Milton Bradley Suspended For Year: Cubs End Outfielder's Season After Interview

ST. LOUIS — Milton Bradley's season is finished. Perhaps his days with the Chicago Cubs are, too.

The Cubs suspended their volatile outfielder for the rest of the season Sunday, one day after he criticized the team in a newspaper interview.

Bradley was disciplined for conduct detrimental to the team. General manager Jim Hendry said he decided to send Bradley home after learning of the player's remarks in the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald of Illinois. Bradley, scratched from Saturday's lineup with a sore left knee, was quoted as saying "you understand why they haven't won in 100 years here."

Bradley has two years remaining on a three-year, $30 million contract that he signed as a free agent last offseason. Hendry said he doesn't know if the relationship can be salvaged.

"The last few days became too much for me to tolerate," Hendry said. "I just decided late last night that's what I was going to do, and I didn't give it a lot of thought what's going to transpire moving forward."

Cubs manager Lou Piniella agreed with Hendry's move.

"Jim made the decision and I support it," the manager said. "I really do."

Chicago signed the switch-hitting Bradley to provide balance in the lineup, but he struggled throughout his first season with Chicago, batting .257 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs. He was booed vigorously by home fans at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs, who haven't won the World Series since 1908, began the day eight games out of the NL wild-card spot with 15 to play. They were 11 games behind first-place St. Louis in the NL Central.

Piniella said whether the 31-year-old Bradley is with the team next season will be entirely Hendry's call. He wasn't sure why Bradley was unhappy in Chicago, and maintained he did his best to deal with a player who he quickly learned required plenty of space.

"I don't know what I could have done. I really don't," Piniella said. "I tried to make it as comfortable as I possibly could for Milton."

In the newspaper story, Bradley also was quoted as saying the team did not have a "positive environment." He said he didn't know if he'd be back next season.

"I need a stable, healthy, enjoyable environment," Bradley told the newspaper. "There's too many people everywhere in your face with a microphone asking the same questions repeatedly.

"Everything is just bashing you. It's just negativity."

Cubs outfielder Reed Johnson had trouble understanding why Bradley was so unhappy.

"I came from Toronto and come here and just like fall in love with the city and fall in love with the organization," Johnson said. "It's just hard for me to believe that you can come to this city, come to this organization, and not enjoy your time here."

Johnson didn't think Bradley had any reason to feel isolated from the rest of the team, saying "I think for the most part that was his choice."

Hendry was surprised to learn that Bradley wasn't enjoying Chicago after seeking a deal with the Cubs in the offseason.

"That's why it was so disconcerting to hear about negativity," Hendry said. "It's a great place to play. Great ballpark, great city, greatest fans in the world.

"That's just something that's intolerable to me, to blame the fans and the other things that were blamed."

Micah Hoffpauir played right field, Bradley's spot, for the third straight game in the finale of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday night. Outfielder Tyler Colvin, a first-round draft pick in 2006, was recalled from Double-A Tennessee.

The oft-injured Bradley has a history of boorish behavior during 10 years in the majors with seven teams.

He was sent home by Piniella during a June game following an angry outburst in the dugout, and suspended for a game after arguing with umpire Larry Vanover when he was called out on strikes with the bases loaded April 16.

In 2004, Bradley was ordered to undergo anger management counseling while with the Dodgers after being suspended for charging a fan in the stands who had thrown a bottle near him. During the NL playoffs that year, he called a reporter an "Uncle Tom."

Comments

[PDH5204]

06:42 PM on 09/22/2009

Here's the fan(s) that Milton is displeased with, from the one comment:

"Derrick Lee and Aramis Ramirez can't carry the team by themselves. Had Bradley's numbers been more in line with his past performance, AND his pay rate, the Cubs would be in the playoff mix right now. (The same can be said about Soriano, but at least he isn't b#tching about it being the fault of everyone else)

Regardless of who was in the lineup with him, he has flat-out failed to produce. Period."

Uh, Aramis' injury history isn't much better than Milton's [and so Aramis might make 90 games (of 162) if there's enough games left this year]. To that add Soriano and his .303 OBP, Fontenot and his .308 OBP, and Mr. Bust This Year, Geovanny Soto. Don't blame this year on Milton, since even had he outperformed his last year, your team would still be going nowhere. By the way, what is Milton's OBP? So he's the 3rd best at not making out on your team? Just the useless tool that your team needs to trash. And some wonder why they haven't won in 100 years [they'll toss the .378 in favor of .303, .308, and .322 and call it building a winner].

[PrimusElijah]

03:56 PM on 09/22/2009

His long history of boorish behavior is about the average for major leaguers. Wow, he got thrown out of a game once and actually charged a fan who three a bottle at him. Like I've never heard that before!
From his quotes it sounds like he is saying that some of the fans and the media are the problem, and not he organization and city itself. At least that's the way I read it.

