The Lesson Of Milton Bradley
by Al Yellon on May 9, 2011 4:37 PM CDT
in Chicago Cubs News
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The major league baseball career of Milton Bradley has probably ended with the news that Bradley was designated for assignment by the Seattle Mariners Monday. It's unlikely that any other team would want to pick him up, even for a pro-rated portion of the major league minimum, given his antics in his year-and-a-month in Seattle, which include:
Whether it was giving Rangers fans the finger, leaving the stadium during a game or being tossed from one (and suspended for another) after yelling at an umpire after an RBI double, Bradley did his best to show why he wore out his welcome with seven other teams.
There is an object lesson here for Cubs GM Jim Hendry (and anyone else in baseball who'd consider having someone like this on his team), so let's review the manner and method in which he alienated himself from Cubs players, coaches, media and management in this diatribe launched at the Daily Herald's Bruce Miles in St. Louis in September 2009:
Bradley claimed to have no opinion on where he bats - "In the lineup," he said of his preferred spot - and the only time he became expansive at all was when he was asked if he had enjoyed his first season in Chicago.
"Not really," he said. "It's just not a positive environment. I need a stable, healthy, enjoyable environment. There's too many people everywhere in your face with a microphone asking the same questions repeatedly. Everything is just bashing you. You got out there and you play harder than anybody on the field and never get credit for it. It's just negativity.
"And you understand why they haven't won in 100 years here, because it's negative. It's what it is."
Asked whether he was talking about the fans, the media or even the Cubs organization, he replied: "It's everything. It's everybody."
That last statement got him sent home by Jim Hendry for the final two weeks of the 2009 season -- at which time (not coincidentally, I'd argue) the Cubs immediately won seven of their next nine games. This post isn't to rehash old news -- things we've done over and over and over -- instead, it's to analyze why the Cubs signed this player in the first place and what lessons can be learned to not make the same mistake in the future. Since we, at this moment, still have more than 24 hours until the next Cubs game, let's spend some time -- respectfully, please -- discussing Milton.
As we all know, there was a perceived lack of lefthanded hitting on the 2008 division champion Cubs. Despite the fact that the mostly-righthanded team led the NL in runs scored that year, they played poorly for three days against the Dodgers and got swept out of the division series.
Meanwhile, Bradley was having the best year of his career with the Texas Rangers, leading the AL in OBA, OPS and OPS+, making the All-Star team and finishing 17th in MVP voting. So, the Cubs put him on a short list of "lefthanded hitting run producers", even though he had never been that and had driven in only 77 runs in 2008 while missing 36 games for various reasons. Instead of signing Bobby Abreu or Raul Ibanez -- both of whom could have been had less expensively -- Hendry had a dinner with Bradley, who apparently charmed him enough to sign him to the now-infamous three-year, $30 million deal that the Cubs are still paying for. That, of course, is in the guise of about $7 million owed to Carlos Silva, who the Cubs got in exchange for Bradley in what is, years from now, going to be the poster child for "exchange of bad contracts".
This deal was handed out to Bradley despite the fact that only one other team (the Nationals) had even expressed an interest in him and no one was dangling a three-year offer in front of him.
This deal was handed out to Bradley despite the antics that had, at the time, gotten him to wear out his welcome with six other teams -- even the Rangers, for whom he had just put up an All-Star season.
This deal was handed out to Bradley despite the fact that the Cubs probably could have put up the same kind of production for less money, if they had just re-signed Jim Edmonds, who had put up a .937 OPS and hit 19 home runs for the Cubs in only 85 games. Edmonds and Reed Johnson would have made a good platoon again in 2009; the failure of Kosuke Fukudome to produce the way the Cubs hoped he would when they signed him to a four-year deal before the 2008 season was yet another reason the Cubs went out looking for a lefthanded middle-of-the-order bat. That's something they still seek, though Carlos Pena is now showing signs he might be able to provide that, if the team can live with a .220 batting average.
The lesson learned needs to be this: putting up gaudy statistics isn't everything. At the end of the 2008 season, Milton Bradley looked like a shiny new toy to Jim Hendry -- even though that toy wasn't what the team needed, and as I noted in this post on September 21, 2009, he wound up hitting better batting righthanded than lefthanded, just as he had his entire career up to that point (and since, as well). The Cubs appear to have made a point of putting "character guys" on their roster this year, with the signings of Pena and re-signings of Johnson and Kerry Wood. Of course, you don't sign players just because they're good guys. You sign them, or trade for them, because they are (presumably) the most talented players you can acquire and can help you win.
But the lesson learned must be: don't throw this kind of money or this length of a contract at someone who has a checkered history, no matter what kind of smile he flashes at you while you pay for his dinner. Jim Hendry, at the very least, seems to have learned that lesson.
As for Bradley, he's made $47 million playing baseball but it doesn't seem to have made him happy at all. There's no question that he had tremendous physical talents and the ability to hit a baseball and judge the strike zone and draw walks, and when he was younger and had better legs, could steal bases and play the outfield fairly well. It's just too bad that he couldn't enjoy playing in a city where fans will love you if you contribute; Bradley's teammates, to a man, appeared to not be able to get along with him, no matter how hard they tried. In response to anyone who might bring up the issue of racism, which did raise its ugly head regarding Bradley's tenure in Chicago -- yes, I have no doubt that a few idiot fans did yell racist remarks his way. But I also think Bradley played the race card when the displeasure with his presence here was primarily because he didn't perform and complained about everything. That's the case no matter what a player's skin color is if he does the kinds of things Bradley did -- look no further than the way Cubs fans treated Todd Hundley, son of a Cubs legend, who everyone wanted to like. When Hundley played poorly and blamed everything from game times to weather for his problems, Cubs fans turned on him.
Jeff Sullivan, who runs the SB Nation Mariners site Lookout Landing, wrote this about Bradley today:
Bradley will move on. If his career isn't done, he'll move on to another organization, and if his career is done, he'll move on to life. He's earned a lot of money in the game. Maybe getting out of baseball will prove to be the answer. Maybe he'll find happiness on the sofa. Maybe he won't. Maybe he's already happy, with occasional ventings. Maybe venting some of the time allows Bradley to be happy the rest of the time. How should I know? How should anybody know? I suspect we'll hear more about his day-to-day life in ten years, when some brave and ambitious journalist writes up the Milton Bradley: Remember Him?
And I'll move on, and I won't. I'll move on with the team and I'll be excited to see if Peguero and Wilson can supply any power, but Milton Bradley was one of the most interesting players that's ever worn a Mariner uniform, and now that his chapter is over, I want to feel like I learned something. I want to take something out of the whole Milton Bradley experience so that I can grow as a fan, and grow as a person. But I don't know what to take. Milton Bradley is the very definition of misunderstood, in that nobody understands him. How can I learn from that which I don't understand?
And that's true. Milton Bradley is difficult to understand. Maybe he doesn't even understand himself; he appears from an outside observer's standpoint to be a very troubled man. For that, I hope he can get some help and find some peace in his life. In the meantime, baseball moves on, and I hope at least one MLB general manager has learned a valuable lesson.
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Let the gloating and bashing begin......
or maybe not. Hopefully people here can be above that nonsense. I wish him the best and hope he gets help with whatever it is he needs.
No question he was a jerk, but he also isn’t the only one to blame for his troubles here in Chicago.
by lj121711 on May 9, 2011 4:47 PM CDT reply actions 4 recs
he also isn’t the only one to blame for his troubles here in Chicago
Do tell. Who else is to blame? Let’s hear it.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
Well it was pretty clear the reporters and beat writers never gave him a chance.
Paul Sullivan even admitted on WGN during a game that he gave certain players who were not nice to him bad coverage. It was really weird for a beat writer to say that.
Right.
And that’s why he did all the bad things he did? Sorry, not buying it.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
I didn't say that was the reason he did all of it. If I did point it out for me.
It absolutely didn’t help him get comfortable here. So sorry, you don’t have to buy it. Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
You say that so matter-of-factly.
Remember, this is just you’re opinion.
by lj121711 on May 10, 2011 9:39 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Respect is not given, its earned.
Mr. Bradley never gave it, so he damn sure didnt earn it. If he just came out and said “hey, i’m struggling. but i know i will come out of it, and i believe i can help this team” as opposed to blaming the fans, the media, the team blah blah, the reaction would of been different. Look at Pena after his awful month.
Absolutely
Bradley is most certainly to blame for his problems here, but IMO, he’s not the only one to blame.
Yes, he is.
Pure and simple. Plenty of Cubs players have been criticized and booed. Not one of them (with the possible exception of Todd Hundley) reacted the way this individual did.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
Agreed....He never should have been signed...we knew it, everyone did except for Hendry.
He is a massive behavior problem and the writers knew this. It was on Bradley to show he changed, not everyone else…
Is lj his brother or something?
I'm not exactly defending him or anything.
Maybe you’re misreading.
