Milton Bradley’s Days As A Cub May Be Numbered
I’ve defended Bradley all season (although I encourage you to boo him or anyone else you want if you feel they deserve it, you have that right Cubs fans!), but its time for me to admit what most other Cubs fans have come to understand: it just isn’t working. His recent comments have led to his suspension for the rest of the season by the organization:
When approached, Bradley said he didn’t want to talk about his knee.
When asked if he was disappointed in his own performance, he didn’t want to answer that, either.
“I’m not talking about that,” he said. What do you think I did?”
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.”
His numbers this season really weren’t that bad. He got on base at a great rate all season and his power came around a bit in the second half. He was one of the Cubs hottest (really their only hot bat besides Lee) hitters during the stretch in August where the Cubs dropped from first place to 10 games behind the Cards. The problem is the comments and the attitude. Is the Chicago media unfairly trying to make him look bad and smearing him constantly in the papers? Yes. Are fans racist and unfair with him as well? Maybe. But regardless of all that he has not behaved professionally and on the heels of what can hardly be considered a great season for Milton and the Cubs, comments like that are wildly unacceptable.
I don’t want him to go, but its time to come to terms with the fact that the fans don’t like him and the organization clearly cannot control him or even make him happy. If the Cubs can move him they should (by the way, if he misses these last few games and misses the first 10-15 games or so next season, I think the Cubs can decline his option for 2011 but I’m not sure).
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Comment from StevieY19
Time September 21, 2009 at 1:09 pm
A guy like Bradley clearly illustrates why your “it’s all about OPS and OBP” stance is flawed. You have to take into account things like hustle, clutch, and non-dickiness as well. Bradley may have been one of the hottest hitters in August, but he was awful for this team overall the entire season.