The Milton Bradley Thread

[Raisor]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

"We had a great conversation," Baker said. "I wanted to get a good reading on him, and we covered every issue."

"So Milt, did you know that I'm friends with Hank Aaron?"

[CougarQuest]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

"I wanted to get a good reading on him, and we covered every issue."

Of the Swimsuit edition?

[*BaseClogger*]

Originally Posted by Raisor

"So Milt, did you know that I'm friends with Hank Aaron?"

That reminds me, it's been a while since my sig was the quote which inspired my name...

[CougarQuest]

hurled a cellular telephone into a wall.

Perhaps he didn't have Verizon service. "Can you hear me now".

[Dan]

Originally Posted by CougarQuest

Win at all costs?

Well, winning at little cost doesn't seem to be working out too well.

[edabbs44]

Originally Posted by Highlifeman21

I guess I'm just struggling to understand your agenda against Milton Bradley.

Regardless of Bradley's "character issues", as you've labeled them, Dude can rake. The Reds need dudes that can rake.

Is there something you're not telling us about Milton Bradley in regards to your vendetta against him?

Vendetta? That's rich.

I guess my agenda is the same as his former employers. He isn't worth the headache.

[edabbs44]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

So I was reading through some old rotoworld updates on Milton Bradley and found this interesting bit from 2005:

After receiving permission from the Dodgers, Cubs manager Dusty Baker had lunch with Milton Bradley at the outfielder's home last month.

"We had a great conversation," Baker said. "I wanted to get a good reading on him, and we covered every issue."


Edit: Also found this from the same year, something I hadn't heard before and makes me a bit more leery of Bradley.

Here's a fun read:

Is it game over for Milton Bradley?
Comments Jul 20, 2006 5:00 AM (879 days ago) by Mychael Urban, The Examiner
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - A’s general manager Billy Beane has made a mint in public-speaking engagements since the best-seller “Moneyball” chronicled his ability to take advantage of the undervalued area in the baseball talent market and turned him into a star in the business world.

When the book was being written, what was being undervalued was on-base percentage, and Beane exploited the market weakness by loading up. Now that Beane’s success has increased the value of OBP, he’s looking for weaknesses elsewhere, and what he’s apparently discovered is that so-called “problem players” are undervalued.

So he’s stocked up on them, and today the A’s are in first place in the American League West. Tough to quibble with ongoing success, right?

Wrong. One of Beane’s problem players is Milton Bradley, and he’s becoming a bigger problem by the day. And if the problem isn’t nipped in the bud, the A’s won’t be in first place much longer.

Bradley, as everyone knows, came to Oakland with more baggage that a trans-Atlantic luxury liner. He’d fought with teammates, managers and his wife and he’d had run-ins with the law and fans.

No big deal, Beane told everyone. The cohesive A’s clubhouse was strong enough to absorb Bradley, warts and all.

Bradley himself told us he was simply misunderstood. That he’s not as much of a bad boy as his reputation suggests. That he was more approachable than he seems.

Both men were wrong. Dead wrong.

Bradley has five-tool talent, which is what enticed Beane into trading away his top outfield prospect, Andre Ethier, to get him. But he also has about seven screws loose.

Until Saturday, Bradley had been on his best behavior. Of course, it’s easy to behave when you’re on the disabled list, which is where Bradley has been for most of the year.

And then came Saturday in Boston. On Friday, he came off the disabled list and put on the kind of show Beane bargained for, going 4-for-5 and making a sensational catch. On Saturday, he snapped. After screaming at Red Sox blowhard Curt Schilling for drilling Nick Swisher, Bradley turned his attention toward the fans behind the visitor’s dugout. There was much shouting and finger-pointing, and the next time Bradley came off the field, he subtly saluted said fans by grabbing his crotch.

A’s manager Ken Macha didn’t play him the next day, offering the lame reasoning that Bradley had been on the bases so much Friday that he needed to give his legs a rest. The truth is that Macha didn’t want Bradley to have to deal with the Boston fans again.

