Milton Bradley Traded To Mariners For Carlos Silva

[jersey cubs fan]

Do you really think Bradley hasn't been told to do this during his career? I don't think his teammates are the problem because I think most would deal with it and go play ball, but when you disrespect the manager, coaches, front office, media, and fans in an entertainment venue, you've got to resolve the problem. A lot of posters are forgetting that Chicago is a 2-team city and negative publicity aimed at one team while positive publicity is aimed at the other could jeopardize finances for years to come.

 

No it wouldn't. The Cubs aren't going to lose money because Milton Bradley is around. They aren't going to lose fans to the White Sox. The only fans that would leave the Cubs because Milton is around would be racist white people, and I don't see any racist white people who are Cubs fans rushing to support the White Sox.

 

The Cubs will lose fans, and money, if they wallow around in mediocrity much longer. If they go back to the 2005/2006 let's just make sure we're all nice guys who get along no matter how much we lose ways, then they will lose fans and money.

 

The way to make money in Chicago sports is to win. Wrigley didn't become the place it is today until after 1998, and it didn't become the year-in-year-out sellout until 2003 when fans were given the taste of what could be. Nice guy teams and PR strategies don't sell tickets. Winning does.

[A-Cal]

mmmmmmmmmmmm....winning

[Soul]

I wonder if an interested team or two would suddenly surface if the Cubs announced they were keeping Bradley.

[Guest]

Lots of teams have very publicly tried to trade a player and failed, then mended fences and moved on very well.

 

Heck, the Lakers just won a title after going through a very public and messy situation with Kobe the preceding offseason.

[jersey cubs fan]

I wonder if an interested team or two would suddenly surface if the Cubs announced they were keeping Bradley.

 

Doubt it. He's not a chick that people can't figure out if he's hot or not and they are waiting to see if Brad Pitt would date her. The interest is entirely based on the potential for a low cost acquisition with upside. If the Cubs pay Milton to play teams would be happy to see if they can get the most out of him. Nobody is dying to get him.

[Guest]

I wonder if an interested team or two would suddenly surface if the Cubs announced they were keeping Bradley.

 

Doubt it. He's not a chick that people can't figure out if he's hot or not and they are waiting to see if Brad Pitt would date her. The interest is entirely based on the potential for a low cost acquisition with upside. If the Cubs pay Milton to play teams would be happy to see if they can get the most out of him. Nobody is dying to get him.

 

Exactly. Why would any team want to try on Hendry's shoes right now? Pay money for a needle in the eye. They might be willing to try the needle in the eye if Hendry is picking up the tab.

[Backtobanks]

Why would a team take him on irrevocable waivers when they can have him now for next-to-nothing and Hendry will pay most of his contract? As for including prospects with Bradley in a deal, the obvious answer is that it gets this sad saga over with and the Cubs can move on. As I stated, it's not going to be pretty, but there is a possibility that Marte, Swisher, or Cabrera could help by playing a role on the Cubs.

 

I think part of the benefit biittner was seeing was that if nobody claims him, it potentially demonstrates to Bradley that his value might not be what he thinks it is. Maybe it opens a door to sitting down with him and explaining that mending fences and playing with the Cubs in 2010 is his best option.

 

Not sure that would be the outcome, but I think that is part of what biittner was saying.

 

I'm sure that would be the outcome. :pig:

Do you think Bradley worries about his value when he's sitting on $21 million. Bradley has serious anger problems, which he can't control and posters think that that sitting down with him and telling to be good is going to change things. :-))

[inari]

I don't care about Bradley's anger issues. I don't care that he's a jerk. Bring him back anyway.

[soapy]

Why would a team take him on irrevocable waivers when they can have him now for next-to-nothing and Hendry will pay most of his contract? As for including prospects with Bradley in a deal, the obvious answer is that it gets this sad saga over with and the Cubs can move on. As I stated, it's not going to be pretty, but there is a possibility that Marte, Swisher, or Cabrera could help by playing a role on the Cubs.

 

I think part of the benefit biittner was seeing was that if nobody claims him, it potentially demonstrates to Bradley that his value might not be what he thinks it is. Maybe it opens a door to sitting down with him and explaining that mending fences and playing with the Cubs in 2010 is his best option.