You are not defending him, but you are implying it was the fault of many.
t was on him to show he changed….
Instead right off the bat we got poor play, ejections, injuries others play through, blaming everyone else and calling us racists…and this stuff was not new…..It had followed him in his whole career.
I wonder why the writers and fans were not on his side…
The beat reporters also need to earn a players respect.
Which they never attempted. A lot of people could have done things differently to try to make it work.
You don't know what attempts were made.
Go back and read the posts I made in September 2009 about this issue. Jim Hendry implied, when he suspended Bradley, that this was only the tip of the iceberg regarding his behavior.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
I'm sure he was an ass. His personality is well known.
But I’ll repeat what I said because I feel it is correct. Many people could have done things differently. Not just Bradley.
Bradley is the first dominoe.
he was sucking. media writes he was sucking, questions his contract. he starts to blame media and fans for his problems. media rips this apart fans turn on him. once again, the guy just had to say, im struggling, im trying to adjust and i know i’ll turn it around. if that occurs then the media trys to point out things like “hes being more selective” or “putting more effort in the field” etc. but when he blames people who literally have no effect on his play, then no, he’s not goign to get any respect or kind words or support, nor does he deserv it
Thats true...
…and some earn the respect and some don’t. I would guess from a players perspective, there are only 1 or 2 guys in this town that players do respect, because Chicago happens to have some below par baseball writers.
With that said, it is the player’s responsibility to rise above this and be cordial to the media (whether they respect them or not). They don’t have to like the guy (or gal) or even respect their ability as a reporter, but they need to play along because that is part of their job as a professional athlete.
Bradley was what he was when he got here, and he proved his past to be right on target, it shouldn’t have surprised anyone.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
by MPH73 on May 10, 2011 10:13 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I hope nobody was suprised.
And I agree with you’re comment. But I feel it is not just the players responsibility to be cordial. It’s extremely unfair to expect a player to smile and take a beating in the media, or else get more crap from the writers.
The writers need to be held to some standard as well.
If he would have played well and shut his mouth he would have gotten treated better....
But its never his fault and we are racists!
He played very well in Spring Training.
And the writers were already against him then. And once again, I didn’t say it wasn’t also his fault. So please don’t imply that I did.
I remember him missing time with his usual injuries that spring....
He needed to really reach out to the writers and fans if he was worried about their opinions and he did not.
It comes with the territory...
…and you reap what you sow.
I know a former Cub player who was on the team for a few years and was also on the 04 club and talked to him about this and the 04 incident with Steve Stone. He said no one on the club in 04 could stand Stone, not because of what he would say, but how he said it in his typical arrogant style. He also said the player that initiated the problems with Stone was wrong and should have held himself to a higher standard.
In this circumstance, you are talking about a beat reporter that really isn’t very good at his job and the former player I spoke to also said is someone who is simply tolerated by the players. But, at the end of the day, it is the player’s responsibility to rise above this stuff and just deal with it.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
That's ridiculous IMHO.
Let the beat writers say what they want. Hold them to no standards, and blame the players if they get upset at things written about them.
These are people. People get upset. Writers seriously need to keep their personal bias’ out of the papers. It shows just how petty they can be. It’s weird.
if what the beat writer says is incorrect
then either demand a retraction or pursue the writer for Slander. you are correct people get upset, but these people know what they are signing the contract for, to play a public sport that is written about in newspapers and the internet.
"There had to be a place where the game could be fun again….that place is called Wrigley Field"---Andre Dawson
One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought your ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth. Joe Garagiola
There is...
…a right and wrong way to deal with the goofballs.
There is no question that players get upset at this stuff because they are human and some of what these guys write and say is literally pulled out of their rear end. But, a player shouldn’t go off on a reporter when they are pissed, because they can handle it in different more subtle ways.
He can tell a guy (or gal) off the record, that he feels the reporter has been writing inacurate material and is simply not fair and for that reason, the player is going to be cautious around this reporter. The best way to send a message to these guys, is to give another reporter more time, more quotes and better information for them to use and that starts to effect the reporters livlihood, but it can be done in a subtle non-aggressive manner.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
You still haven't proven your assertion
There’s nothing wrong with having a differing opinion, but you’re going to have a tough time convincing people to change theirs without offering up some evidence.
I can make a claim that I feel is just as credibile with the same amount of proof — the beat writers could have kissed Milton’s ass and he still would have been miserable. The man has issues — and they are internal.
Here’s the thing — the world is a tough place. Not everyone is going to treat you with kid gloves just because you think that they should or that you respond better to that. Does this give someone free license to go out of their way to be rude to Bradley or anyone else? Certainly not. However, to imply that things were the fault of the writers is really quite naive.
by Shanghai Badger on May 10, 2011 11:25 AM CDT up reply actions
They were at fault.
Along with Bradley. That opinion is hardley naive. After Sullivan made his comment on covering certain players less favorably because he hurt his feelings were hurt, that was all the proof I needed. They didn’t like Bradley. It showed in their articles.
The idea that it’s ok if the writers do it, but it’s out of line if Bradley does it, is silly. The writers need to be held to the same standard. If their just going to try to stir up shit, maybe they should take the high road and keep quiet.
Sullivan got exactly what he wanted out of you..
people are talking about his article. most rational people hate TMZ but some how they stay in business.
"There had to be a place where the game could be fun again….that place is called Wrigley Field"---Andre Dawson
One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought your ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth. Joe Garagiola
Exactly...
…Sullivan is not a very good beat reporter and that is pretty clear to me. His sidekick at the Trib (Rogers) is an absolute joke as well.
It just shows how the sports media has gone more towards “getting a reaction” out of the readers, as opposed to writing stuff that is somewhat logical and insightful.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
But you haven't proven that they did it to stir things up
And, while I’ve never met the man personally, I’ll defend Bruce Miles against claims like this until I have reason to believe otherwise.
You are trying to categorize a half dozen writers based on one two-paragraph article — an article that doesn’t really support your claim against even that writer.
I’m not trying to pick a fight, but you’re just not making your case. I’m willing to listen if you can make it.
In a way, you’re saying that the writers should sugarcoat Bradley’s antics.
by Shanghai Badger on May 10, 2011 2:53 PM CDT up reply actions
I've gone back to look at more articles but many don't exist any longer.
Sorry, but you’ll have to take my word for it. Because I think you just don’t remember reading them, or you skipped them all together. Something I also should have done.
that argument
always works on here…always.
"There had to be a place where the game could be fun again….that place is called Wrigley Field"---Andre Dawson
One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought your ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth. Joe Garagiola
I'm not sure that they ever existed
At least not in the time frame that you recall them existing.
At any rate, you were right yesterday — we’re not going to convince each other. Since I feel that I can’t state the point any differently and I’m not interested in arguing for its own sake, I’m going to leave it – although Epsilon makes the point, too…
by Shanghai Badger on May 10, 2011 3:25 PM CDT up reply actions
What was it the Chicago writers supposedly said that was so damnable?
Can you provide that much?
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on May 10, 2011 3:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Sports media...
…in general has changed dramatically in the last 20 years or so and not for the better. The opinions and information that is dissimenated is high in volume, but the quality has declined dramatically.
During the same time period, player’s salaries have also gone through the roof and part of their job is to realize part of the reason they are making all that dough, is because of the attention they are given by the media to satisfy the public appetite. Players get exposed to a lot of goof balls in the media, but they are paid to deal with it properly.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
by MPH73 on May 10, 2011 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
That's where we disagree.
I don’t think we can just turn our backs and let it go when the writers are being petty and unfair towards a player, then get angry at the player when he responds.
But I’m willing to agree to disagree.
Fair enough.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
There will always be Bradly apologists
So to even try to change their minds is a waste of time. They will have excuses for reasons why he didn’t work in a various cities. We live in a culture that allows athletes this right.
There were people here who during that season defended him repeatly as if they were family of his.
by Madison Cub Fan on May 9, 2011 5:04 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm not taking any blame away from Milton.
I’ve said repeatedly he was a jerk. But so were the fans and media. So I think we should all just move on.
Here's a good one!
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
by dtpollitt on May 9, 2011 5:20 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Here’s a good piece by a national sportswriter that explains Bradley all too well.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
I'm cognizant of and sympathetic to persons with disabilities.
But a mental disorder or disability is not a crutch or excuse mechanism to justify poor behavior year after year.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
To amplify...
It stops being meaningful once whoever has the problem doesn’t do anything about it. Then you just have a person with a problem who won’t address it.
by MN exile on May 9, 2011 9:25 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Totally agree here...rec'd
It’s a problem if you address it…it’s an excuse if you don’t.
I've come to the conclusion that the two most important things in life are good friends and a good bullpen. ~Bob Lemon, 1981
majority of the media and fans never gave him a chance
and were ripping him before the ink had dried. not saying it makes it right or wrong, it is just the truth
Chronologically inept since 2060
Q: Why did Chuck Norris cross the road?
