a player for comments like this.
3) You can be assured no African American player of significance will EVER come to play for the Cubs. Since 2003 it has been a minefield for African American players—Patterson, Baker, Hawkins, Jones, and now Bradley. Don’t forget Torii Hunter said “no thanks” about possibly coming to Chicago.
4) I am ashamed to be a Chicago sports fan for the amount of racist crap that always come out. One instance is one too many. What kind of sick a-hole thinks it’s okay to spew this garbage to our own players?
5) I am not proud to be a Cub fan right now. MB is right—there is way too much negativity surrounding this team. I am not proud over how the Friendly Confines are not so friendly to our own players any longer.
6) On the other hand, I still love the Cubs hope this can get behind us quickly so we can focus on winning the ever-elusive World Series title we so badly want.
7) This is my mea-culpa as I said it would be a mistake to try and get rid of MB thinking that year 2 would be better. I was wrong and it is time to turn the page.
8) Jake Fox needs to play everyday. Even play him at 2B for 5 games and see what you got. Who cares? This season is lost. If Lou can play Scales in LF, then Fox could cretainly warrant some time at 2B.
9) That was a nice win last night given how this season has gone. It’s always sweet to beat STL.
That’s all I got today. See ya on the flip side MB. Too bad it didn’t work.
by socalbob on Sep 21, 2009 4:24 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Okay, maybe I'm stuck in little Iowa, but...
Is there really that much racism on the north side? I seriously want to know, because these are serious charges. There have been many african american players for the Cubs over the years, including a few of the all time greats. Have they ever cried foul over our fans?
Just curious, because I’m not sure how this stigma ever goes away if it’s true.
Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.
Demographers had to create a whole new term
to describe Chicago’s racial divide: Hypersegregation. That term is also applied to at least 10 other urban centers in america last I checked, but the point is that Chicago has a longstanding, very deep problem with race relations.
WOXY.com - The Future of Rock and Roll
by Gibbon Jockey on Sep 21, 2009 7:32 PM CDT up reply actions
As an Iowan (from Des Moines, graduated from Johnston High School)...
… transplanted to Chicago’s north side… i will say this: MB is not just making it up.
As Gibbon Jockey said, Chicago is an interesting city. Not only is it very geographically segregated… there is a lot of debate over how the city itself distributes resources to the areas inhabited primarily by minorities. The history of racism in the city is incredibly shocking, and an interesting read.
http://www.wikitree.com/articles/Daley/racism.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,968701,00.html
Dum spiro spero…
Follow me on twitter or else: @andrewjstone.
by AndrewJStone on Sep 23, 2009 4:34 PM CDT up reply actions
That Time article looks interesting...
…but it’s, um, over 20 years old.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
WHAT?
“3) You can be assured no African American player of significance will EVER come to play for the Cubs. Since 2003 it has been a minefield for African American players—Patterson, Baker, Hawkins, Jones, and now Bradley. Don’t forget Torii Hunter said "no thanks" about possibly coming to Chicago.”
You’ve submitted 5 examples. Now let me throw in 5 examples of African-American players who have been (for the most part) received, overall, warmly by the Cubs and by Cubs fans.
Derek Lee, Sammy Sosa (mostly, except for the last season), Cliff Floyd, Alfonso Soriano, Darryl Ward. Have these guys been booed? Yes. Was it because they are black? NO.
I would submit that your list of players ALL underperformed, and were booed BECAUSE they didn’t play well/manage well. Black players aren’t avoiding Wrigley. You just think they are because you can make a list in two minutes that you think qualifies as actual fact.
"Hey! If the moon were made of ribs, wouldja eat it? I know I would!"
Um, I don't want to burst your bubble
because you make some good points, but Sammy Sosa and Alfonso Soriano are not African-Americans. They’re Dominican.
"Was you ever punched in the face five hundred times a night? It stings after a while." ~Rocky Balboa
you reply
with 2 Domincanos and expect me to respectfully disagree with you? And 2 seldom used bench players one who spent more days on a DL than in a uniform. Those are your examples of Afrincan American players loving the Cubs? Weak.
Since 2003, African American players have faced numerous racial slurs from Cubdom. One instance is one too many. If you don’t think players talk, then you are plain ignorant. So it’s okay to throw the “N-word” at black players and managers because they “underperformed”? Go away. That’s disgusting. THIS ISN"T ABOUT BOOING.
Maybe you should research the Torri Hunter free agent off-season so you do not look like more of a fool than you already do with your post.
I think you went a little far but I also don't blame Bradley completely for this
There are stupid fans everywhere and we can’t hide the fact that unfortunately there are racist ones who come to our park. This happened to J. Jones and to Bradley. But I really believe that Bradley brings this upon himself. As a professional athlete you need to take the high road and try to ignore the obnoxious fan.
I think Jacque Jones did that. Bradley had not. But I don’t blame Bradley for this. His manager needs to teach him how to talk to the media and react to the crowd. I think Bradley has serious issues but these should have been attempted to fix years ago.
But seriously, with #3…that’s basically saying the organization is racist for not signing a black person. I don’t know if you meant it that way but that’s how I read it. Maybe I’m lucky but when I watch a game, race and ethnicity never comes across my mind.
please re-read
I said no black player will ever want to sign with the Cubs with how the last 4-5 guys have been treated. It has nothing to do with the Cubs being racist. I really think the days of the Cubs being a destination for free agents will be no longer.
You are a better person than those who launch racist taunts and diatribes towards our players. Because you don’t think about it, doesn’t mean it never takes place.
I disagree with the position because one is a professional athlete he needs to ignore an obnoxious fan who is throwing out racial barbs. Sorry, there is no place for this and it’s disgusting. That’s my view as I just don’t have it in me to tolerate that kind of behavior.
I don’t know if you left off Dusty, Corey, and LaTroy on purpose, but those guys got it just as bad. I know it’s the ugly monster hiding inthe closet because discussing it is never comfortable and it is a divisive issue, but it exists, exists in a big way in Chicago, and is problematic for this franchise given the last 6 years of baseball players or color. If a black player doesn’t play like MJ, he will get grilled in Chicago in this day and age. Again, just my opinion.
since 2003
obviously Ernie, Billy, and Fergie didn’t hear this garbage.
If you have read any of the MB posts here, then I am not saying anything not previous stated. Yes, it is real. I will not comment on how much it takes place as I cannot tell the number ocassions. It happens and has been reproted by players and fans alike. But, for me, is one time is one time too many. It’s so small-minded and disgusting to even consider.
Milton was not bad this year
From the OP:
“They hate you because you were bad. And Mr. Stats, we dont care that he walked alot or got onbase at a .370+ clip. We dont care that he played average RF. We care that his TEAM stats, yes TEAM stats su<ked. When Ramirez went down and we needed someone to step up, he wasnt there”
No, he was not bad. He did not play well enough to get paid $10M,but he had a decent season at the plate. Way better than Soriano, Soto,or Fontenot, none of whom received anywhere near the level of scorn from fans as MB did. And that was pretty much right off the bat, before any of the incidents happened.
As for that nonsense about “team stats,” if you think any baseball player can just say “my teammate is hurt, time to start hitting better!” you are sadly mistaken. Why wait for someone to get hurt? Why not just hit that way all the time?
MB definitely has major issues, and he brought much of this on himself, but that does not make illegitimate criticisms of him any more legitimate.
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