Milton Bradley Gone for Good?

Cubs’ GM Jim Hendry finally pulled the plug on Milton Bradley Sunday, suspending the disgruntled outfielder for the remainder of the season after Bradley criticized the team in a Daily Herald article.

But it was clear early on that Bradley was a poor fit for the Cubs. He didn’t play well to start the season. He had miscues in the field, was suspended for arguing with an umpire and criticized Chicago fans. And as the season wore on and the Cubs fell further behind in the NL Central, Bradley seemed to get even more restless and critical. Hendry had seen enough and put Bradley on the shelf – possibly for good.

It’s highly unusual for a team to suspend a player for the rest of the season, when there are two weeks remaining. The fact that the Cubs have done this shows how desperate they are to end the Milton Bradley experiment. The Cubs are Bradley’s eighth team in nine years in the big leagues. Doesn’t it make you wonder why he can’t stick with any one team for too long?

In hindsight, maybe the Cubs should have done something sooner with Bradley – suspension or trade or something – to get him out of the clubhouse. But I guess when you have $30 million invested in a player, you want to be patient and give him time to adjust to the team and perhaps come around on his own.

So what next? Do the Cubs take the loss and let him go? Or will they be able to work out a trade? And with all the well-publicized baggage Bradley carries, would any team want him?

There is no doubt in my mind that Bradley will not return to Wrigley Field next season. It’s clear he’s been looking for a way out almost since the day he walked into the clubhouse. And the Cubs should do all they can to give him a one-way ticket out of town.

Cubs’ Bradley Says Fans Verbally Abuse Him

Milton Bradley has had a rough season so far with the Cubs since signing a three-year, $30 million contract last winter. The pressure of trying to perform up to the standards of his contract must finally be getting to him. But then again, most of us knew that Bradley is a bit of a loose cannon when he arrived on the team.

This week, the Cubs’ outfielder says he has been the victim of ‘racial abuse’ by fans at Wrigley Field, according to the Chicago Tribune. But when pressed to provide examples, he declined to give specifics. He also added that this behavior has happened before and is quite common, though he gave no anecdotes to support his point.

How can any of us believe Bradley's story if he doesn’t back up his claims? I suspect that whatever Bradley hears from fans is not nearly as bad as he makes them out to be nor are the comments racially motivated. He isn’t the first Cubs player to accuse Chicago fans of racial abuse; Jacques Jones and LaTroy Hawkins also expressed their frustration with fans several years ago. Both were experiencing subpar seasons at the time.

The truth is fans are going to jeer, criticize and make fun of players at the ball park; that’s all part of the game. Most players know that and take the comments in stride.

Perhaps that’s part of Bradley’s problem; he’s paying too much attention to what’s happening in the stands and not enough attention to what’s happening on the field.

Bradley could learn a lesson or two from his teammate Alfonso Soriano, who gets booed as much as any other player and has learned from experience to simply tune out the fans. It’s time Bradley does the same.