So on the A’s moved to Baltimore, where the Orioles fans aren’t exactly known for being harsh. But they certainly got under Bradley’s skin, and Bradley gave them plenty of material with one of the weakest acts seen since the World Cup ended.

After stumbling while rounding first base on Wednesday, Bradley appeared to be injured, and badly. So pronounced was his limp that he that he didn’t even try to get back to the base, so the throw from the outfield to shortstop to first base got there in plenty of time for Bradley to be tagged out.

As he was being carried off the field, it looked like Bradley was headed for another stint on the DL. But no. There must have been some kind of medical magician in the dugout, because Bradley was back out on defense the next inning, even diving for a ball.

So the fans let him have it, and rightly so.

It put a huge damper on a nice win for the A’s, and while none of his teammates would go on the record (nor would Bradley, who didn’t talk after the Boston game, either), it was clear that they are tired of Bradley’s act.

They’re also tired of Macha playing the role of enabler.

Beane is a very good GM, but he swung and missed big with Bradley — Ethier is batting .340 for the Dodgers, while Bradley is batting .249 and causing headaches. So it’s on Beane to do what Macha should have done and sit Bradley down.

For a guy who’s so big on track records, it’s puzzling why Beane would ignore Bradley’s. It was never a matter of “if” regarding blowup. It was “when?”

And when is now.


Mychael Urban is the author of “Aces: The Last Season On The Mound With The Oakland A’s Big Three — Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito” and a writer for MLB.com.

http://www.examiner.com/a-184312~Is_..._Bradley_.html

[Highlifeman21]

Originally Posted by edabbs44

Vendetta? That's rich.

I guess my agenda is the same as his former employers. He isn't worth the headache.

If it's not a vendetta, then what is it?

You seem to be caught up on his character, rather than what he does on the diamond.

Shouldn't it be more important what the guy does on the diamond?

[GADawg]

Originally Posted by Highlifeman21

If it's not a vendetta, then what is it?

You seem to be caught up on his character, rather than what he does on the diamond.

Shouldn't it be more important what the guy does on the diamond?

tell that to Pete. I heard freakin' TJ whatever his name lumping Charlie Hustle in with Bonds, Clemens, etc.. I hate when they do that. Apples and oranges in my estimation. Bonds was never a good ambassador for the game.

Just say no to Milton! you know what happened the last time we had Milton don't you?

[edabbs44]

Originally Posted by Highlifeman21

If it's not a vendetta, then what is it?

You seem to be caught up on his character, rather than what he does on the diamond.

Shouldn't it be more important what the guy does on the diamond?

Be serious.

[Highlifeman21]

Originally Posted by edabbs44

Be serious.

I am serious.

What do you have against Milton Bradley?

[RedRoser]

nm

[edabbs44]

Originally Posted by Highlifeman21

I am serious.

What do you have against Milton Bradley?

He is unstable.

He has played more than 101 games exactly twice in his career.

One of those seasons had him at an OPS+ of 108.

The other saw him have a monster year, where he DHed about 80% of the time. And, in that big season, he played in a notorious hitter's park where he posted a 1.145 OPS at home, severly swaying his numbers. He also had a babip of .388, which I am told is quite a lucky number.

So, tell me, what do you have for him?

[REDREAD]

Originally Posted by lollipopcurve

He'll get 2 years, likely more, from someone else. A one-year offer has no chance.

Yes, I wouldn't mind giving him a one year deal, but he's not going to agree to that.

Ibanez just got 3 years at 30 million (or something like that). Bradley should easily be able to top that.

Would you guys give Bradley 3 years, 36 million? Because I think that's the minimum it would take to get the conversation started. He's going to want to cash in and get some respect after all the bouncing around he's had to do in his career.

[Jpup]

Originally Posted by REDREAD

Yes, I wouldn't mind giving him a one year deal, but he's not going to agree to that.

Ibanez just got 3 years at 30 million (or something like that). Bradley should easily be able to top that.

Would you guys give Bradley 3 years, 36 million? Because I think that's the minimum it would take to get the conversation started. He's going to want to cash in and get some respect after all the bouncing around he's had to do in his career.

I'd give him 3/36 in a second.