A: Ditka
Ditka's mustache can block a Chuck Norris round house
Ditka's mustache can kill two stones with one bird
I don't buy that
They way some here would tell it, the beat writers all got together from day one and conspired to make Bradley’s life in Chicago miserable. When pressed for a motive, the best that could be supplied was, “to sell papers”. Ridiculously implausible at best, mind-numbingly stupid at worst. If that was the motive, why has nothing like that been done before or since by that group of evildoers?
by Shanghai Badger on May 9, 2011 6:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Ignore and dismiss it all you want.
These reporters articles from back then speak for themselves. The didn’t want Bradley here, and they certainly didn’t make it any easier for him to feel comfortable.
Same goes for the fans, just go check back at the majority opinion on Bradley even before he put on the uniform for the first time.
And before you say it..
I am not saying it’s also not Bradley’s fault. He acted like an ass.
I'm afraid that the burden of proof is yours
You’re the one making the allegation.
by Shanghai Badger on May 9, 2011 6:57 PM CDT up reply actions
Thats from Spring Training 2009 and Sullivan is already painting the crazy picture of Bradley going “ballistic”. It’s his job to report truthfully and without bias. Paul later admits (on live television) that he covers players who may have been rude in a less favorable way.
“That’s the whole thing of our jobs. We’re human and people that treat us nicer probably get better coverage. The people, you know, that are rude to us.. I don’t want to say Milton was rude but he certainly wasn’t very nice to me. You know they’re not always going to get the best coverage. So You try and be an objective person but uh, you know, we are human, …so”
That is a real quote from Sullivan. On WGN. That’s sad for someone who is supposed to be objective.
We posted the replies at essentially the same time
I went back and read the link. You’re reading into things, and after the fact, to boot. What was he supposed to write?
I don’t think Sullivan is all that great, but that doesn’t mean the descriptions of what happened on the plays were unfair.
by Shanghai Badger on May 9, 2011 7:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Even if you disagree with that
This doesn’t come remotely close to proving that the writers were out to get him.
by Shanghai Badger on May 9, 2011 7:41 PM CDT up reply actions
You've got to actually supply links, not anecdotal evidence
As far as the admission, I’ve seen it. It doesn’t bother me. Any reporter who says otherwise is lying. That doesn’t mean that Sullivan went into Bradley’s Cub tenure with a vendetta. And that certainly doesn’t mean that the things that Bradley was purported to have done were false. To quote Jimmy Buffett, “You don’t want it printed, don’t do it.”
by Shanghai Badger on May 9, 2011 7:35 PM CDT up reply actions
Casual fans read that article I linked to and get a bad representation of Bradley from the start.
So what happens when they go to a game and Milton strikes out…..They boo, because the’ve already been told he’s a bad guy.
Where did it say he was a bad guy?
Were there facts in the article that you disagre with?
Only casual thinkers would read that very short article and be convinced that Bradley is a bad guy.
Only an idiot would decide to boo a strikeout based solely on that article.
by Shanghai Badger on May 9, 2011 7:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Well we won't agree on this I guess, and that's ok.
I just have a major problem when writers let their personal feeling toward a player reflect in their writing. They are paid to tell the story of what happened. Not over exaggerate and say that he was causing a scene and going ballistic, which wasn’t the case.
It especially gets to me when the same writer admits that he gave Bradley less favorable coverage. His admission should be enough to tell you he didn’t like Bradley and wasn’t going to make him look good.
And like I said, I am in no way trying to clear Milton of any blame. He helped the media along every step of the way.
I'm ok with disagreeing, I'm ok with trying to see your POV
But you really haven’t supported it.
Let’s assume for the sake of argument that Sullivan was unfair. I don’t think that he was — and no one disputes the dugout fight, etc. Do you think Bruce Miles did the same? Really?
Again, what was their motive? How about Muskat? Wittenmeyer? Give me a motive.
Where does it say he was making a scene? How do you know that he wasn’t going ballistic? Do you have a clip of the play?
Sullivan’s interview was well into Bradley’s tenure and you are extrapolating that to say that he had something against him from day one – with nothing to support it. Again, I don’t think Sullivan’s that good, but if this were a newspaper, your claim would be tantamount to slander.
by Shanghai Badger on May 9, 2011 7:55 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
I can't answer for the "majority",
But I gave him a chance, even though I had misgivings about his deal to begin with and was against it. I was hoping he would come through and prove me wrong, that he was a different person. That ended up being a false hope.
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on May 9, 2011 6:41 PM CDT up reply actions
Lets say this is true.
Its not like the man existed in a bubble. He had a history coming in, the burden to show he was a changed man was his. He clearly wasn’t.
For the record, I HATED the signing. Mainly because of the years, but also because he showed he was a cancer for damn near every team he played with. I still attempted to give him a chance, but he was sulking and bitching by the end of his first week.
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
Do you know how bad Milton Bradley was?
He made you say “Wow, Todd Hundley wasn’t such a bad deal.” THAT is bad!
by jeffmills1972 on May 9, 2011 9:28 PM CDT up reply actions
Nice try, Milton.
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on May 9, 2011 4:51 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Unfortunately, many teams will not learn the lesson...
Everyone wants to win and there’s nothing wrong with that. But when you are willing to pursue guys like Milton Bradley, Gary Sheffield, Albert Belle or Julian Tavarez and others and overlook their track record in exchange for wins, you’re always going to pay for it down the road. There’s a reason why guys like Milton Bradley are “well-traveled.” Do you think it’s coincidental that Kevin Mitchell played with so many teams in his career? Did he have talent? Absolutely. But more than that he had a bad attitude and no matter where he went, he took his emotional baggage along with his physical baggage. Sure, there are some guys who act like jerks early in their career like Garry Templeton in St. Louis, but to his credit, he turned his career around in San Diego. By all accounts, he was a very well-liked player and a clubhouse leader after leaving St. Louis. So, sometimes a change in scenery can help improve a player’s attitude. However, Milton Bradley had a track record EVERYWHERE he played. It was the same old story every time and when I found out that the Cubs were interested, my first response was “Please don’t.” I would have went after Abreu because he was a much better player offensive and defensively and he killed the ball at Wrigley. He also was more familiar with the National League and while he may have been aloof on the field at times, his attitude was 100% better than Bradley’s. Bradley was never happy anywhere he went. Gary Sheffield was another one who was never happy. Oh, he was happy when he got to a team, but within a few months or a year later he was complaining about something. I don’t care how many home runs guys like Bradley, Sheffield, Belle, etc. hit in a season. I don’t care if they break records or win MVP Awards. I’d rather have 25 guys like Derrek Lee and Ryan Dempster.
by jeffmills1972 on May 9, 2011 9:22 PM CDT up reply actions
Omar Vizquel played for a lot of teams too.
Bradley didn’t work out because Hendry signed a fragile DH to play RF.
"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"
Exactly
DeRosa must be just an awful guy too, he’s played for 6 teams now.
This is your dumbest argument yet.
Seriously, for someone who claims you’re not defending Milton Bradley, you’re working awful hard to defend him.
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on May 10, 2011 3:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Haha
I’m only making fun of his statement above that “well-traveled” guys all have bad attitudes.
And my argument about Bradley is far from dumb.
Your argument about Bradley boils down to
“People were mean to him, and you should just believe me because I can’t provide anything to back up my statements”
If it’s not dumb, its certainly lacking
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on May 10, 2011 4:20 PM CDT up reply actions
No. I read your posts.
That was the gist, ending with:
Sorry, but you’ll have to take my word for it. Because I think you just don’t remember reading them, or you skipped them all together.
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on May 10, 2011 4:27 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm done arguing. You obviously don't want to have a real discussion.
I’ve seen plenty of you’re post on here to know you don’t use rational thought.
Bye.
Coming to this late.
The S-T story early in 2009 talking about racism and the Cubs was pretty inflammatory. On that one story, I think the media erred (and, by that, I mean the S-T erred).
But other than that, I don’t remember reading too much that was out of bounds. Bradley got ejected in his first game at Wrigley, and pretty much was a sideshow all season, culminating in the Miles interview.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
I remember almost zero positive articles about Bradley. In his whole time here.
Almost all of them dwelled on his past. I don’t see how that is going to get the fans of his new team to want to support him.
Yes, it is also Bradley’s responsibility to earn it. But he could have used some help, which he didn’t get. From anyone.
They didn't dwell on his past.
They focused on his bad performance (he was way of his 2008 numbers), his blowups and his mental mistakes (remember when he tossed a ball into the stands with two outs?).
It’s hard to write positive articles about someone who doesn’t do anything positive.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Their reporters, it's their job to find something.
I’m sure Milton isn’t the most evil man on the planet. So I find it hard to believe everything he did was negative.
I just can’t get over the fact that Sullivan admitted he covered Bradley terribly. That’s just insane for a writer to admit that.
It's their job to find positive stories?