 

Not sure that would be the outcome, but I think that is part of what biittner was saying.

 

I'm sure that would be the outcome. :pig:

Do you think Bradley worries about his value when he's sitting on $21 million. Bradley has serious anger problems, which he can't control and posters think that that sitting down with him and telling to be good is going to change things. :-))

 

Probably not, but I don't see what can be hurt by it (irrevocable waivers) either.

 

I don't think anyone really thinks simply sitting down with Bradley and telling him to be good would change anything. What they can possibly do is at least try to convince him that playing nice (to some degree) with his teammates and the media is in the best interest of his career. It may be wasted breathe, but to not even try is insane. Didn't Bradley get along with most people pretty well when he was in Oakland and Texas? It's not like it hasn't happened before. If Bradley comes out hitting in 2010 then it becomes pretty easy for people to forget his past mis-steps.

[davearm2]

Do you really think Bradley hasn't been told to do this during his career? I don't think his teammates are the problem because I think most would deal with it and go play ball, but when you disrespect the manager, coaches, front office, media, and fans in an entertainment venue, you've got to resolve the problem. A lot of posters are forgetting that Chicago is a 2-team city and negative publicity aimed at one team while positive publicity is aimed at the other could jeopardize finances for years to come.

 

No it wouldn't. The Cubs aren't going to lose money because Milton Bradley is around. They aren't going to lose fans to the White Sox. The only fans that would leave the Cubs because Milton is around would be racist white people, and I don't see any racist white people who are Cubs fans rushing to support the White Sox.

 

The Cubs will lose fans, and money, if they wallow around in mediocrity much longer. If they go back to the 2005/2006 let's just make sure we're all nice guys who get along no matter how much we lose ways, then they will lose fans and money.

 

The way to make money in Chicago sports is to win. Wrigley didn't become the place it is today until after 1998, and it didn't become the year-in-year-out sellout until 2003 when fans were given the taste of what could be. Nice guy teams and PR strategies don't sell tickets. Winning does.

Wow you're way out of bounds playing the race card there.

 

Being turned off by Bradley's antics doesn't make a fan a racist. It's not his skin color that's creating this animosity.

[Wheelimus]

Apparently in 2007 the Padres figured out a way to deal with his mental issues. And it would appear that the following year Texas did as well. You know, the team whose hitting coach (who coached Bradley to his thus far career year) we just signed.

 

Face it, the whole "Bradley's a mental case" argument is being overblown and repeated again and again because Bradley is the official scapegoat for managements failures in 2009. If his batting average had of been closer to his career average, he would have put up a .400 OBP. Had he done that and the Cubs made the playoff last year, instead of mentally unstable he would be quirky. Instead of a cancer he'd be a prima-donna, and it would be said with a jovial tone.

 

Trust me, I'm not a Milton Bradley fanboy. But I see us in a hole already outfield wise, with little to nothing of interest on the free agent market besides Mike Cameron. Who, had we not wasted nearly 4 million on Grabow, we could probably afford to sign AND keep Milton Bradley. Which might make him a really expensive 4th outfielder. I'd just rather overpay for our 4th outfielder than wind up paying him the money anyway to start for someone else. While we settle for Sam Fuld as our 4th OF.

[jersey cubs fan]

Do you really think Bradley hasn't been told to do this during his career? I don't think his teammates are the problem because I think most would deal with it and go play ball, but when you disrespect the manager, coaches, front office, media, and fans in an entertainment venue, you've got to resolve the problem. A lot of posters are forgetting that Chicago is a 2-team city and negative publicity aimed at one team while positive publicity is aimed at the other could jeopardize finances for years to come.

 

No it wouldn't. The Cubs aren't going to lose money because Milton Bradley is around. They aren't going to lose fans to the White Sox. The only fans that would leave the Cubs because Milton is around would be racist white people, and I don't see any racist white people who are Cubs fans rushing to support the White Sox.

 

The Cubs will lose fans, and money, if they wallow around in mediocrity much longer. If they go back to the 2005/2006 let's just make sure we're all nice guys who get along no matter how much we lose ways, then they will lose fans and money.

 

The way to make money in Chicago sports is to win. Wrigley didn't become the place it is today until after 1998, and it didn't become the year-in-year-out sellout until 2003 when fans were given the taste of what could be. Nice guy teams and PR strategies don't sell tickets. Winning does.

