Milton Bradley

[CubColtPacer]

Unfortunately, Bradley is probably not going to get a fair deal the rest of his career. In some ways though, he kind of deserves that. Many of us (including me if I am remembering right) were saying that Lee's prior history of good behavior should be taken into account after his fight with Chris Young a couple years ago. I still believe that should be the case to a small degree.

 

Well, a player with Bradley's history gets the opposite treatment. It's hard to ignore the frequent confrontations with umpires, teammates, media, or the several times he has been arrested in his career. There probably isn't anybody in the game today who has had more incidents than Bradley that looked poorly upon the league. It makes sense that they are going to scrutinize him a little closer than the average person and be quick to pull the trigger on a suspension.

 

I truly think Bradley has grown up (although I thought that at times about Ron Artest, who Bradley reminds me of as an intense person on the field/court, wants to win really badly, and can usually be mellow except for in the heat of battle). I believe Bradley and can see that he almost certainly isn't the man he used to be. But it's going to take a long time to shake off that many problems.

[Roast]

Unfortunately, Bradley is probably not going to get a fair deal the rest of his career. In some ways though, he kind of deserves that. Many of us (including me if I am remembering right) were saying that Lee's prior history of good behavior should be taken into account after his fight with Chris Young a couple years ago. I still believe that should be the case to a small degree.

 

Well, a player with Bradley's history gets the opposite treatment. It's hard to ignore the frequent confrontations with umpires, teammates, media, or the several times he has been arrested in his career. There probably isn't anybody in the game today who has had more incidents than Bradley that looked poorly upon the league. It makes sense that they are going to scrutinize him a little closer than the average person and be quick to pull the trigger on a suspension.

 

I truly think Bradley has grown up (although I thought that at times about Ron Artest, who Bradley reminds me of as an intense person on the field/court, wants to win really badly, and can usually be mellow except for in the heat of battle). I believe Bradley and can see that he almost certainly isn't the man he used to be. But it's going to take a long time to shake off that many problems.

Great post, I agree.

 

His history is going to come back to bite him every time something like this happens. It's pretty clear he's mellowed out a lot from his earlier years but, thanks to his track record, all he has to do is look at somebody wrong and they'll claim that it's "Bradley being Bradley" or whatever.

[Sammy Sofa]

Hopefully he comes back with something to prove and he goes on another tear offensively.

 

Ideally without literally tearing anything.

[17 Seconds]

this guy can rake! .999 ops last season! please stay healthy milton! forget his career .825 OPS.... this guy is a force!

[Old Style]

This dude needs to start earning his paycheck NOW!

[DiamondMind]

I freaking love Milton. It's beyond obvious that this guy is trying, and wants to win -badly-. That's the kind of person I want on this team. I'll give him a little longer to pull himself out of this slump before I start railing on him. I just love his attitude......but that only goes so far, admitted. I'm just pulling for the guy. :\

[Cubswin11]

My patience is wearing very thin on Bradley. He needs to start putting up real soon or Hoff/Johnson/Fox(if he gets called up) should start getting starts over him. I really want to see Bradley succeed as I like his passion/personality towards the game, but he needs to start playing like the guy he was last year in Texas (or at least close to it).

[DiamondMind]

My patience is wearing very thin on Bradley. He needs to start putting up real soon or Hoff/Johnson/Fox(if he gets called up) should start getting starts over him. I really want to see Bradley succeed as I like his passion/personality towards the game, but he needs to start playing like the guy he was last year in Texas (or at least close to it).

 

He needs some more time in the cages, or with the coaches, or something. It's not ridiculous to think that with his spotty starts that his timing is off.

[Keener98]

My patience is wearing very thin on Bradley. He needs to start putting up real soon or Hoff/Johnson/Fox(if he gets called up) should start getting starts over him. I really want to see Bradley succeed as I like his passion/personality towards the game, but he needs to start playing like the guy he was last year in Texas (or at least close to it).

 

He needs some more time in the cages, or with the coaches, or something. It's not ridiculous to think that with his spotty starts that his timing is off.