I’m sorry, that’s just 100 percent false. Considering what he did on the field and in the clubhouse in 2009, the beat writers have no responsibility to sugar coat things. They’re weren’t Milton’s PR handlers.
You can argue they focused too much on the negative. I disagree, but I understand the argument. But you can’t honestly expect any reporter to try to dig for positive stories from a guy who mostly wouldn’t give them the time of day.
Now, Sullivan shouldn’t have said what he said. But I think you’re drawing too many conclusions about ALL the beat writers based on Sully’s comments.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
by elgato on May 10, 2011 4:53 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
*They weren't
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Nailed it
lj is being more than a bit disingenuous here. He’s criticizing reporters for not “finding something” positive. Reporters — root word is “report”.
This in almost the same breath that he implies they falsely wrote bad things about him.
by Shanghai Badger on May 11, 2011 7:47 AM CDT up reply actions
Greened, my friend.. I'm glad you were the first to comment..
Perhaps it muted at least some of the weird Lord of the Flies business that happens when people feel like they have to parade around a ‘villain’ and pile on with barbaric chanting. Milton Bradley is ultmately responsible for himself and his actions, and the lost talent and burned bridges in his life are real tragedies. But there are few people here who know what it’s like to walk in the shoes of mental illness, but maybe some of you know people who suffer through the hell of that – I guarantee that any negative vibes he gave anyone else in this world is nothing compared to what he lives through himself. Does it excuse bad behavior? No. Does it mean we have to have a big bonfire and start lobbing fireballs at the guy? I think this type of reaction says more about us than it does about him.
Aren’t we better than this?
At $300 million, I don't want Albert Pujols anywhere near the Cubs.
by DisCUBbobulated on May 9, 2011 10:42 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
to add fuel to whatever fire...
I’m tired of hearing about his “mental illness”, he is an angry and bitter human being…i see a lot of those people on a daily basis. Maybe he’s got a chemical imbalance, just because someone cant get along with anyone doesnt mean he’s mentally ill. it means he has a bad attitude. maybe he takes a paxil or a lexapro to correct the imbalance. stop ( and this is not just directed at you Discub) giving the man a crutch. chemical imbalances are not necessarily mental illnesses.
"There had to be a place where the game could be fun again….that place is called Wrigley Field"---Andre Dawson
One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought your ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth. Joe Garagiola
It's not a crutch, it's on him to deal with.. That's why I said iit doesn't excuse his bad behavior.
Psychiatrists/counselors diagnose people with manic depression, psychotic disorders, depressoin, etc, and treat them with both drugs that alter brain chemistry and counseling – both of which require diagnosis with something. It really is an illness, not an excuse. If he didn’t have more than a little issue, it wouldn’t keep coming up. Getting out of the spotlight is probably a good thing for Milton, and I’m really just urging people to let him walk out that door without stoning him and taking a few hateful potshots on the way out.
At $300 million, I don't want Albert Pujols anywhere near the Cubs.
by DisCUBbobulated on May 10, 2011 1:03 PM CDT up reply actions
The nicest thing I can say about Milton Bradley is that
he’s my Least Favorite Cub of All-Time.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
by dtpollitt on May 9, 2011 4:47 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
and he never RSVP'd to a single Soup Club.
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on May 9, 2011 4:51 PM CDT up reply actions
Full disclosure:
Nobody’s every at Soup Club besides SWL and I.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
That's because you don't invite anyone else
Well, except Milton, apparently
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
We do have an application form, if you're interested.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
Eh
No thanks. I never was much of a soup guy. You kids have fun, though.
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root
Word is it's pretty much them feeding each other minestrone with the same spoon.
GM's are in charge of Managers, not the other way around.
pictures or it never happened
Chronologically inept since 2060
Q: Why did Chuck Norris cross the road?
A: Ditka
Ditka's mustache can block a Chuck Norris round house
Ditka's mustache can kill two stones with one bird
that's so disturbing.
"There had to be a place where the game could be fun again….that place is called Wrigley Field"---Andre Dawson
One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought your ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth. Joe Garagiola
I'm a big MB fan.
Got his jersey and everything.
GM's are in charge of Managers, not the other way around.
And those on Lookout Landing said the people on BCB were nuts....
…that Milton was misunderstood and just wanted to play baseball and be left alone. Exactly some of the thoughts coming from Cubs camp when we signed him. He’s fooled a lot of teams (and fans).
My one memory of him is him playing catch with a ball girl in the outfield and her throwing the ball over Bradley’s head. Bradley didn’t jump for the ball…..and he didn’t go retrieve it….and he didn’t play catch the rest of the game with that ball girl or anyone. It was just strange to see someone react like that in the major leagues. Like an 8 year old.
There have been your fair share of “surly” grown men in baseball’s history, but Bradley went beyond a temperament. You truly have to feel there’s a medical problem with him.
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
I'm not sure you're hoping for the right lesson, Al.
I’m not sure you can extrapolate anything from Milton’s character when we get into What Lessons Jim Hendry Has Learned. He’s such an exaggerated example. It’s like saying that an investor should learn his lesson because he bet all his money on the stock market the day before the crash in 1929.
I hope the real lesson Hendry learns is to not bid against himself. Bradley was a mistake, but the biggest mistake was to give him three years (the third year was easily attainable) when nobody else was willing to come close to that. Had Hendry given Bradley one or maybe two years, the mistake would have been significantly less expensive and probably wouldn’t have come with the fun consolation prize of Carlos Silva.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
by elgato on May 9, 2011 4:52 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
I hope the real lesson Hendry learns is to not bid against himself.
Yes, that would be a good lesson, too. Perhaps the fact that he gave Carlos Pena a one-year deal is a hint that this lesson has been learned.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
Eh ...
I was just thinking about that. Granted, Pena didn’t get multiple years, but were there other teams willing to pay close to as much (I honestly don’t remember). Also, I’d say the Nady and Grabow signings don’t give Hendry much rope …
BTW, Al, I’m fine with going after character guys, and I think it’s important. I just think Bradley is such a far-out example.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Unless after Pena puts up something like .216/.329/.445 with 27 HRs and Hendry then gives him a 3 year deal.
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on May 9, 2011 5:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, unless.
But I don’t see that happening — I don’t see Pena here after this year no matter what he does.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
I'll remember this comment.
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on May 9, 2011 5:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Pena's age probably will keep it from happening.
The Bradley contract was ridiculous, but he was only 30 at the time it was signed.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
If Pena's here next year, the team is doomed.
GM's are in charge of Managers, not the other way around.
agreed
(unless pena makes a huge turn-around…and quickly!)
I didn't understand the "white-collar Cub fans", "blue-collar Sox fans" until much later in life. Harry Smith~ "For Cubs Fans Only".
How could it happen?
The Cubs have a ton of money coming off the books. They are locked in across the outfield, up the middle, at catcher, at possibly five rotation spots, in the high-money spots in the pen …
So, unless there’s a third baseman who would a) cost some money and b) bring in the fans, I don’t see how the Cubs don’t bid for Fielder and/or Pujols.
The only way Pena’s back is if the Cubs try and fail to land the other guys.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
I completely agree.
Which is why the team would be doomed.
GM's are in charge of Managers, not the other way around.
At this rate, with attendance at Wrigley ...
the Cubs will have to spend on a big-name free agent, and there aren’t that many positions open other than first (and there aren’t many good free agent third baseman).
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Or,
With attendance like it us so far management cannot sign any F.A. because we don’t have the budget. I’m beginning to trust our farm system more than some move Hendry may make.
We'll miss you Big Boy. #10 for Hall of Fame.
"some move Hendry may make"
What makes you think Hendry will still be here?
Trade me right f@#$ing now!
They way I see it...
…Ricketts is on his way towards a decrease in revenue this year of somewhere in the $12-20 million dollar range.
If her would have invested a couple mil per year in the front office two years ago, he may not be in this spot right now and the organization would have had 1.5 – 2 years at least getting back on track.
Now, some are saying he will have to make a big splash in the offseason to get the fans back and he will need to do that with less revenue. If folks are expecting another payroll North of 140 mil, I wouldn’t bank on it. In fact, I’ll wager the 2012 payroll isn’t even close to that number.
Lastly, making a splash in FA (with money coming off the books) is not going to save this team or make the core organization stronger. As I have said, take care of the top, and the rest will take care of itself.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Regarding payroll...
… around $50 million is coming off the books at the end of this season. That will give them some payroll flexibility even if the payroll is less than $140 million.
You’re right that a splash in FA (Pujols or Fielder, I presume you’re talking about) won’t solve all the problems. However, it will help ticket sales and thus help the revenue issues.
You’re also right that the entire organization must be stronger. They have made some moves in that direction. We’ll see what happens at the end of this year.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
honest question regarding Fielder...
I know it’s not even the same ballpark as Bradley, but Fielder comes with some anger issues as well. or am i just remembering the one incident he tried to get into the other teams clubhouse and expanding it?
