Bradley signed a lease for a luxury Magnificent Mile condo just as the baseball season was starting, but his landlord says he walked out on the $15,000-a-month lease in the fall.

Now the landlord and the realty company that helped lease the 24th-floor Park Hyatt condo, 800 N. Michigan Ave., are suing Bradley for $44,100 in back rent, late fees and interest through this month. And they’ll be seeking further rent until the lease runs out.

Although the realty company suing Bradley has tried to rent the apartment out, they have been unable to do so.  No word on whether racism played any part in this story.  Just kidding, I’m not going to dredge that thing up again.  Honestly though, can the entire city just chip in to pay this off and get Bradley’s name out of the news?  Even before this story broke, Chicago sportswriters were reaching for reasons to get their last digs in at him.  Make it stop!

Before we put the Milton Bradley situation to bed though, I want to make one last defense of Bradley (coupled with the obvious attack on idiotic Cubs fans and Chicago media).  One of the Trib’s many resident idiots Paul Sullivan ran a story yesterday about Bradley’s most “tumultuous” moments as a Cub.  The obvious implication and tone of the piece is to cast Bradley in a negative light, but let’s actually look at each one of these incidents and see the real story:

April 16: After getting standing ovation at Wrigley Field before his first home at-bat, Bradley is called out on strikes and ejected by plate umpire Larry Vanover, who alleges Bradley made contact with bill of his cap. Later suspended by MLB for infraction.

It was a bad call and he was reasonable in arguing it.  Everyone knows there was no real contact and he shouldn’t have been suspended.  this is a case of umpires treating certain players with bad reputations (whether deserved or not) differently.

April 22: Booed by Cubs fans for not running out ground ball in his first start at home, then refuses to talk to media afterward.

Really?  Cubs fans were booing him on April 22?  That seems a little early for us to have turned on him, doesn’t it?  No matter how bad he was playing he deserved a chance to get going.  April isn’t exactly kind to a lot of new Cubs players.  All the day games and cold weather require an adjustment period.

April 23: Asked how his injured groin feels after game, Bradley cracks, “I feel like 30 million bucks” while walking away from reporters.

So?

May 24 : Tells Tribune that umpires have vendetta against him: ” ‘We’re going to get him any time we can. As soon as he gets two strikes, we’re going to call whatever and see what he does. Let’s try to ruin Milton Bradley.’ “

I don’t understand how this is not true.  He was just being honest and the frustration is understandable.  I mean look at his suspension from earlier for accidentally brushing caps with the ump?  He felt that way for a reason.

June 12: Throws ball into bleachers after making two-out catch against Twins, allowing run to score. “Sue me,” he defiantly says afterward.

Yeah this one was bad.  Especially for a slumping player.  At this point things have begun to deteriorate beyond repair and not knowing how many outs there were did not look good.

June 26: Tells Tribune he feels like he’s “afloat on an island” because his teammates have isolated him: “They say all the right things, but it’s just b.s.” Later creates dugout scene after popout and gets into confrontation with manager Lou Piniella, who calls him “piece of (expletive)” and sends him home.

This is entirely management’s fault.  I’m not saying Bradley isn’t a mopey irritable guy.  What I’m saying is that management knew this when they brought him in and did not give him ANY support system of any kind.  They just left him to hang out there in the media and none of his friends or people who could make him comfortable were in the clubhouse.

July 12: Declares himself “back” after poor first half and says “negative” media is only thing stopping Cubs: “Don’t read the newspaper. Don’t watch TV. Just play, because we have everything we need right here. If we stay together in here, cut out all the outside b.s., we’ll be fine. There’s way too much hoopla, there’s way too much talk. There’s way too much speculation.”

While the media was not the only reason the Cubs sucked, I couldn’t agree more with him that they are negative and it is obnoxious and has an impact on the team.

Aug. 26 : Suggests he has been victim of racial abuse in interview with beat writers. Asked for specifics, he facetiously shouts: “America doesn’t believe in racism.” Also rips Chicago waiters for “bad-mouthing” him.

100% happened.  Dusty, Jacque, Latroy, and other African-Americans have said the same thing and each time Cubs fans and media doubts them.  Kerry wood acknowledged the racism that goes on and still people refuse to believe it is happening.  Wake up!  People are still racist all over and Cubs fans are no different, if anything they have proven to be worse than the norm with their behavior towards black players.

Sept. 17: Takes himself out of game without pinch runner ready, refuses to answer questions afterward, repeating: “What else ya got? What else ya got?”

