By Paul SullivanMilton Bradley began his career in Seattle the same way he left Chicago -- angry, unrepentant and defensive.
Bradley declined to talk about his departure in a conference call with Seattle writers, saying: "I'm ready to move forward. I really don't have a statement about Chicago. I'm a Seattle Mariner. Chicago's is a thing of the past. I'm not interested in rehashing old news."
Bradley referred to himself as a "quiet" guy, and said people who criticize him or athletes in general are trying to make names for themselves.
"Pretty much for me, anybody deep down on the inside, looking out or looking in, you understand how PR works and media works, and how people are promoted, and how you have a bad guy and you can have a good guy," he said. "And that's just the way it is. And so I'm portrayed as however I am. It just adds to the mystique, I guess."
When asked about his feelings of Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu, he said: "I don't have any issue with him at all."
Bradley said he was excited to be a Mariner, and that he was not paying close attention to all the trade talk the last two months.
"I didn't really have a preference because I didn't really request anything," he said. "It became pretty apparent to me that I was going to be traded to someone at some point. I didn't really keep track of anything, even though I knew there (were) some teams out there. Seattle had been mentioned at some point, and it kind of happened kind of quickly."
Of course, Bradley was asked if he was "misunderstood," a question he's been asked at each of his last eight stops after a history of controversy preceded him.
"There's no way that I'm going to be fairly portrayed or represented," he said. "It's like everything in sports, and being a celebrity and whatnot, is his reputation and what dirt you can dish and what you can get on someone..."
But Bradley added that Seattle wanted him, suggesting his reputation wasn't as bad as people have written or talked about.
"I'm glad in a sense that I've been able to create great relationships and get to know people well to make a lasting impression," he said.
Asked by a Chicago reporter about Jim Hendry taking the "blame" for Bradley's stint, he said: "That's Jim's opinion. Like I said earlier, I have no interest in speaking about Chicago... I'm a Seattle Mariner. I've moved on. I wish you would move on and I wish the Chicago Cubs organization the best."
Photo: Milton Bradley throws his helmet after getting tossed in a n April game. (Scott Strazzante/Tribune)
Bradley said he was excited to be a Mariner, and that he was not paying close attention to all the trade talk the last two months.
"I didn't really have a preference because I didn't really request anything," he said. "It became pretty apparent to me that I was going to be traded to someone at some point. I didn't really keep track of anything, even though I knew there (were) some teams out there. Seattle had been mentioned at some point, and it kind of happened kind of quickly."
Of course, Bradley was asked if he was "misunderstood," a question he's been asked at each of his last eight stops after a history of controversy preceded him.
"There's no way that I'm going to be fairly portrayed or represented," he said. "It's like everything in sports, and being a celebrity and whatnot, is his reputation and what dirt you can dish and what you can get on someone..."
But Bradley added that Seattle wanted him, suggesting his reputation wasn't as bad as people have written or talked about.
"I'm glad in a sense that I've been able to create great relationships and get to know people well to make a lasting impression," he said.
Asked by a Chicago reporter about Jim Hendry taking the "blame" for Bradley's stint, he said: "That's Jim's opinion. Like I said earlier, I have no interest in speaking about Chicago... I'm a Seattle Mariner. I've moved on. I wish you would move on and I wish the Chicago Cubs organization the best."
Photo: Milton Bradley throws his helmet after getting tossed in a n April game. (Scott Strazzante/Tribune)
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Milton was brought in because of the lefty hitting situation Pine-ella complained about...How about his decision to remove zambrano in the 7th in the first game at arizona two years ago?...anyways, in 2008 they got beat by a good dodger team (witness dodgers 2009 to show they were ready) that was led by the leader torre...Pine-ella's excuse, we need a lefty hitter...enter bradley, yes he had a awful year by his standards, but in reality, losing wood and derosa, two solid pro's who know what playing team ball is all about were not resigned...chemistry was destroyed and meltin milton proved to be on his worst behavior...at least now we got rid of him, got a guy and saved 6 million in the deal...how about riding soto, soriano, fontenot, zambraino for not producing at all??...and missing a-ram for 2 months hurt a ton...this 2010 team might be good...we do have talent but when good talent produces over the course of a long season, you usually have a playoff caliber team...its about getting to the playoffs fans....relax..quit the goat, the 100 years...enjoy today, enjoy the team, enjoy the game, root for the cubs...have a little faith...after all only one team wins it all...quit acting like you all know everything and enjoy being a cub fan...enjoy wrigley and support your team...go cubs...