"There had to be a place where the game could be fun again….that place is called Wrigley Field"---Andre Dawson
One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought your ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth. Joe Garagiola
Fielder comes with anger issues?
Where did you arrive at that conclusion?
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
Didn't he chase a Dodgers player into THEIR clubhouse?
He’s also gotten into a couple of dugout fights.
He’s got a temper. It’s no where near Bradley’s
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on May 10, 2011 9:53 AM CDT up reply actions
yeah, that was my question Al...
where am i coming up with this(again, honest question)? was it just the one incident with the clubhouse chase or are there other incidents that i cant recall..I thought he’s blown up a few times, but then i also remember him tipping his hat to Reed after the catch…
"There had to be a place where the game could be fun again….that place is called Wrigley Field"---Andre Dawson
One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought your ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth. Joe Garagiola
I don't recall, either.
My impression of Fielder is that he’s a decent guy, pretty fan friendly, who has had an incident or two.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
I think that he is a good guy
But I think that he does have anger issues.
He tried to get into the Dodger clubhouse and he went after Manny Parra in the dugout (in Cincy, IIRC) a few years ago.
by Shanghai Badger on May 10, 2011 11:19 AM CDT up reply actions
Some moves...
…just won’t get it done, they need to make the right move at the top so things can trickle down to get things in order.
If it were me, I wouldn’t touch Pujols for the money it will require. His best years are likely behind him and I also think he is a high risk for injury (and has shown signs of this).
Let’s assume the payroll next year is around 120 mil (don’t see it being higher than that), if you give Pujols what it will require, you are talking about 25% of your payroll going to a guy on the downside of his career.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
it was a no brainer to give pena 1 year
Vote Koyie Hill for 2011 NL All-Star Team Starting First Basemen!
by jesus christos on May 9, 2011 5:07 PM CDT up reply actions
not to mention i doubt boras would have allowed anything other than 1 year
Vote Koyie Hill for 2011 NL All-Star Team Starting First Basemen!
by jesus christos on May 9, 2011 5:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Unless Pena boosts his avg
that one-yr deal might work against him. (Would serve Boras right)
I didn't understand the "white-collar Cub fans", "blue-collar Sox fans" until much later in life. Harry Smith~ "For Cubs Fans Only".
if pena can hit 30+ HRs this year
some idiot will give him a nice contract
Vote Koyie Hill for 2011 NL All-Star Team Starting First Basemen!
by jesus christos on May 9, 2011 5:14 PM CDT up reply actions
I think that's what he hoped
when getting a contract to bat 81 gms at Wrigley. Now he’s here, he’s just gotta do it!
I didn't understand the "white-collar Cub fans", "blue-collar Sox fans" until much later in life. Harry Smith~ "For Cubs Fans Only".
same could be said for many a Cub whose been signed in the last 3 years :(
by Madison Cub Fan on May 9, 2011 5:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Hello M C F
OT- Thanks for the C.M. “Heads-up” the other day.
I didn't understand the "white-collar Cub fans", "blue-collar Sox fans" until much later in life. Harry Smith~ "For Cubs Fans Only".
Not a problem :)
Totally OT I bet you can guess what we watched when we were home Easter tivo’d LOL
by Madison Cub Fan on May 9, 2011 5:14 PM CDT up reply actions
Haha!
Nice way to spend Easter! :] Marathon Crim. Minds!
I didn't understand the "white-collar Cub fans", "blue-collar Sox fans" until much later in life. Harry Smith~ "For Cubs Fans Only".
Well...
If they did not have it already, I would hope that they would have developed and implement a Risk Management System when it comes to player acquistion. If player character was not already part of it, integrate it into the system.
Likewise, similar to a tip card, make Hendry carry around a Risk Cube Card in his wallet…Then, when Jim is at the Bar trying to make a deal, he can pull the card out to help guide him in his decision making process.
"All I want is food and creative love" - Rusted Root
by TheRiot Police on May 10, 2011 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions
He's got one but it's a slightly different model - it's black and round, almost softball sized. Oh and you have to shake it first...
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I don't want to bash Bradley
But he was the single worst Cub I recall being interviewed. I almost felt sorry for the writers. I do recall, at one point, thinking: If Milton just said" I’m Sorry", Cub Nation would forgive him…never happened.
I didn't understand the "white-collar Cub fans", "blue-collar Sox fans" until much later in life. Harry Smith~ "For Cubs Fans Only".
whats so hard to understand?
he is an evil, sinister, violent nut case. hendry learned something in his mid 50’s that most people learn in their teens. how did hendry get this GM job anyway? i cant think f 1 great player he is responsible for drafting or developing, nor any good trades or free agent signings nor hiring a good manager
'Evil and sinister'?
This guy isn’t a Sith lord, for God’s sake.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Elgato- Are
you sure he’s not a Sith Lord??? :]
I didn't understand the "white-collar Cub fans", "blue-collar Sox fans" until much later in life. Harry Smith~ "For Cubs Fans Only".
Let's not forget that the "baseball genius"
Billy Beane, traded Andre Either for Bradley.
I Guess I am on the Other Side
I say wait until the DFA period is up and then sign him as an unrestricted free agent. He’d be a step up for the team and maybe Quade can control him better. We haven’t heard a lot of “grumble” from Soriano this year even though he’s no longer leading off and the “lynch Pena” talk has also been kept in control by Quade.
by frustratedfan on May 9, 2011 5:18 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
Wait, what?
Seriously? A step up? The man is hitting .218/.313/.356 with 31 K in 101 at-bats.
He’s done.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
Has There Been Another Player...
with the utter attitude problems to the extent Bradley has had? That’s not to say that Zambrano hasn’t had more than his fair share of flareups. Even Zambrano hasn’t been as bad as Bradley. Joaquin Andujar wasn’t as bad as Bradley. Moises Alou? I don’t think so. Bradley appears to be in a category all by himself.
2011 - The 103rd time is the charm.
Broadstreet Bullies is about as close as i can get
maybe Charles Martin of the Packers, but none in baseball that i can think of. Then again had there been internet, blogs, mass media, national coverage 24/7 of their every move, I would bet Reggie Jackson would top the list
Chronologically inept since 2060
Q: Why did Chuck Norris cross the road?
A: Ditka
Ditka's mustache can block a Chuck Norris round house
Ditka's mustache can kill two stones with one bird
Broad St. Bullies?
Don’t ever remember them playing the victim BS game-board has done countless times. The 73-74 & 74-75 Flyers teams were rugged, mean-ass hockey players that beat the shit out of all opponents. Not once could I remember them blaming someone else for something they did.
The information age sure does accelerate things though but the point remains game-board thinks he’s a victim. I don’t believe he’s disturbed mentally, he’s just so full of shit he makes toilets envious.
Just win the next game...!
i was just looking at issues
not playing “woe is me” in the process
Chronologically inept since 2060
Q: Why did Chuck Norris cross the road?
A: Ditka
Ditka's mustache can block a Chuck Norris round house
Ditka's mustache can kill two stones with one bird
Heres the diffirence. Teammates LOVE Zambrano
He’s a great guy, a family man, and from everything I’ve heard them say, fun to be around(not to mention he’s a hell of a competitor). Bradley was simply not likable. Even as hard as teammates tried, I imagine their conversations were short and not sweet. Not a great impression on his teammates, he did some wonder on Hendry though. I don’t know how he struck him as “charming”.
by braziliancubsfan on May 9, 2011 11:05 PM CDT up reply actions
you know it is bad when even A-Ram speaks up
By all that's holy, I am going to attend the 2012 Randy Hundley Fantasy Camp.
you forgot the sarcasm button...
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on May 9, 2011 5:22 PM CDT up reply actions
Everything about this post makes me say WTF
I mean seriously, this is a joke, right?
www.facebook.com/craighudak
by Craig in South Bend on May 9, 2011 5:55 PM CDT up reply actions
You're joking, right?
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on May 9, 2011 6:12 PM CDT up reply actions
AHAHAHAHAHA
What an awesome reply. Bravo sir!
www.facebook.com/craighudak
by Craig in South Bend on May 9, 2011 6:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Well if this has an ounce of seriousness
Bradley becomes a Cub, you think there is empty seats now. I am sure the clubhouse would welcome Old Miltie back with open arms.
AAGGGGHHHHH MLB NETWORK JUST AGREED JETER IS ONE OF THE "BEST" DEFENSIVE SHORTSTOPS IN BASEBALL.
“Still amongst the better—if not best—defensive shortstops in baseball.”
“Ask any player or manager or coach—fundamentally sound.”
We need a sabermetric talking head more than ever.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
if a bunch of washed up former players said it
it must be true!
Vote Koyie Hill for 2011 NL All-Star Team Starting First Basemen!
by jesus christos on May 9, 2011 5:19 PM CDT up reply actions
lol
What? Mitch Williams and Harold Reynolds don’t like talking stats? That’s crazy talk.
Verducci, some other guy, and Ripken's brother.