Wow you're way out of bounds playing the race card there.

 

Being turned off by Bradley's antics doesn't make a fan a racist. It's not his skin color that's creating this animosity.

 

I'm turned off my his antics as well. But I'm not going to stop being a Cubs fan because he's a around? Would you?

[imb]

Do you really think Bradley hasn't been told to do this during his career? I don't think his teammates are the problem because I think most would deal with it and go play ball, but when you disrespect the manager, coaches, front office, media, and fans in an entertainment venue, you've got to resolve the problem. A lot of posters are forgetting that Chicago is a 2-team city and negative publicity aimed at one team while positive publicity is aimed at the other could jeopardize finances for years to come.

 

No it wouldn't. The Cubs aren't going to lose money because Milton Bradley is around. They aren't going to lose fans to the White Sox. The only fans that would leave the Cubs because Milton is around would be racist white people, and I don't see any racist white people who are Cubs fans rushing to support the White Sox.

 

The Cubs will lose fans, and money, if they wallow around in mediocrity much longer. If they go back to the 2005/2006 let's just make sure we're all nice guys who get along no matter how much we lose ways, then they will lose fans and money.

 

The way to make money in Chicago sports is to win. Wrigley didn't become the place it is today until after 1998, and it didn't become the year-in-year-out sellout until 2003 when fans were given the taste of what could be. Nice guy teams and PR strategies don't sell tickets. Winning does.

Wow you're way out of bounds playing the race card there.

 

Being turned off by Bradley's antics doesn't make a fan a racist. It's not his skin color that's creating this animosity.

 

Did you leave the Cubs? then it doesn't apply to you. methinks you dost protest too much.

[Backtobanks]

Do you really think Bradley hasn't been told to do this during his career? I don't think his teammates are the problem because I think most would deal with it and go play ball, but when you disrespect the manager, coaches, front office, media, and fans in an entertainment venue, you've got to resolve the problem. A lot of posters are forgetting that Chicago is a 2-team city and negative publicity aimed at one team while positive publicity is aimed at the other could jeopardize finances for years to come.

 

No it wouldn't. The Cubs aren't going to lose money because Milton Bradley is around. They aren't going to lose fans to the White Sox. The only fans that would leave the Cubs because Milton is around would be racist white people, and I don't see any racist white people who are Cubs fans rushing to support the White Sox.

 

The Cubs will lose fans, and money, if they wallow around in mediocrity much longer. If they go back to the 2005/2006 let's just make sure we're all nice guys who get along no matter how much we lose ways, then they will lose fans and money.

 

The way to make money in Chicago sports is to win. Wrigley didn't become the place it is today until after 1998, and it didn't become the year-in-year-out sellout until 2003 when fans were given the taste of what could be. Nice guy teams and PR strategies don't sell tickets. Winning does.

 

You're leaving out the influence of the media and marketing on the finances. Ricketts knows that public relations is a gigantic part of his investment. You start reading and hearing negative publicity about the Cubs on a daily basis and you're going to start losing advertising and sponsors. You think Tiger Woods is worried about his mess affecting his golf game? Hell no, he's worried about his sponsors and the money that he's going to lose even though he will still win golf tournaments. I will agree that winning will help, but you admitted that with Bradley the Cubs "wallowed in mediocrity", so if they're a mediocre team with a public relations nightmare you might as well ditch the public relations nightmare.

[jersey cubs fan]

You're leaving out the influence of the media and marketing on the finances. Ricketts knows that public relations is a gigantic part of his investment. You start reading and hearing negative publicity about the Cubs on a daily basis and you're going to start losing advertising and sponsors. You think Tiger Woods is worried about his mess affecting his golf game? Hell no, he's worried about his sponsors and the money that he's going to lose even though he will still win golf tournaments. I will agree that winning will help, but you admitted that with Bradley the Cubs "wallowed in mediocrity", so if they're a mediocre team with a public relations nightmare you might as well ditch the public relations nightmare.

 

Decades of negative press about how bad this team is didn't prevent them from selling tickets when they got good.

 

Seriously, your theory has no support. They aren't going to lose support if they win.

