17 Seconds

horrible

so awesome

The fans already booed him every step he took. The status quo was unacceptable. They couldn't just have Milton repeatedly insulting the organization and the fans, refusing to play and fighting with personel. Why couldn't they? You're basically saying that personal feelings and what the fans think are valid reasons for making a decision. When you're making big decisions based on fans and feelings, you're failing at your job. Can somebody find that quote from Hendry years ago about this very situation? It was something like "the day I let the fans dictate what decision I make is the day I am no longer doing my job." Well, that's exactly what he's doing. This season was already lost. Bradley can do or say whatever he wants the rest of the season, it's hurting NOTHING. You know what DOES hurt? Suspending a guy and diminishing what little value he had left. From a business perspective, there was absolutely no advantage of suspending him. NONE. He did it for personal feelings and to please the fans. That's really awful. This isn't about Hendry and his feelings. This is about Bradley acting like an idiot for the entire year. Hendry and Lou pushed for and believed in this guy, and he crapped all over the whole organization. The Cubs gave him 30 million dollars and a 3 year deal. That's how much they respected the guy, and it wasn't reciprocated. If you are going to under perform that's fine. No one can predict how ones going to do year after year, but at least have the class to respect the team and the org. That's not a hard thing to do, and Bradley didn't do it. You can't have a player diss the fans, players, and org and not discipline him. In other words, it's about feelings.

If you owned the team you'd have a different view. It's bad business to have anyone insulting your product. You have to have some kind of rules in place or your organization goes really bad in a hurry. The fact remains that Bradley was a bad business decision in every since of the word this year. It's absurd that you think insulting fans and the organization is acceptable behavior. In baseball, the fanbase is pretty much set already. The question is whether or not you can get them to pay attention. You know what accomplishes that? Winning. And like it or not, Bradley can help us win. I have a very hard time believing the millions upon millions he can help bring in if we get to the playoffs next year is really outweighed by a few inappropriate comments that probably wont have any effect upon revenues. That's not to say I agree with what Milton is doing. He's a jerk, and I don't much care for him on a personal level. But this kind of decision is bad on the business end and the baseball end. If you feel the need to stop him from making those comments, you need to find a better way to accomplish it. This wasn't productive. Well at least you are right about one thing... winning could have helped ease the situation. For one, I'm sure if the Cubs were headed to the playoffs, Bradley wouldn't have said "no wonder they haven't won in 100 years" Unfortunately the Cubs weren't winning. Other than that, you have to be kidding. A baseball franchise wants to alienate its fanbase? and they can because they are already built in? :rotfl: There is not an owner/GM in his right mind that thinks it is good business to have players making fun of or alienating the fans. So you're saying that it would have hurt business if Bradley wasn't suspended? You think people were going to stop buying tickets and merchandise because of what he said?

The fans already booed him every step he took. The status quo was unacceptable. They couldn't just have Milton repeatedly insulting the organization and the fans, refusing to play and fighting with personel. It's a perfectly valid suspension and it's laughable that you think otherwise. Every team knew the Cubs/Milton relationship was growing sour, the fact that Hendry acknowledged it with a suspension is meaningless. Guys can't be given all the rope they want. At some point in time, you have to call them out. He didn't screw up a damn thing. Bradley could walk through Wrigley after every home game and personally flip off each and every single fan and I couldn't care less, just so long as he doesn't hurt himself walking up and down those stairs. He's paid for his production on the field. Likewise, Hendry isn't paid to have the happiest team in the league. Hendry's entire job consists of getting the best team out on the field. This suspension is counterproductive to that end. And for what? What possible gain is there to be had from this? It's not even as if Bradley was breaking any laws... oh, which reminds me. Players have not been suspended this long for beating on their wives. In what world is this punishment remotely fair or justifiable? Punishment ?? In what world is suspending a player with full pay, who was not playing anyway, and made it clear he did not want to, at least with the Cubs, considered punishment. Bradley acted like a child. Hendry decided to treat him like one. At the expense of the organization's future.

The fans already booed him every step he took. The status quo was unacceptable. They couldn't just have Milton repeatedly insulting the organization and the fans, refusing to play and fighting with personel. Why couldn't they? You're basically saying that personal feelings and what the fans think are valid reasons for making a decision. When you're making big decisions based on fans and feelings, you're failing at your job. Can somebody find that quote from Hendry years ago about this very situation? It was something like "the day I let the fans dictate what decision I make is the day I am no longer doing my job." Well, that's exactly what he's doing. This season was already lost. Bradley can do or say whatever he wants the rest of the season, it's hurting NOTHING. You know what DOES hurt? Suspending a guy and diminishing what little value he had left. From a business perspective, there was absolutely no advantage of suspending him. NONE. He did it for personal feelings and to please the fans. That's really awful.