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
Sabermetrics doesn't do Jeter favors on defense
But what are people seeing? They’re looking at the fact that he’s cut down on errors over the years. But as we know, fielding percentage is a pretty poor defensive metric.
RIP Ronnie James Dio (July 10, 1942 - May 16, 2010) and Ron Santo (February 25, 1940-December 2, 2010).
If you disagree with me in any way, you are wrong.
Fair Enough
Jeter may do a good job fielding balls he gets to, but there’s no question that Jeter doesn’t have the range he used to.
2011 - The 103rd time is the charm.
The lesson, as always...
…is that Jim Hendry and a checkbook are a dangerous combination.
It's 106 miles to Chicago...
I would add...
…don’t be afraid to do your due dilligence.
All the stats and behavorial history were right there for everyone to see and it flew right over Jim Hendry’s head.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Something respectful about Milton?
I remember a story where he lost a bet to Ryan Theriot and he had to wear an LSU shirt or jersey. He honored his bets.
RIP Ronnie James Dio (July 10, 1942 - May 16, 2010) and Ron Santo (February 25, 1940-December 2, 2010).
If you disagree with me in any way, you are wrong.
Unfortunately he apparently didn't pay rent.
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
so he is available?
GETITDONE!
Chronologically inept since 2060
Q: Why did Chuck Norris cross the road?
A: Ditka
Ditka's mustache can block a Chuck Norris round house
Ditka's mustache can kill two stones with one bird
The look on Wedge's face says it all.
I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. -J.R.R. Tolkien
actually, the photo above looks photoshopped...
Wedge’s eyes are narrower than the same photo I posted in the fan shot comments … FWIW
I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. -J.R.R. Tolkien
Two different pictures taken almost simultaneously, methinks.
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on May 9, 2011 6:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Yes.
That’s not a photoshopped picture — it’s right from the photo editor we have.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
Aside from Abreu and Ibanez...
…couldn’t we have gotten Adam Dunn at the time for the same annual salary? Woulda, coulda, shoulda.
"I always tell the truth -- Even when I lie" -- Tony Montana
Dunn in right at Wrigley?
Pass.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
by elgato on May 9, 2011 6:21 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions 3 recs
Woulda been a lot better than what Hendry got us.
"I always tell the truth -- Even when I lie" -- Tony Montana
That's like saying we should have bought a Pinto instead of a Gremlin ...
when a Cadillac (Abreu) could have been had for a better price.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
rec
Chronologically inept since 2060
Q: Why did Chuck Norris cross the road?
A: Ditka
Ditka's mustache can block a Chuck Norris round house
Ditka's mustache can kill two stones with one bird
Yes, I'd have taken him.
Bad as he was, the offense would have made up for the defense. Plus, you could have taken him out after the 7th inning most games you’re ahead in for Reed Johnson or another better outfielder.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
Bad as he was, the offense would have made up for the defense.
I’m not going to rehash the numbers on this one but you’re wrong here. You’re vastly underrating defense if you believe this.
I realize Dunn is a terrible outfielder, and was in 2009.
But the offense he could have put up in Wrigley would have dwarfed the defensive issues. I saw the numbers. I still think it would have been a better signing.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
You and I have debated this before.
Maybe you make this signing if Wrigley wasn’t considered to have the toughest right field in baseball AND if CF in 2009 wasn’t going to be Kosuke/RJ. That would have been the worst defensive outfield in recent memory.
Also, Lee was signed through 2010, so the Cubs could have had Dunn in right for TWO seasons.
The Cubs should have signed Bobby Abreu.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
I never liked the signing to begin with.
When I heard the Cubs signed MB, I quite literally was wondering what was up with my team. I was here at BCB then, but I almost never commented, but my comments would have been like this:
MB has too much of a checkered past. If you check his career, it seemed he burned bridges everywhere he went. When the Cubs did sign him, the incident that was fresh in my mind was when he went off at an umpire and blew out his knee. I thought he was too up-front and too emotional to handle playing in Chicago.
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on May 9, 2011 6:15 PM CDT reply actions
"he couldn't enjoy playing in a city where fans will love you if you contribute"
I guess I was a Bradley apologist; I was certainly one who was trying to get everyone to give him a fair chance. It’s clear to me now that nothing short of unqualified success and universal acknowledgement of same would have made him happy here—if anything would.
That said, I’ll echo the comments of a few above that assert that he was not the only one to blame for the negativity surrounding him here. I think a lot of people never gave him a chance. I now think he wouldn’t have taken it if they had. But I still like to give people the benefit of the doubt.
This is a city where the fans will love you if you contribute, but it is increasingly a city with fans who will boo you if you fail to exceed expectations. It is a city with a vocal minority who will shout vile things at you if you don’t overcome their inherent dislike for the color of your skin.
Bottom line. I don’t think he deserved the reception he got in Chicago. But he did seem to fight like hell to earn it before he left.
Personally, I hope this means we can finally stop talking about him.
There were a lot of times in
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
by elgato on May 9, 2011 6:24 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I gave him a chance,
Even though I didn’t like signing him in the first place. But all that year, I wondered if—or when—the eventual MB incident would occur. It happened in September, as we all know.
In a game in San Francisco I went to, a guy behind me was chanting, among other things, “Milton Bradley!”
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on May 9, 2011 6:31 PM CDT up reply actions
PHOTO CAPTION: Seattle Manager Eric Wedge pulls Milton Bradley's string in order to play one of the pre-recorded witty remarks stored on the See'n Say in his brain.
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on May 9, 2011 6:23 PM CDT reply actions 3 recs
HA!
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on May 9, 2011 6:31 PM CDT up reply actions
*Pulls string*
“GET OUTTA MY FACE!”
"What the hell, let's review it." - Dale Tallon
"They are!" - Pat Foley
"What a farce." - Dale Tallon
So many wrong players
Bradley was such a terrible signing from Day One. Most teams wouldn’t want him for his checkered past, and we gave him $30 million and three years.
We give $10 mil to players who can’t hit .200. I defy anyone to provide evidence that Pena could have gotten more than $4 million anywhere else.
Are we supposed to believe that these players just get bad or go insane when they arrive HERE? Pena, Jacques Jones, Alfonzo Soriano…. So many wrong players, just lining up one after another to contribute to the new century of failure.
We can say shoulda, coulda, woulda all we want. Because it’s true! Abreu, Ibanez, Berkman, Dunn – how about any of them? Scott Hamilton, McGehee, Nolasco – players that we had in our possession, just given away. Somebody is a poor judge of talent and value, and it generally comes down to Hendry’s idea of what makes a good ballplayer being very much wrong – looking at “skills and potential” over actual numbers and results and in the case of Bradley, personality issues were ignored. Who really believed he could handle being a Cub?
I’m just counting the days. Ricketts is counting the empty seats, so now I know it’s safe to start counting the days until Hendry “resigns”. I’m not saying the next guy will be any better either, because I think the new owners have proven NOTHING to indicate any kind of improvement on the horizon. And you can say Hendry has been better than many. But not with the highest payroll in the NL Central, for several years running.
Hendry is inept. Big money available next year – we need a better guy to spend it. A guy who has the patience over a span of a couple of years to not “take the best guy available this year” instead of waiting for the right things to happen next year and beyond.
Hack Wilson IX
by KO Stradivarius on May 9, 2011 6:34 PM CDT reply actions 6 recs
Finally, a voice of reason.
Read the above, look at the money given to Peña and it’s obvious that Hendry didn’t learn the Bradley lesson.
by Fraggin Judge on May 9, 2011 8:38 PM CDT up reply actions
I disagree with this almost entirely, but
if you’re going to make the argument that SCOTT Hamilton was “just given away” by the Cubs, at least take solace that he won a figure-skating gold medal.
by Not Bruce Froemming on May 9, 2011 8:42 PM CDT up reply actions
Well, why, exactly
do you disagree with this almost entirely? Hack’s post is very well thought out, and is on point, so I’m curious to what fault you find with this.
www.facebook.com/craighudak
by Craig in South Bend on May 9, 2011 8:52 PM CDT up reply actions
Because I think most of it is second-guessing
and false tropes, like the Cubs “having” Josh Hamilton, the McGehee BS and hanging Hendry for the kind of deals every GM makes.
The Bradley stuff is the only good point. I was willing to give him a chance, and he showed he didn’t deserve it.
by Not Bruce Froemming on May 9, 2011 8:59 PM CDT up reply actions
Oh and I also agree with the part about "handling being a Cub"
I’m not sure too many players can handle that anymore, to be honest.
by Not Bruce Froemming on May 9, 2011 9:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Yes, those poor, poor multimillionares are expected to do things like
drive in a run when a guy’s on 3rd, and not run into outs on the basepaths.
THE HORROR!!!!!
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on May 10, 2011 9:54 AM CDT up reply actions
Secong guessing?