[davearm2]

Why would a team take him on irrevocable waivers when they can have him now for next-to-nothing and Hendry will pay most of his contract? As for including prospects with Bradley in a deal, the obvious answer is that it gets this sad saga over with and the Cubs can move on. As I stated, it's not going to be pretty, but there is a possibility that Marte, Swisher, or Cabrera could help by playing a role on the Cubs.

 

But I wouldn't trade prospects for those guys, so why not just release Bradley if that is your goal and keep the prospects? Giving people prospects so they will accept a virtually free Milton Bradley is insane.

 

The only logical choice is to keep him on the team.

 

If you insist on getting rid of him because you feel you have to, then just release him. Don't lose prospects in the process. You are already making your team worse, no reason to add to your problems.

The notion of adding a prospect as enticement is an interesting one. Basically you're assigning a cash value to the prospect.

 

Say Team X says, we'll take Bradley + $15M for a PTBNL, or we'll take Bradley + Flaherty + $10M for a PTBNL. Now Flaherty's value in the trade is $5M cash. Would the Cubs sell Flaherty for that? Who knows. They guaranteed him a whole heckuva lot less than that when they drafted and signed him.

 

Now more likely is, Hendry says we can't add more than $10M, so Team X says put Flaherty in or it's no deal. Now the pricetag on Flaherty isn't a clear-cut $5M, but rather the cost of either taking a lesser package from some other team, or keeping Bradley and dealing with that set of pros and cons.

 

Regardless, it's easy to construct scenarios where adding a prospect is the right choice.

[davearm2]

Do you really think Bradley hasn't been told to do this during his career? I don't think his teammates are the problem because I think most would deal with it and go play ball, but when you disrespect the manager, coaches, front office, media, and fans in an entertainment venue, you've got to resolve the problem. A lot of posters are forgetting that Chicago is a 2-team city and negative publicity aimed at one team while positive publicity is aimed at the other could jeopardize finances for years to come.

 

No it wouldn't. The Cubs aren't going to lose money because Milton Bradley is around. They aren't going to lose fans to the White Sox. The only fans that would leave the Cubs because Milton is around would be racist white people, and I don't see any racist white people who are Cubs fans rushing to support the White Sox.

 

The Cubs will lose fans, and money, if they wallow around in mediocrity much longer. If they go back to the 2005/2006 let's just make sure we're all nice guys who get along no matter how much we lose ways, then they will lose fans and money.

 

The way to make money in Chicago sports is to win. Wrigley didn't become the place it is today until after 1998, and it didn't become the year-in-year-out sellout until 2003 when fans were given the taste of what could be. Nice guy teams and PR strategies don't sell tickets. Winning does.

Wow you're way out of bounds playing the race card there.

 

Being turned off by Bradley's antics doesn't make a fan a racist. It's not his skin color that's creating this animosity.

 

I'm turned off my his antics as well. But I'm not going to stop being a Cubs fan because he's a around? Would you?

If I do, am I a racist?

 

Until now the only person who thought race had anything to do with this ugly mess was Bradley himself. I guess we can add your name now too. Well you're both way wrong.

[jersey cubs fan]

If I do, am I a racist?

 

Until now the only person who thought race had anything to do with this ugly mess was Bradley himself. I guess we can add your name now too. Well you're both way wrong.

 

Yeah, if you quit following the Cubs because Bradley is here I'd bet heavily on you being a racist, or an idiot at the very least.

 

Seriously, I'm only the 2nd person to think race played any part in this? How do you come up with such incredibilyi ignorant statements?

[davearm2]

Do you really think Bradley hasn't been told to do this during his career? I don't think his teammates are the problem because I think most would deal with it and go play ball, but when you disrespect the manager, coaches, front office, media, and fans in an entertainment venue, you've got to resolve the problem. A lot of posters are forgetting that Chicago is a 2-team city and negative publicity aimed at one team while positive publicity is aimed at the other could jeopardize finances for years to come.

 

No it wouldn't. The Cubs aren't going to lose money because Milton Bradley is around. They aren't going to lose fans to the White Sox. The only fans that would leave the Cubs because Milton is around would be racist white people, and I don't see any racist white people who are Cubs fans rushing to support the White Sox.

 

The Cubs will lose fans, and money, if they wallow around in mediocrity much longer. If they go back to the 2005/2006 let's just make sure we're all nice guys who get along no matter how much we lose ways, then they will lose fans and money.