Why are you so obsessed with lineup order? Sombody asked you who the better options are. You still haven't said any. How are we going to afford a "middle of the order hitter"? We might not even be able to afford to offer Harden arbitation, and we're supposed to be able to get some badass hitter this offseason? Mike Cameron is an .800 OPS center fielder with awesome defense. There's a very very good chance that is our best option. The better option is the guy were already [expletive] paying. Im sick of the clubhouse cancer noise. Bradley was dissapointing this year, but thats all you can blame him for, not the disapointing play of Soriano, Soto, or anyone else. As Ive said before, if Milton Bradley helps the Cubs win the 2010 World Series, there will be a lot of forgiveness to go around. Even if we dump Bradley for nothing and sign Cameron for 10 mil, were essentialy paying Cameron 30 mil to not be an a hole. I think most of us would love if the situation could be salvaged, but that's unlikely. It's not what we're talking about. We're talking about possible replacements, because that's what the reality probably is.

Kosuke doesn't play awesome defense in CF, and costs roughly twice as much as what Cameron will cost. It's not an either or. They're paying Fukudome regardless. Kosuke is capable of playing RF. The point is, Cameron's value as a CF is diminished, since they can put Fukudome there. Since Cameron is way better than Kosuke defensively in center, no... it's not. It improves the defense greatly in center, AND in right. Kouke is just average in center. Cameron is well above average. Kosuke is also above average in right. You're upgrading the defense in 2 outfield spots with one move.

Kosuke doesn't play awesome defense in CF, and costs roughly twice as much as what Cameron will cost. It's not an either or. They're paying Fukudome regardless. Exactly. Which is why Fukudome doesn't have anything to do with this conversation.

So? Your logic doesn't really make sense. Either that or your post has no point. You're not benching Kosuke. Since Fukudome can play right or center, it doesn't really make a difference whether or not the Cubs got a RF or CF. The fact that Cameron plays a good center is just as relevant. Since Fuku will be playing no matter what, he's not relevant to this discussion. We're talking about options to replace Bradley. Fukudome has nothing to do with that. Cameron is still an .800 OPS center fielder with good defense, and it would let the Cubs slide Fukudome back to his natural position. And more importantly, as others mentioned, Kosuke does not play an awesome center field at all.

Why are you so obsessed with lineup order? Sombody asked you who the better options are. You still haven't said any. How are we going to afford a "middle of the order hitter"? We might not even be able to afford to offer Harden arbitation, and we're supposed to be able to get some badass hitter this offseason? Mike Cameron is an .800 OPS center fielder with awesome defense. There's a very very good chance that is our best option.

Man, Hendry is handling this sooo poorly.

IMHO Cameron would= the 2009 equivelant of Jeromy Burnitz except that he's nothing like jeromy burnitz in any way

Man, as this offseason unfolds, am I the only one getting the feeling that this is going to be a disappointing season?

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/1059/bradley.png ouch part of me does feel bad for him, though. when he first signed he seemed so genuinely excited about the opportunity to play here. whether or not he brought most of it on himself, it still must feel pretty terrible to almost everybody wanting you gone.

wait, what? you mean keep bradley, or go with an in house option for rf? because that sounds terrible. I'd keep Bradley. A week ago I completely agreed with that plan, but that ship has sailed. He absolutely has to be moved now. No he does not. Having him being a Cub next year isn't going to hurt anything. If things go well for the Cubs and Bradley, his attitude will be fine. If things don't go well for the Cubs his attitude won't be fine, but that won't matter because the Cubs are already not doing well. After the quotes from him saying he deosn't want to be here, the quotes from his teammates basically informing us that they don't like him, and now the suspension, I don't see how you can possibly think keeping him around is a good idea. At this point I think Milton won't stop until he's out. I honestly can't see Milton playing another game with the Cubs. i just don't see him allowing that to happen. He's going to whine and make things uglier and uglier until he gets what he wants. Actually, I think this has been his plan for a while now. It's not a surprise that as the season got closer and closer to ending, he got more and more vocal. Trying to keep him around for another season just sounds like another trainwreck waiting to happen. They have to move on at this point.

my mistake

why don't you give that a second try

but awesome

Remember when Meph said locking up Byrnes and dumping Quentin was a good move?

wait, what? you mean keep bradley, or go with an in house option for rf? because that sounds terrible. I'd keep Bradley. A week ago I completely agreed with that plan, but that ship has sailed. He absolutely has to be moved now.

wait, what? you mean keep bradley, or go with an in house option for rf? because that sounds terrible.

hawpe would be dreamy

So you're content going into next season with Milton as the RF? You think this situation will get better by then, and not worse? Come on.... it's time to move on. Milton is basically begging to leave, and you still want him to stay? This situation is not salvageable. I don't know how you can think that it is.

the park certainly helped, but he was still really good. he's shown he can get hot and putu p big numbers. the problem is, most years he doesn't get that hot. also, iirc milton had a ridiculous babip last season