Did you not roll your eyes at the Soriano signing, knowing it was too much money and too many years for a player with half a toolbox? I could go on, but just try to think of a deal that made you feel GREAT! Not since Ramirez and Lofton, I’d say.
I was confused, in the post-Sosa era, when we were desperate for outfielders, that we wouldn’t give a talent like Hamilton a chance, but the real problem was giving him to a division rival. So, no, I first-guessed on tgat one, personally. And McGehee – he had a very good callup and we had no backup at third, meaning Fontenot. Why let him go? In favor of bizarre projects like Chad Fox on tge 40-man? We sure roster a ton of crappy, injured pitchers.
Hack Wilson IX
by KO Stradivarius on May 9, 2011 9:19 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
McGehee was 4 for 24 on his "very good callup"....
…and showed nothing of they type of player he is today.
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on May 10, 2011 4:51 AM CDT up reply actions
which many over look while using him as a point of griping
Chronologically inept since 2060
Q: Why did Chuck Norris cross the road?
A: Ditka
Ditka's mustache can block a Chuck Norris round house
Ditka's mustache can kill two stones with one bird
Because there was still no need to release him
he had options
I guess I'm just a worrier, that's why my friends call me whiskers
by Nunyabidness on May 10, 2011 9:50 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, but if they noticed that,
then they wouldn’t be able to gripe, and that would ruin their day.
by Not Bruce Froemming on May 10, 2011 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions
The Scott Hamilton Signing
You don’t remember? Zell hired him to stand as a jockey on his lawn.
Hack Wilson IX
by KO Stradivarius on May 9, 2011 9:06 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
every time someone says the cubs gave hamilton away
i kill a puppy
Vote Koyie Hill for 2011 NL All-Star Team Starting First Basemen!
by jesus christos on May 9, 2011 9:01 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I know, move on
I’m just trying to illustrate the kinds of things Hendry does as a rule that don’t make sense.
Essentially there is no way to move on and look to the future, because I now know to expect more of the same every year.
Hack Wilson IX
by KO Stradivarius on May 9, 2011 9:23 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Look up the Hamilton story
for your own good, please.
by Not Bruce Froemming on May 9, 2011 9:28 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I know all about it
It’s heartwarming, in a sort of a Charlie Sheen meets Jose Canseco kind of way.
Hack Wilson IX
by KO Stradivarius on May 9, 2011 10:05 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Read the chapter where we DIDN'T give him away...
Nobody cares about your fantasy baseball team
by carmen_fanzone on May 10, 2011 4:52 AM CDT up reply actions
now you are asking to use actual facts
crazy thoughts
Chronologically inept since 2060
Q: Why did Chuck Norris cross the road?
A: Ditka
Ditka's mustache can block a Chuck Norris round house
Ditka's mustache can kill two stones with one bird
Why you gotta be like that?
Why not a kitten?
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
does this mean we can resign him once he clears waivers
and trade him for Carlos Silva?
Chronologically inept since 2060
Q: Why did Chuck Norris cross the road?
A: Ditka
Ditka's mustache can block a Chuck Norris round house
Ditka's mustache can kill two stones with one bird
I would stop being a Cubs fan if that happened.
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on May 9, 2011 7:17 PM CDT up reply actions
Heartily agreed
I didn't understand the "white-collar Cub fans", "blue-collar Sox fans" until much later in life. Harry Smith~ "For Cubs Fans Only".
Age and War
I think the reasons that Hendry focused on Bradley after 2008 are the typical ones – current age and expected future value:
2008 Season
Bradley = 30 years old and WAR = 5.1
Abreau = 34 years old and WAR = 3.1
Ibanez = 36 years old and WAR = 2.4
Hendry wanted to sign a left handed bat to a multi-year contract. Maybe not the right idea at the time, but it’s what he wanted to do. If Hendry had signed signed Abreau or Ibanez to a multi-year deal, he would have been roasted in the press.
Hendry might have convinced himself that Bradley’s troubles were manageable and that he could be successful in Chicago, even with the tougher media environment. Given the lack of left-handed bat options for a multi-year contract, Hendry convinced himself that Bradley was more than just a dinner guest.
"Easy on the words, brother,'' Quade said.
sheesh, Al - I thought you were done with [redacted]
Only lesson I see here is the futility of beating a dead horse (or printer for Office Space fans), but apparently nobody’s learning it. The fanshot wasn’t enough – a main page post was needed too? Will there be an update 10 days from now to let us know whether or not any team was fool enough to pick him up?
Leave the man be.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
by ballhawk on May 9, 2011 7:36 PM CDT reply actions 9 recs
I can't rec this enough.
Let’s put him in the category of HWSNBN. We shouldn’t give him the time of day.
Fasten those seat belts...
(Name redacted): "Can you tell me the time?"
Cubs Nation: “Yes.”
Pause
(Name redacted): Well?
Cubs Nation: “Well, WHAT? We answered your original question.”
There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. Who says baseball isn't a religion?
rec
Chronologically inept since 2060
Q: Why did Chuck Norris cross the road?
A: Ditka
Ditka's mustache can block a Chuck Norris round house
Ditka's mustache can kill two stones with one bird
Green'ed.
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on May 9, 2011 7:41 PM CDT up reply actions
I've commented in the article, but I do agree with what you're saying
And I’m not convinced that Hendry’s learned anything from any of his mistakes. His biggest issue is that he focuses on the problem du jour, and he fails to see how that impedes long-term planning.
Remember his obsession with left-handedness? No, no . . . the first time. When the Cubs kept Todd “Those Mean Guys On T.V. Are Being Mean” Walker instead of Mark Grudzielanek for 2004. Then he realized that character probably mattered a little bit. Lather, rinse, repeat.
by Shanghai Badger on May 9, 2011 7:50 PM CDT up reply actions
Slow news day
and this is a forum, after all. MB is a part of Cubs history now, and if it looks like his career may be over, why not see if anyone is up for a discussion about it? I get what you’re saying though, and hope this will be the last of it, until he apologizes…I’ll wait until everyone is done laughing. :)
www.facebook.com/craighudak
by Craig in South Bend on May 9, 2011 8:55 PM CDT up reply actions
Agreed with this
Why shouldn’t we discuss him? It’s not easy to forget someone you wasted 30 million dollars on for nothing
by braziliancubsfan on May 9, 2011 10:55 PM CDT up reply actions
There won't be another long article, though.
I presume this will end 10 days from now with his unconditional release.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
This is no surprise.
The man refuses to get the help that he needs. He was a marginal baseball player who was always hurt. In a 12 year career the man played over 120 games 3 times. And this is the player our GM gave 30M to over 3 years. It is truly one of the top 5 worst signings in MLB history.
I do not feel sorry for him one bit. People have reached out to him trying to understand Milton to no avail.
I sure hope Hendry, if back next year, Uses the checkbook more wisely than this horrible signing along with Grabow, Soriano and Miles.
There's a reason why he was "well-traveled"
I used to call him “Marco Polo” because he was always on a different team every year. The nicest guy who ever was well-traveled was Reggie Sanders. Sanders was a solid ballplayer and he was a guy who played the game the right way with the right attitude. But most guys like Bradley who change uniforms as much as George Clooney changes girlfriends are doing it for a reason. The problem is that so many teams now are DESPERATE for championships and they’ll throw logic out the window by signing these problem children to contracts. I don’t get it, but as long as they win, they’ll keep them. It’s the same thing with Manny Ramirez. All that “Manny being Manny” stuff I could have done without. I thought somebody should have given him a good kick in the rear and told him to knock that stuff out and play the game the right way. I know that the Red Sox didn’t like it, but as long as they were winning, they didn’t say anything about it. Only when teams start losing do they care. They will excuse bad behavior as long as they’re winning. The Dallas Cowboys of the ’90s were doing all sorts of bad things, but nobody cared until they stopped winning Super Bowls and started becoming perennial losers.
I want a clarification because sometimes I think it means different things to different people.
Since Ryno’s HOF speech I usually take “Playing the game the right way,” to mean playing without PEDs. But sometimes I think people mean it as a guy who hustles.
We have no way to know who played or is playing the game minus performance enhancers. We can, however, watch a player on the field and see whether he is hustling or not. We have no idea if Reggie Sanders played without PEDs. Unfortunately, everyone who played in a certain era falls under a loud of suspicion.
Reggie Sanders definitely bulked up quite a bit during his career. Maybe he just did it in the gym and with protein shakes. If the drug free definition is the one you’re going for, then unfortunately, he can’t possibly pass the test, having bulked up or not, for someone without intimate personal knowledge of his life.
We can only judge players by the second definition. That’s the one on the field that we can see with our own eyes.
Lou Piniella said it best...
Milton Bradley is a piece of shit. It really bothers me that an asshole like him is a multimillionaire, while some of the greatest people in the world are struggling to get by on a day to day basis.
Baseball is much, much better off without Milton Bradley.
by kanderber on May 9, 2011 9:38 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Why be bothered that he's a multi-millionaire? At least he had a skill that few possess.