 

The way to make money in Chicago sports is to win. Wrigley didn't become the place it is today until after 1998, and it didn't become the year-in-year-out sellout until 2003 when fans were given the taste of what could be. Nice guy teams and PR strategies don't sell tickets. Winning does.

Wow you're way out of bounds playing the race card there.

 

Being turned off by Bradley's antics doesn't make a fan a racist. It's not his skin color that's creating this animosity.

 

Did you leave the Cubs? then it doesn't apply to you. methinks you dost protest too much.

Same question for you. If I did, would that make me a racist? It's completely asinine, and I'd hope you could see that.

[jersey cubs fan]

Same question for you. If I did, would that make me a racist? It's completely asinine, and I'd hope you could see that.

 

That act wouldn't make you racist, but I can't imagine anybody but racists committing the act. Well that and completely freaking morons.

[davearm2]

If I do, am I a racist?

 

Until now the only person who thought race had anything to do with this ugly mess was Bradley himself. I guess we can add your name now too. Well you're both way wrong.

 

Yeah, if you quit following the Cubs because Bradley is here I'd bet heavily on you being a racist, or an idiot at the very least.

 

Seriously, I'm only the 2nd person to think race played any part in this? How do you come up with such incredibilyi ignorant statements?

So why didn't a racist like me quit following the Cubs when they had Sosa and Dunston and Dawson and Fergie Jenkins and Billy Williams etc etc. on the team?

 

You realize those players are the same race as Bradley right?

[soapy]

It may not make one a racist if he/she "left" the Cubs solely because of Milton Bradley, but it sure would make that person stupid. I have no idea why anyone would think that the Cubs would actually lose a significant number of fans because of Milton freaking Bradley. I'm sorry, but that is insane.

[jersey cubs fan]

If I do, am I a racist?

 

Until now the only person who thought race had anything to do with this ugly mess was Bradley himself. I guess we can add your name now too. Well you're both way wrong.

 

Yeah, if you quit following the Cubs because Bradley is here I'd bet heavily on you being a racist, or an idiot at the very least.

 

Seriously, I'm only the 2nd person to think race played any part in this? How do you come up with such incredibilyi ignorant statements?

So why didn't a racist like me quit following the Cubs when they had Sosa and Dunston and Dawson and Fergie Jenkins and Billy Williams etc etc. on the team?

 

You realize those players are the same race as Bradley right?

 

I'm sorry, did you quit following the Cubs? Did I call you a racist? Can you read?

 

Find me a person who quit following the Cubs due to the presence of Milton Bradley, and refuses to come back to following the Cubs until he returns, then I will call that person a racist. You are writing about them on this website right now so it's pretty safe to assume you haven't quite following them. Even if you are so clueless as to think only Milton Bradley and myself think race played any part in what happened here.

[davearm2]

It may not make one a racist if he/she "left" the Cubs solely because of Milton Bradley, but it sure would make that person stupid. I have no idea why anyone would think that the Cubs would actually lose a significant number of fans because of Milton freaking Bradley. I'm sorry, but that is insane.

Well if a person "left" the Cubs solely because of Milton Bradley, then either their dislike of Bradley is especially strong, or they were pretty indifferent Cub fans to begin with.

 

There aren't probably very many folks in the first group, but there sure are a lot of casual Cub fans out there that it wouldn't take much to get them to lose all interest. Of course fringey fans like this probably aren't going to care much about individual players/situations like Bradley, and they're probably not the ones buying tickets and merchandise either.

[imb]

If I do, am I a racist?

 

Until now the only person who thought race had anything to do with this ugly mess was Bradley himself. I guess we can add your name now too. Well you're both way wrong.

 

Yeah, if you quit following the Cubs because Bradley is here I'd bet heavily on you being a racist, or an idiot at the very least.

 

Seriously, I'm only the 2nd person to think race played any part in this? How do you come up with such incredibilyi ignorant statements?

So why didn't a racist like me quit following the Cubs when they had Sosa and Dunston and Dawson and Fergie Jenkins and Billy Williams etc etc. on the team?

 

You realize those players are the same race as Bradley right?

 

these comments are basically doing exactly the opposite of what you want them too. you just look more racist.