At this point it was clearly over.  The rift between Bradley and the team/fans made anything he said or did go under harsh scrutiny making this stupid move by him all the more criticized.

Sept. 19: Takes himself out of starting lineup and refuses to pinch-hit, leading to heated confrontation with hitting coach Von Joshua. Beforehand, he complained of “negativity” in organization in Daily Herald interview.

Meh.

Sept. 20: Suspended for final 15 games and sent home by GM Jim Hendry. Cubs players stand by Hendry’s decision. “Sometimes you just have to look in the mirror and realize that maybe the biggest part of the problem is yourself,” Ryan Dempster says.

Dempster was right, Bradley was his own biggest problem.  As I have said before, however, the Cubs and Hendry knew that when they got him and did nothing to help him deal with his problems or at least cushion him from their repercussions.

Did Bradley suck?  Yes.  Did he need to be traded? Yes.  Was he the cause of his own problems? Definitely. But he was no different here than he was anywhere else.  While signing him may have been a mistake, signing him without taking into account his psychological profile and trying to help him with it was the real mistake.

The Mariners and Chicago Cubs have announced a trade sending right-handed pitcher Carlos Silva to Seattle for outfielder Milton Bradley.

Silva is still owed $25 million over the last two years of his contract. Bradley is owed about $23 million.

Hopefully the Cubbies can use some  of the cash to go out and get another outfield bat, but the addition by subtraction rule is going to be the focus.  Obviously my stance on the Bradley issue has been almost as unpopular as Bradley himself, but regardless of how anyone feels about him he had to go.

And for anyone excited about Carlos Silva, he’s pretty much been trash in the AL.  The hopes are that a switch to the AL will rejuvenate his career, but he hasn’t pitched well in over 2 years.

Former Phillies outfielder Pat Burrell has reportedly been swapped twice this morning, eventually landing with Phils division rival the New York Mets.

The Tampa Bay Rays traded the slugging left fielder to the Chicago Cubs then the Cubs dealt Burrell to the Mets. Names of other players involved in the deals were not immediately available.

Rumors have circulated for a while that a Milton Bradley for Burrell three-way-deal with the Mets and Rays could be in the works.  This might just be what Hendry, Ricketts and the Cubs have been waiting for to get this offseason going.

H/T: Glen

***UPDATE: Two Mets officials are already denying that this happened.  People are desperate not to be linked to anything Milton Bradley-related (or maybe it’s just that random web pages out of Philly are completely unreliable).

• The Texas Rangers seem to have the most interest in Bradley.  Considering that his stint there was pretty much the only stop in his career that can be considered a success, it might be a good fit.  The most likely player the Cubs would get in return is Kevin Millwood.  Unfortunately Texas is asking the Cubs to eat a huge chunk of Bradley’s salary, and Hendry will be unlikely to do that.
• So what about this 3-way deal that just popped up as a possibility between the Cubs, Blue Jays, and Mets?  Apparently the deal would send Bradley to the Jays and Luis Castillo to the Cubs.  Castillo is okay, but keep in mind the goal isn’t to get great value, but just to dump Bradley.
• That Tampa Bay rumor that had the Rays swapping Burrell and his bad contract for Bradley and his is still out there.  Meh.
• Sarge Jr. anyone?  Supposedly the Cubs have talked to the Angels about doing a swap of Bradley for Gary Matthews Jr.  Didn’t we already do that dance though?
• There is always the possibility Bradley will stay.  Hendry has been trying to cover his ass on that one recently, making statements that re-open the door to a Bradley return.  I’m on board with that, but only if the Cubs front office and management take a proactive approach to helping Bradley feel comfortable and learn to deal with his issues.

So none of those situations is ideal, of course, but we knew all along it was going to be a tough situation to unload Bradley.  In terms of the things that make the most sense, I think the Texas deal makes the most sense for all parties.  The Cubs would get a 5th starter, Millwood, they could throw in the rotation to replace Harden.  Also Millwood’s contract only has one year left on it, so the money would be all off the books after 2010.  For Bradley and the Rangers, they would be going back to a formula that has worked for them before.  Stay close to your internets people, today might be the day Hendry makes a move.

That being said, here are some observations on Ricketts’ press conference:

On payroll: He made clear that he will not be raising the payroll that much this season.  He said it might go up a little bit, but don’t expect any huge signings.  He kept reiterating that there is no “silver bullet” that will automatically win the World Series.