Save your anger for the multi-billionaire hedge fund crowd that adds nothing to society whatsoever.
Money isn't everything!
Milton Bradley is a classic example of the old saying “Money doesn’t buy happiness”.
Agreed though that baseball is better off w/out him.
"I always tell the truth -- Even when I lie" -- Tony Montana
I wanted to like him. I really, really wanted to like him.
It was the middle of 7th grade for me, and I heard a classmate say to my science teacher, who was a Cubs fan “Milton Bradley sucks” After the first AB he had in Wrigley (which he got wrung up on a real close 3-2 pitch). I thought he just had a bad break. I cheered on for him until the middle of the season, and he failed in almost every critical spot. Yeah, and then those words really pissed me off about what he said about the Cubs and us fans. This guy created problems where there weren’t any. Just not a positive, good karma guy at all
by braziliancubsfan on May 9, 2011 10:36 PM CDT reply actions
Yeah
I thought he didn’t give much of a chance to him. We all didn’t really. Wouldn’t have mattered if we did, cuz Bradley just never came through.
by braziliancubsfan on May 10, 2011 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Just another indictment
Of the talent evaluation and hiring practices of the Chicago Cubs…..
As for Milton….I actually feel sorry for him…..let it go….it’s water under the bridge…Live in the windshield, not the rear view mirror
The best defense is a good offense.....
Dusty Baker is the only manager in the last 100+ years to lead the Cubs to a post season series win....
"Take the hands off the clock, we're gong to be here a while"
You wouldn't watch him as a broadcaster?
I totally would.
GM's are in charge of Managers, not the other way around.
Long years of practice?
If the Cubs still have a chance, no matter how small, it’s still Go Cubs, damn the math and pass the KoolAid.
despite all the warning signs Hendry overpaid for Bradley.....Most Cub fans saw the trainwreck coming and it happened.
It was not second guessing, it was first guessing and we right.Even the stupid beat writers knew it was wrong, that is why they were down on it from the start.
How did Hendry not see this when the rest of the world did?
And we are still paying Silva so it lives on.
My lesson of Milton Bradley....
Jim Hendry is a naive GM who is in over his head. He needs to go before he signs any more Bradley and Grabow type deals.
John Grabow: $4.8 million in 2011.
Yes!!!!!!!! Agreed!!!!!!!
"Don't shed any tears. You think about this: Here I am, the grandson of a slave. And here the whole world was excited about whether I was going into the Hall of Fame or not. We've come a long ways." BUCK O'NEIL
by HotDogDude on May 10, 2011 10:23 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I was at the game in Seattle on Sunday against the Sox,
On the drive from Safeco Field after the game I listened to a highly critical KIRO 710 sports crew slam MB repeatedly about his horrible throw to the plate and slammed the Mariners for allowing him to play LF. There were boo birds each time he came to the plate. Sad and self inflicted end to a ball players career who certainly had big league potential.
"Don't shed any tears. You think about this: Here I am, the grandson of a slave. And here the whole world was excited about whether I was going into the Hall of Fame or not. We've come a long ways." BUCK O'NEIL
by HotDogDude on May 10, 2011 10:22 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
In other news...
I just put an odd number of socks into the dryer. Take that, ye demons of the lint trap!!!
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I once ate some mayonayse that had expired and listen to Black Sabbath @ 78rpm....
I saw the place where the socks go.
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on May 10, 2011 2:56 PM CDT up reply actions
Lucy takes them.
I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. -J.R.R. Tolkien
Don't let the door hit ya MB...
#10 You will be missed.
by Bricks and Ivy on May 10, 2011 10:45 AM CDT reply actions
if the door did hit him
whose fault would it be?
"There had to be a place where the game could be fun again….that place is called Wrigley Field"---Andre Dawson
One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought your ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth. Joe Garagiola
the door would probably be a racist door
#10 You will be missed.
by Bricks and Ivy on May 10, 2011 2:24 PM CDT up reply actions
Milton Bradley is so unique that I think they only lesson you can draw from his signing is:
“Don’t sign Milton Bradley”
by Wreckard on May 10, 2011 11:24 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs
But is he unique?
Are there other players out there with MB personality traits? Ones that Hendry should avoid at all costs?
It doesn't seem so.
At least, I haven’t heard of any.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
My favorite memory of MB (and yes, I actually have one)
was when the Cubs were playing the Tigers in Detroit and Tiger fans began chanting “Candyland” at him when he was in the field and at the plate. You could almost see the steam coming out of his ears…
There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. Who says baseball isn't a religion?
Classic Onion story on Bradley from 6/01/10
Sarcasm, but prophetic:
ESPN Writer Changes City Names From Previous Story About Milton Bradley Finding Self In New Surroundings
http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/espn-writer-changes-city-names-from-previous-story,17520/
Not signing Abreu and signing MB
should have been enough to finally get Hendry fired.
I can only hope it happens this year.
Also I missed this earlier
Instead of signing Bobby Abreu or Raul Ibanez — both of whom could have been had less expensively
Raul Ibanez signed for more money and the same number of years as Bradley.* So, no, he probably couldn’t have been had less expensively.
Abreu was something of a market anomaly, by the time the off-season ended he was the last man standing. He could have easily started that year with a similar contract to Ibanez and Bradley. I don’t think anyone anywhere would have predicted him settling for a 1-year deal.
*This is also ignoring the fact that we needed a right fielder, a position Ibanez hasn’t played since 2002, and hasn’t played well ever.
OK, Abreu, then.
Hendry jumped the gun on a market that didn’t need to be jumped.
Further, the better choice — and the less expensive choice — would have been to re-sign Jim Edmonds.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
Either way, the Cubs likely wouldn't have won anything. So this seems pointless to go back and decide who MIGHT have worked out better.
On top of that, Bradley didn’t ruin the season all by himself. It was a large combination of things.
Nobody is blaming Bradley for ruining the season...
but having to dump him and pay him to go away while taking on Silva INSTEAD of just signing one of those other guys and keeping them for 3 years plays into this situation.
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on May 10, 2011 2:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Very true.
The whole Bradley situation is very strange. The Cubs took the best of the players available and it backfired. Bradley’s personality was just too much. But I still liked the idea of signing him.
He wasn't the best player available, given what the Cubs should have wanted and really needed.
And that is on Jim Hendry.
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on May 10, 2011 2:59 PM CDT up reply actions
quit screwing up his arguement swl...
"There had to be a place where the game could be fun again….that place is called Wrigley Field"---Andre Dawson
One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought your ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth. Joe Garagiola
I certainly didn't want Ibanez, Abreu, or Dunn in RF over Bradley.
Escpecially Ibanez or Dunn. lol
If you didn't want Abreu over Bradley, you were making a huge mistake in judgment.
Bradley was a complete misfit for what the Cubs were seeking, in every possible way.
Besides the Juan Pierre trade, it is the worst move Jim Hendry has made in his tenure as GM.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
Disagree
3 guaranteed years for someone as volatile as Bradley was dumb the day it was signed. If Hendry wanted to gamble with Bradley then he needed a out with a team option.
John Grabow: $4.8 million in 2011.
I also disagree.
And didn’t the contract have 3 years guaranteed if certain playing time was completed?
Either way, Bradley made the team better on paper, and projection wise than any of the others. Which is how I look at it.
See below.
Throwing out all the personality stuff, Milton wasn’t the left-handed, middle-order bat the Cubs needed.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
that's not the arguement...
As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.
by santoswoodenlegs on May 10, 2011 5:04 PM CDT up reply actions
Wait. What?
The whole reason the Cubs acquired Milton was to provide lineup balance. After the 2008 playoffs, the Cubs figured they needed more lefty hitting, and acquired MB and Aaron Miles.
Honestly, that wasn’t a bad thought, especially after Kosuke was such a disappointment. The problem was that the Cubs picked the wrong guy for a dozen reasons AND made a bunch of moves in order to overpay him.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
No hindsight caveats needed when considering the money and years.
I actually suggested that the Cubs sign Bradley earlier that offseason. Part of that was because I thought he could still play center (which he couldn’t). But mostly, I figured Hendry wouldn’t give him three years.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
He also wasn't the right type of hitter.
The Cubs needed a left-handed hitting RBI guy. Milton, by his own admission, was never an RBI guy AND he accumulated most of his better numbers hitting right-handed.
I know it’s water under the bridge, but I’d STILL like someone to ask Jim Hendry why he never even seemed to pursue Bobby Abreu — who would have been perfect hitting fifth in that lineup and fourth when Ramirez went down.
Where have you gone, Kiko Calero. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Y'all are STILL talking about me?
"All right, you ragtag bunch of misfits! You hate me, and I hate you even more. But without my beloved ringers, you're all I've got. So I want you to remember some inspiring words that someone else might have told you over the course of your lives, and go out there and win!"
by Lord Palmerston on May 10, 2011 4:42 PM CDT reply actions
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