Doesn't Bradley say, "I'm ready to move forward," every time he switches teams?
Milton Bradley has got gone finally. What did the Cubs get in return? A pitcher with a bad arm. So what's changed? Absolutely nothing. Hendry has done it again!
I am glad Milton is gone now because I think it is best for both sides. The problem with the cubs is that ever since sosa they have tried multiple times to replace him and every time the person fails. Some have kept their mouth shut, others have not, but they have all failed in the eyes of the fans. The media does not help, Sullivan and others were all over this guy Bradley the minute the cubs signed him and when he started off poorly and was OBVIOUSLY getting ripped off by umpires, the cubs did not back him, the media did not back him, instead they ripped him for yelling at the umps. If you watch any film, you can see a guy who is getting clear balls called for strikes, and early on he kept his mouth shut, but as it kept happening he spoke up, like ANY of us would. In the end Milton made most of the trouble for himself, but he also did not deserve racial slurs (that I personally heard in the OF bleachers) he did not deserve the NL and the cubs not backing him on umps calling strike 3 on pitches that were WAY WAY outside or inside and he did not deserve an entire city's media turning on him like they did. In the end, Milton gets a lot of money to play a game and he has to play up to that money. Ultimately, Milton takes things too personally, we all know people like this in our lives. He just was not able to take the warranted or unwarranted criticism that comes with playing for the cubs. I wish him the best and I hope whoever plays RF for the cubs this year will receive a decent chance to prove himself before people rain down such harsh, bitter and overly ridiculous criticism on that person. I am also going to give this Silva guy a chance and I hope others do too, cubs fans need to stop being so angry and bitter, they have won for 3 years in a row now, let's be patient and wait for the WS title that is coming. If you build a consistent winning team you will eventually win it all, we have had entire decades where the owner does not care about winning...relax and root for these guys now and be happy to not see 50-60 win teams anymore
Hmmm, hmmmm...barbeque goat is delicious. One bad thing about goats, they don't understand english. I don't know how many times I had to tell him to take a hike there's a new curse in town. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures.
About that world series thing, don't worry Cub fans, under control. 2010-2100 seems like a reasonable stay...after all...I love Chicago!
Hendry is ultimately resposible, but the scouts are his advisors for talent. Hendry does a decent job at signing players, often overpaying, yes, but if the players were as good as the scouts say, everything would be fine.
Nothing like ringing out the old year with a "lose/lose" trade between the Cubs and the Mariners. Silva must be something else considering all the negative banter about him. As for Bradley, maybe the psycho ex-slugger can find a home in Seattle and start hitting.....and then maybe the tree huggers who ran the Sonics into a winning season in Oklahoma City will love him to death.
I understand your hatred for Milton Bradley and that you're excited that he is gone but you are getting a whole new headache in Carlos Silva. You will not like Carlos Silva, in fact you will hate Carlos Silva. It will not take much for the M's to win this trade because Carlos Silva is worth nothing.
No, they don't need to take away his checkbook, they need to fire his azz. If they don't fire him they will never win a pennant.
Hendry is a better GM when he dosen't have money to spend, look at the 2003 team, he didn't sign anyone that team to a decent sized contract. Sosa and Alou were already there, eveyone else was either young or mid-level at best. Aram and Lofton came in a trade late. Now look at his awful signings.
Bradley
Soriano
Hawkins
Fukudome
Jones
Mercker
Burnitz
Maddux-Look at the #'s he was way overpaid
Remlinger
Howry
Marquis
Gathright
Miles
That's about 200,000,000 thrown away over the past 5 years! His best signing, Mark DeRosa, he gave away to Cleveland so that he could sign Bradley.
Here's and idea, TAKE AWAY HIS CHECKBOOK!!!!!!!
And another thing. Hendry is one of the worst GMs in all of baseball. He goes out and signs these overrated over the hill vets and lets the youngsters ride the pine or stay down on the farm and when they could be up playing as well or better than people like this idiot Bradley. Didn't he pay that clown 30 mil for 3 years? That has to be one of the most pathetic deals ever made for a free agent. If the new owners don't fire Hendry then it will be the same ole same for the flubbies.
Good luck Seattle. I wouldn't expect to have a shot at the playoffs this year. I'm sure the Cancer will have a good 2-3 months before he implodes and takes the team down with him.
By far the worst deal Hendry ever made was signing this narrsasistic idiot. He wasn't worth a bag of baseballs. Good riddence to his azz.