On management of the team: Ricketts says he will not be a hands-on owner like Steinbrenner, but he also won’t fade into the background.  He wants to be “seen but not heard” around the field.  He is also going to keep the current structure of the team in place, meaning Jim Hendry will run the team and report to Crane Kenney, who will report to Ricketts.

On creating a winner: Ricketts was adamant that there is no free agent that will save the team.  Instead, he focused a lot on player development, scouting, and drafting.  For now it seems like he will keep the current scouting system in place, but they are looking to improve greatly in that area.

On Milton Bradley: He is not going to be involved in personnel.  He insisted that this will be Hendry and other management’s job.

On Wrigley Field: Wrigley Field will not change.  He will not be tearing out seats or adding luxury boxes.  He seems to be strongly in favor of preserving the tradition of the field.  He also said he has no plans for a jumbotron now.  And don’t worry, he reassured the media and fans that the troughs in the men’s bathrooms aren’t going anywhere.

On the Wrigleyville neighborhood: He wants that triangle building across the street.  Bad.  You could tell by his answers to questions about it.  Hopefully he is able to establish a good relationship with the neighborhood, unlike his predecessor, but this is not a good start.  Only time will tell how the community reacts to his push for the new building.

All in all he seemed to have a very good attitude about everything.  He clearly respects the tradition of Wrigley and wants to put a winning ballclub on the field consistently.  So far so good with this new ownership group.

“I know just from the experience of playing with those guys, and I’ve seen some of the mail that they get, obviously not a lot of us get that kind of mail,” Wood said on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000. “I didn’t, but there are people out there that got their beliefs.”

Wood said he saw some of the mail that was sent to former teammates LaTroy Hawkins, Jacque Jones and former manager Dusty Baker.

“It’s tough to sit there and read that,” Wood said, “and it’s tough to even understand what those players go through.”

Bradley accused fans of making racial taunts at Wrigley Field during the 2009 season, but he declined to give examples of specific incidents.

Now that Wood is saying it, all of a sudden people are starting to believe it just a little bit.  That in and of itself is a subtle (or not so subtle, depending on your point of view) form of racism.  What’s so unfortunate about this is that these players are not really hearing true, useful criticism.  Who sends ballplayers letters anyways?  If I were the one sending the letters, even if I was a racist, the fact that they were black would be the least of my concerns.  Dusty was a terrible manager, Hawkins blew way too many saves, Jones power went out after that first season and Bradley said all the wrong things at all the wrong times.  You know now that I think about it, I have some letters to send.  Does anyone have Kevin Gregg and Geovany Soto’s addresses?

• Remember how everyone was saying that nobody is going to want Bradley?  Well that’s out the window, since apparently there are a ton of suitors for him. [Bleacher Nation]
• Have you heard of Cubs prospect Starlin Castro?  You will be soon, if the hype comes through.  The 19-year old shortstop looks really good. [Cubs.com]
• Speaking of prospects, it sounds like Josh Vitters is coming along nicely.  Except for the part where he swings at everything. [Tribune]
• The Cubs signed hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo to the most expensive deal a hitting coach has ever received.  He’s supposed to be pretty good. [Wrigleyville23]
• Ryno didn’t take the hitting coach position, but he sure seems focused on Lou’s job in 2011.  Probably a good move, since hitting coach doesn’t exactly seem like a stepping stone to major league manager. [Tribune]
• Is the Cubs window shut?  I don’t necessarily think so, but we haven’t exactly improved the last couple years. [Zoner]
• It looks like the Cubs will be moving from their Spring Training facility in Mesa to….another facility in Mesa.  I guess they aren’t going to Florida anymore. [Bleed Cubbie Blue]

It appears that there’s more than a little interest in Chicago Cubs right fielder Milton Bradley. A source with knowledge of the situation said that the Tampa Bay Rays are very interested in bringing the beleaguered outfielder to Florida.

The Rays would be looking to swap Burrell, who they signed after pursuing Bradley this past winter.  Contractually the deal matches up and is somewhat more favorable for the Cubs.  Burrell has only 1 more year at $9 million and Bradley has 2 more years at $9 million in 2010 and $12 million in 2011.  After that, the deal just appears very strange.  Why would the Cubs want to bring back $9 million in salary for a player that has produced significantly worse than Bradley?