 

Meh hes been in the lineup for the most part lately. I think Bradley is pressing like crazy. He wants to win and he wants to succeed and have the fans behind him, so hes trying to do way too much right now. Hes not the 1st high profile free agent to sign with the Cubs and struggle like crazy in his 1st year.

[dew1679666265]

My patience is wearing very thin on Bradley. He needs to start putting up real soon or Hoff/Johnson/Fox(if he gets called up) should start getting starts over him. I really want to see Bradley succeed as I like his passion/personality towards the game, but he needs to start playing like the guy he was last year in Texas (or at least close to it).

 

Probably the worst thing we could do is bench Bradley. We have too much of an investment in him (both monetarily and need in the lineup) to sit him more than we need to. Right now he just needs to stay in the lineup, get ABs and - hopefully - stay healthy.

 

He will hit, even if it takes some time.

[badnews]

Milton Bradley is probably just another Jacque Jones - a guy management should've known was too emotional for this team. I really don't give a crap about his extenuating circumstances.

[UMFan83]

At least Derrek Lee is leaving the Axis of Evil (Bradley, Fontenot and Soto are still in it) with his 1.100 OPS over the last 7 games.

[Illini Iceman]

Milton Bradley is probably just another Jacque Jones - a guy management should've known was too emotional for this team. I really don't give a crap about his extenuating circumstances.

 

Except for the slight difference that Jacque Jones also was a crappy baseball player and Milton Bradley isn't.

[badnews]

No, Milton's not good either. Jones' career wasn't a bad one before he came here.

 

Bradley is a sinking ship. Have fun staying with him down to the bottom of the ocean. He's the most annoying of unproductive ballplayers, the ones who get all the excuses and the "Oh he can produce but only when the stars are in perfect alignment, or during a solar eclipse, or only when facing a series of crappy lefthanded Pirates pitching when everyone fattens up their numbers.

 

Reminds me when everyone was fooled by David Dellucci's 29 HR season in Texas.

[Illini Iceman]

No, Milton's not good either. Jones' career wasn't a bad one before he came here.

 

Bradley is a sinking ship. Have fun staying with him down to the bottom of the ocean. He's the most annoying of unproductive ballplayers, the ones who get all the excuses and the "Oh he can produce but only when the stars are in perfect alignment, or during a solar eclipse, or only when facing a series of crappy lefthanded Pirates pitching when everyone fattens up their numbers.

 

Reminds me when everyone was fooled by David Dellucci's 29 HR season in Texas.

 

Yes, it reminds me of that as well except for the fact it is absolutely nothing like that.

[17 Seconds]

So you don't think Bradley's .999 OPS last season in Texas was a fluke, even though he's a career .825 OPS guy?

[Illini Iceman]

So you don't think Bradley's .999 OPS last season in Texas was a fluke, even though he's a career .825 OPS guy?

 

If he was consistently that good he would be a hall of fame caliber player so clearly it was an outlier season for him. But we are comparing him to Jacque Jones and David Delucci and I will be comfortable with him on my team any day over those two.

[17 Seconds]

So you don't think Bradley's .999 OPS last season in Texas was a fluke, even though he's a career .825 OPS guy?

 

If he was consistently that good he would be a hall of fame caliber player so clearly it was an outlier season for him. But we are comparing him to Jacque Jones and David Delucci and I will be comfortable with him on my team any day over those two.

 

The point is that none of the 3 have had very good careers yet bradley was talked about as some stud hitter all offseason

[UMFan83]

No, Milton's not good either. Jones' career wasn't a bad one before he came here.

 

Bradley is a sinking ship. Have fun staying with him down to the bottom of the ocean. He's the most annoying of unproductive ballplayers, the ones who get all the excuses and the "Oh he can produce but only when the stars are in perfect alignment, or during a solar eclipse, or only when facing a series of crappy lefthanded Pirates pitching when everyone fattens up their numbers.

 

Reminds me when everyone was fooled by David Dellucci's 29 HR season in Texas.