Once a jerk, always a jerk. Put Fukudome back in rightfield and let Sam Fuld or some other young guy play in centerfield. Please: no more over-priced, worthless free agents. Tieme for the Cubs minor league system players to get a chance. Oops, I forgot. Lou doesn't like to play young guys. Lou should go back to Seattle too!
Ohhhh Ohhhhh watch out cub fans. I am here to haunt you for the next hundred years. I am going to hit 30 homeruns and win a gold glove, and come October you will all be singing there's a tear in my beer. Hahahahaha hahahahaha.
The Ghost of Milton Bradley
"In almost any other professional sport they would simply be let go without pay."
Uh, Pete, do understand the concept of a contract?
Bradley goes from a pressure cooker media market to the suicide capital of the US...this can't possibly end well.
Milton, no matter how much you want to deflect blame, your own actions are the cause of your screwed up life. Just be glad you have a talent that people are still willing to pay you for, otherwise you'd probably be in prison. Good riddance to bad garbage.
Don't let the clubhouse door hit you. Maybe you can have some surgery to have that pathetic chip on your shoulder removed.
Sorry piece of crap. No one cares if you're black, purple, or whatnot. What matters is that you're an a$$.
Is this guy DELUSIONAL? He has the same exit speech and the same "new-guy" speech every time he burns a bridge.
Get real Meltdown.
Milton Bradley was a great teammate that Cub fans never gave a fair chance.
Wrigley Field is a bastion of intolerance.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.
OMG, talk about being a legend in your own mind! This guy has literally wrapped himself up in his own little hermeutically sealed universe!
Miltie,
Don't let the Chicago CUBS door hit you in your brain and MLB skills compartment or the Grand Canyon size chip on your shoulder as you exit with your venomous stare pointed toward Seattle. Good riddance, loser!
He may be the most delusional professional athlete in the history of sports. A textbook narcissistic personality. Wow!!
Now that Milton is gone, the book is closed on what turned out to be a farce to beat all farces. Guess we should have signed Bobby Abreau after all.
Milton was signed because Hendry had no choice but to make a major move to 1) compensate for the Fukudome fade 2) comply with the whiny no-lefthanded-bats excuse and 3) to light a fire under the perceived cream puff psyche of the 0-fer-October playoff fizzlers.
In short, Milton was to kick some complacent Cubbie butt and blaze to glory from the left side.
It turned out 1) Milton was a lousier fielder than Fukodome who could not count outs 2) His left handedness did nothing to set up his right handed teamates, who instead took the year off (Derek Lee excluded) and 3) promptly turtled into a shell and alienated each and every human being he encountered.
The good news is that he is gone. Good for Cub land and good for Milton. The signing of his old Ranger hitting coach sent chills through our collective spine that Milton was about to get a second chance.
The cream puff psyche is still there. That's the bad news.
milton bradley is a complete jerk and plays the game only for himself.
How many teams has he been with last 10 years? The expression "Ready to move forward" can be used so many times..Whatever man..Good luck to you or whatever..All I can say is I just have cancer cell removed out of my body.
Bob Jack wonders whether this trade is "win-win" or "lose-lose". In economics they have the concept of a "sunk cost". You can't change the huge mistake you made in the past, so just try to make good decisions from here on out.
The Cubs and Mariners both REALLY wish they had never entered these contracts, so it's clear the original contracts were losses for both teams. Yet either or both teams could win from this deal.
Seattle wins if Bradley's production is worth at least $6 million more than Silva's over the next two years. The Cubs arguably win otherwise. The Cubs might win even if Bradley does at least $6 million better in Seattle since he probably couldn't play as well if he stayed at Wrigley (home of mean fans and nasty sportswriters).
Didn't he say the exact same thing when the Cubs signed him?
One big thing I see in all of this is that baseball's union is just too strong. It's ridiculous that two under-performing slobs including one who is also a "cancer" get paid this kind of money. In almost any other professional sport they would simply be let go without pay. And this is the way it is in almost any business in the USA. You get paid for doing a job, not for being a piece of crap!!
I could go on and on. The too strong union is also responsible for the sport being on steriods for years......
Jerk
Everybody's always talking win-win, but this trade looks like the very definition of lose-lose. Is it any wonder the Mariners have never been to the World Series and the Cubs haven't been since...Well, you know the rest.
What a loser! Buh bye, Bradley. Just don't let the door hit you in the [back] end on the way out.
Wonder how long it will take him to blame them next, and pull the race card? I hope not, but....
whooooooopie
Good Riddance! He was a joke and he is a joke. I feel bad for Seattle - a bad apple he is!