|
| Is Bradley held to a higher standard?
|
Milton Bradley made his Wrigley Field debut a memorable one, as he argued balls and strikes with umpire Larry Vanover and then got ejected. After the game it was reported that Bradley is being referred to the Commissioner's Office because it was a "contact" incident, though the umps wouldn't say how contact was made. I didn't see anything worthy of discipline in the replays, and Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune agrees with me:
If Bradley is suspended, expect the Cubs to fight it. Replays suggest there may have been incidental contact between the bill of Bradley's hat and Vanover's, though it was so slight you might miss it without a slow-motion replay.
Yesterday I argued against subjective emotional considerations entering into disciplinary actions. Today I'd renew that argument as it relates to subjective personal considerations. Milton Bradley, as you may know, has a colorful history with umpires. In light of that history -- and in light of how minor any contact between Bradley and the ump actually was -- one can't help but wonder how much of that history entered into the umpires' decision to refer him for discipline.
Leave a Comment:
Saving...
Bradley is a head case, a whining crybaby with a career-long attitude problem. Funny how the guy always crying about "respect" is always the guy showing up umpires, throwing tantrums like a spoiled, coddled brat, which he is. How do you people think he GOT in a position where is subject to "extra" scrutiny? The guy clearly has an issue with authority. I hope they suspend him for a month.
Bradley is a crybaby with a lifelong problem with authority. Funny how the guy who constantly cries about "respect" is always showing up umpires. And how did he earn the "extra" scrutiny he gets? By constantly throwing tantrums, trying to show up umpires. Arrested development -- a coddled, whining crybaby, and a mediocre player. I hope they suspend him 30 days.
30 day suspension --- MINIMUM ! Bradley complains about everything. He has been a problem wherever he was. With his reputation, he should be extra careful. Instead, he uses his reputation to advance his agenda, then complain when he is not successful in his "actions". He makes a lot of money, but his character is strictly bush league.
a mediocre player ???? , HE MAKES 10 MIL A YEAR 40 MILLION OVER THE CONTRACT, WHAT ARE U MAKING LOSER,,,,,,,,,,
Hey, Hot Rod ----- Don't confuse salary with character. Bradley is representative of what is wrong with all sports in general and MLB in particular.
The Umpire drew a line in the sand, other Umps will appreciate it. Let the player whine and he will soon scream. Many pitch and strike calls have angered me, as a fan, but it is and has been a part of the game. I would say that the Umpire has a very hard job and a no win situation with the fans. Milton should look at a pro like Albert Pujols. He sometimes says a word or two but I have never witnessed him revert to daycare behavior. That is the managers job. He needs his player on the field. This coming from an Astros fan.
Pea-brain Hot rod -- Bradley is 31 yrs old and has a .280 career avg, 399 RBIs, and 103 home runs. That's pretty mediocre by any standard. Even one who, apparently like you, obviously knows almost nothing about baseball should be able to see that.
Are you on glue? Dude is a beast when you can keep him on the field. 117 career OPS+. League leader in OBP and OPS in '08. 4 seasons with a .400 or better OBP. 4 seasons with a .500 SLG or better. 103 career Win Shares and a 24.2 career WARP. Far from mediocre.
No, sport, you are the gluesniffer. In the only full season he ever played (over 500 ABs), he hit .267. High averages and OBPs for partial seasons are meaningless. He's an average player and, with the attitude problems, a net negative for any team he's on. It's why he's a career loser.
Gluesniffer gumbercules,
Also, he's such a "beast," no one wants him for more than a season, or maybe two. No team in its right mind would give him a long contract, until the Cubs did so. And we know their success trend.....lol. "Beast!!" LOL. You're ridiculous.
Bradley played in San Diego for awhile and he was a plus for the team when he just played baseball BUT..........................this guy has some issues. He has a different view on things and is in need of some serious anger management sessions.
Baseball is a game....period. You take the good with the bad and just play. Umpires are on a power trip and Bradley thinks everything is US v Them or even Black / White as was the case in San Diego. If he wasn't playing baseball..... he would be in jail or dead because his anger issues are a one way ticket to either of those two ends.
I've seen worse calls, maybe four or five. The ball Bradley took for a strike was far enough inside the umpire almost certainly called it a strike for punitive reasons. Given how big a hole Bradley has dug for himself with umpires he should have taken his medicine and walked away. However, the umpire should be disciplined by the league for capriciously changing the outcome of a baseball game. Bradley walks, as he should have, a run scores. If Soriano flies out another run scores and there are two outs and the bases are still loaded. Bradley may be a jerk, dunno, don't care, but baseball games should be played between the lines without some jerkwad umpire messing with the outcome.
I don't think one even has to wonder how much Bradley's reputation had to do with his referral. Derek Jeter could probably cut an umpire's arm off before he was referred to the Commissioner's Office for his contact with an umpire. I do think that, to the extent that a player may make "incidental" contact with an umpire without punishment, then subjectivity is going to be part of the commissioner's analysis.
How will the commissioner's office determine whether the contact was incidental without making some sort of subjective judgment? Did Bradley incidentally move towards the umpire? No, he meant to move towards the ump. Did Bradley mean to bump the umpire, or was that an accident? To answer this question, the commissioner will have to consider some subjective evidence, and almost certainly he will consider Bradley's past. I don't think that Bradley intended to bump the umpire, but he did move aggresively towards the ump after the ump made his call.
You know what, Bradley must have intended to bump the ump. He has gone after them so many times, he must know how to prevent any kind of contact!
Milton Bradley played for the Padres and we experienced the same things he's doing now as he did in the past. I remember on at least three different occasions where he argued balls and strikes or showed up the umpires. Most umpires will you a little slack to argue but Milton loves showing up umpires and that's why he's a target. He's the biggest baby, punk, and whiner I have ever seen in MLB history. He's the Terrell Owens of MLB. Just because he gets 40 million from the Cubs doesn't mean he's great player. The Cubs overpaid for a basket case. I will never forget Milton getting so miffed he tried to plow through his own manager Bud Black and the result...hamstring injury. Good Luck to the Cubs, Milton is a mojo killer.
I will never forget his time with the Padres. The biggest crybaby, punk and whiner in sports. He is the Terrel Owens of MLB. Anytime he does Good, he counter balances it with the Bad and The Ugly. His time with the Padres he at least was thrown out five times and deserved each time including the famous plowing through his own manager Bud Black to go after an umpire resulting in hamstring injury for himself. I wish you all the best Cubbie Fans, Milton's a basket case and mojo killer. Kiss the playoffs goodbye.
The comparison to Owens is not a good one. TO may be an ass but Bradley is bat$#it crazy and thinks every disagreement must be based on race. He is the very definition of unreliable. Between his being very fragile and being nutty enough that angry outbursts are predictable you know he will not play a full season. Many of us laughed at the Cubs overpaying for this clown and predicted he they would regret the signing by the All Star game. We gave him two months too much credit.
Milton is a cry baby. just because he is a basbal player, he can not get away with his abuse of words. shame on you milton