 

You act like last year was a fluke year, yet he's had 3 seasons of over .900 OPS, and had a 1.004 OPS with the Padres of all teams in the 42 games he played there. He's not completely a product of Ballpark in Arlington, he's a solid player. Yet I can't explain why he's been so bad this year.

 

Also, I know I'm just cherry picking pitchers here, but these are solid pitchers:

 

Pitcher....Career OPS....#PAs

Brandon Webb - 1.493 (28 PA)

Josh Beckett - .911 (18 PA)

Roy Oswalt - 1.250 (10 PA)

Jose Valverde - 1.786 (8 PA)

Johan Santana - 3.500 (2 PA)

CC Sabathia - .871 (11 PA)

Erik Bedard - 1.815 (13 PA)

Chris Carpenter (before tonight) - .900 (10 PA)

 

So yeah..some of the sample sizes are quite small, but you get a good enough idea that Bradley doesn't just make a living hitting bad pitchers.

[BigSlick]

Bradley will be fine and will put up an .850+ OPS on the season, you can take my word for it. So go ahead and quote me and make me feel stupid at the end of the season or something

 

We gotta get some production out of Catcher and our infield (aside from Theriot, never thought I'd say that a few years ago) if we want to win any games though.

[Illini Iceman]

So you don't think Bradley's .999 OPS last season in Texas was a fluke, even though he's a career .825 OPS guy?

 

If he was consistently that good he would be a hall of fame caliber player so clearly it was an outlier season for him. But we are comparing him to Jacque Jones and David Delucci and I will be comfortable with him on my team any day over those two.

 

The point is that none of the 3 have had very good careers yet bradley was talked about as some stud hitter all offseason

 

Maybe that is your point, but it is not the point of this post:

 

Bradley is a sinking ship. Have fun staying with him down to the bottom of the ocean. He's the most annoying of unproductive ballplayers

 

That post is irrational.

[TruffleShuffle]

dude it's badnews, 99% of his posts are irrational and over-the-top negative.

[Keener98]

dude it's badnews, 99% of his posts are irrational and over-the-top negative.

 

99% I think is a rather low estimation.

 

Heres some quotes from Bradley following tonights game.

 

"I'm the main culprit," Bradley said. "I'm having terrible at-bats. Just not doing anything, not even hitting the ball out of the infield."

 

He referred to the base-running gaffe as a "mental lapse" and conceded he didn't pick up on his coach, or the ball, while running on a 3-1 pitch.

 

"It's inexcusable," he said. "I don't like making mistakes. I'm a perfectionist. When you're not swinging the bat, you can't make base-running errors."

 

At least hes being a man about his troubles so far.

[DiamondMind]

Milton Bradley is probably just another Jacque Jones - a guy management should've known was too emotional for this team. I really don't give a crap about his extenuating circumstances.

 

Except for the slight difference that Jacque Jones also was a crappy baseball player and Milton Bradley isn't.

[17 Seconds]

No, Milton's not good either. Jones' career wasn't a bad one before he came here.

 

Bradley is a sinking ship. Have fun staying with him down to the bottom of the ocean. He's the most annoying of unproductive ballplayers, the ones who get all the excuses and the "Oh he can produce but only when the stars are in perfect alignment, or during a solar eclipse, or only when facing a series of crappy lefthanded Pirates pitching when everyone fattens up their numbers.

 

Reminds me when everyone was fooled by David Dellucci's 29 HR season in Texas.

 

You act like last year was a fluke year, yet he's had 3 seasons of over .900 OPS, and had a 1.004 OPS with the Padres of all teams in the 42 games he played there.

 

Come on. You can't just say "he's had 3 season with an OPS over .900." In 2007 he had only 144 at-bats. In 2003 he had 377. Last year he had 414. That's not even 2 full seasons worth of at-bats, let alone 3.

 

Bottom line is he has a career .823 OPS in like 3,000 at-bats. I just don't understand why everybody was so sure he'd be awesome. I though he'd be pretty good, but not some middle of the lineup force.