Bradley: AB-393  BA-.257  OBP-.378  SLG-.397

Burrell:   AB-391  BA-.228  OBP-.325  SLG-.370

I mean I can understand addition by subtraction to get Bradley’s “negative clubhouse impact” out, but how would bringing in a player that performed considerably worse and pay him the same amount make any sense?  I’m sure you’re on board if you are an anti-Milton guy (which is pretty much everyone), but it sounds like there actually are some dumbass GMs out there that want him, so why would the Cubs do this deal?

And for the Rays, are you kidding?  Which applies to pretty much any team that wants to deal with Bradley’s insanity as opposed to pretty much any other option.

Earlier Friday, San Diego general manager Kevin Towers seemed to make an early pitch for Bradley, who has two years and $21 million left on his three-year contract.

…”I haven’t had any calls from Jim about him,” Towers told the Web site, ”but people kind of know what players we target. We have to take chances sometimes. We took a chance with Milton the first time, and he actually played pretty well.

”We could be in the market for an outfielder. I’m not saying it’s necessarily Milton. But our experience with him was rather a positive one. It wasn’t really a negative one.”

Sure he had a decent half season in San Diego a couple years ago, until he blew out his knee arguing with an ump that is.  If the Cubs get nothing in return of value but are able to unload his contract, they should absolutely do it.

• Milton Bradley’s mother chimes in on Milton’s problems with the Cubs.  Racism and negativity abound in this article. [Tribune]
• I’ve been hinting at this for many years, but there is mathematical proof that you should almost NEVER punt, kick a field goal, or attempt a PAT.  Over the course of the season those things create less points for your team.  Period.  Here’s a coach who is employing this strategy with a ton of success. [SI] + h/t: Kriezel
• Do I understand hockey completely yet? No.  Have I learned to love it? Somewhat.  And preseason fights are not hurting that process. [Zoner]
• Chicago Bulls finally have a big man coach.  It’s not a flashy name, but flashy names aren’t always the best coaches (see: Isiah Thomas). [Blogabull]
• The Bears catch another break.  Hasselbeck has a broken rib.  Even if he plays against the Bears this week, he’ll slowed considerably. [WCG]
• Looks like the MLBPA is going to appeal Bradley’s suspension. [Bleacher Nation]
• NFL Week 3 Preview.  Come and get it. [Midwest Sports Fans]
• The Zambrano trade winds are beginning to swirl.  Whether they are real, or media-induced, he has come out with three teams he would waive his no-trade clause for: Boston, Chicago (AL), and LA (NL). [Boston Globe]
• A Sonics fan, still clinging to his anger with the team for moving, is sentenced to the worst kind of hell there could be. [Truehoop]
• As of 2 days ago, Barack Obama still believed in the south siders.  Seriously. [The Swamp]

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).

Asked about a problem with his legs, he said: ”I’m not talking about that. What else you got?”

Reporter: Why did you come out of the game?

Bradley: ”I got knee inflammation. I got two knee surgeries, and that happens when you got knee surgery, in case you don’t know. What else you got?”

Reporter: It flared up?

Bradley: ”What else you got?”

Reporter: How long will you be out?

Bradley: ”What else you got? You got anything significant?”

Reporter: An injury is significant.

Bradley: ”What else you got? What else you got?”

Reporter: Was there a problem after you came out?

Bradley: ”What else you got? I mean, you got any real questions?”

Reporter: Lou wouldn’t do a postgame; that’s pretty rare for him.

Bradley: ”If I had a choice, I wouldn’t do it, either. What else you got?”

Reporter: Trying to find out what happened.

Bradley: ”You got some baseball questions, I can answer them. But [if not] I ain’t got nothing for you.”

Reporter: So you came out because of the knee?

Bradley: ”You got anything else? I mean, broken record.”

Reporter: That was a strange scene.

Bradley: ”It’s strange? It’s strange when a guy hurt comes off [the field]?”

Reporter: Yeah, I didn’t see a trainer, didn’t see the pinch-runner go out there first.

Bradley: ”OK, it’s strange.”

Reporter: The scene was?

Bradley: ”I’m out.”

I’d be sick of those idiot reporters trying to make a story out of every little thing I did too.  Although he could have just said “yeah my knee hurt, I’m not sure if it will keep me out or not”.  But what fun would that have been?

On a more serious note, whether you believe Milton is an immature baby or not, anyone of even minimal intelligence can see that the Chicago sports media is just trying to bait him to get a story.  Sure, he should just shut up and deal with it, but I can’t honestly say that at this point I would be able to be calm and quiet when idiot reporters like Gordon Wittenmeyer, Paul Sullivan, and Rick Morrissey keep bothering me all the time, trying to run me out of town.