[ppace60657]

01:41 PM on 09/22/2009

A large majority of people attending Cubs games are not "fans" in any sense of the word. They don't pay attention, don't know anything about the sport, don't know the players, don't care. They go to the games to show their friends that they can get the tickets, then spend their time screaming on the phone, drinking over-priced bad beer (to show people they can afford it), watching everything but the game, and yelling at the players. These people are not fans.

[ejhickey]

11:20 AM on 09/22/2009

Bradley still has his mother behind him. see today's Chicago Tribune. explains everything that is wrong with this guy.

[solid]

08:43 AM on 09/22/2009

As a St. Louis Cardinals fan living in Illinois, I just knew the Cubs desire to get a left handed bat in the form of MIlton Bradley was going to burn them bad. But hey, thanks Cubs, we are enjoying the heck out of Mark DeRosa!

P.S. Soriano is a sorry excuse for a ballplayer, but at least he's not blaming someone else.

[sjvl]

10:29 PM on 09/21/2009

It seems to me he would have known the Cubs' WS records before he signed. What a loser.

Chicago fans don't take this type of garbage well. He is in the best sports town in the country, and wouldn't need to field the same questions over and over if he had put forth some effort. Everyone (including me) would have loved him had he done his job. Now he can whine to someone else, if they will have him.

Adios, MB. And good riddance.

[ChiGuy]

10:16 PM on 09/21/2009

I have been in the left field bleachers and heard some of the catcalls directed at Bradley, but I have also heard the cheers when he has made a great catch, and when he has helped out on the offensive side.

Bradley has not produced as he has in the past, and has griped off and on all season long about everything EXCEPT his inability to get it done at the plate.

Hey Milton....7 teams in 10 years. What does that tell you?

We'll be sure to boo you nice and loud when you come back to Chicago in a visitor's uniform.

[ChiGuy]

11:48 PM on 09/22/2009

Oops. RIGHT field.

[murphy80]

07:45 PM on 09/21/2009

like milton is the problem in Chicago..........

he makes all the decisions..........................

hires and fires, picks the lineups...............

look at the numbers, Cubs will do better next year

it all evens out.................not milton's fault

[ChiGuy]

10:09 PM on 09/21/2009

Look at the numbers indeed.
He's cashing the paychecks intended for a star in the game, and he is FAR from one these days.
Derrick Lee and Aramis Ramirez can't carry the team by themselves. Had Bradley's numbers been more in line with his past performance, AND his pay rate, the Cubs would be in the playoff mix right now. (The same can be said about Soriano, but at least he isn't b#tching about it being the fault of everyone else)

Regardless of who was in the lineup with him, he has flat-out failed to produce. Period.

[nemain]

07:38 PM on 09/21/2009

PLEASE do not get the swine flu shot......read this article, lawsuit being filed (genocide)
SPREAD THE WORD FAST!!!!!
http://www.theflucase.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=647%3Alen-horowitz-files-pandemic-charges-against-rockefeller&catid=1%3Alatest-news&Itemid=64&lang=en

[MrBen]

06:02 PM on 09/21/2009

That kind of attitude can be toxic in a clubhouse... I don't know who would want a headcase like that so it should be interesting to see where he lands next season. The quote, to me almost feels like he's saying, "I don't want to be on a losing team, and I want them to win without having to rely on me." He wants to play for a place that can win without pressuring him- and if things turn bad to just leave him alone. That's no way to sell yourself to any potential employer.

For all the pressure that Cubs fans and media may place on you, there's always a current of optimism- they love the cubs without question. You wanna talk negativity? Look at the insults being heaped on the Pirates these days... THAT'S a negative environment.

[local21]

05:38 PM on 09/21/2009

I'm not a Cub fan and I usually don't hold back from ripping them but this asshat has crossed the line.

Cub fans don't deserve this kind of treatment.

[Lakeview Greg]

05:25 PM on 09/21/2009

I'm still trying to figure out why Hendry got him in the first place. Maybe the Reds will take him. Let Milton be Dusty's problem for a while.

[Black Knight]

02:23 PM on 09/21/2009

After a century of sucking/choking, how can you not be cynical or make remarks like that? The fact that the two other major drought teams won the world series consecutively (Red and White Sox) only puts salt on the wound.

[PCdoc]

04:27 PM on 09/21/2009

if they're paying you 30 million, you learn to shut up, at least when you're talking to the press

[Cogs]

12:43 PM on 09/21/2009

Good riddance to bad rubbish

[balancedsolution]

10:54 AM on 09/21/2009

This isn't even a big deal, because the season is for the most part OVER.

Demote him to bat boy for the rest of the season.....

[ebroadcast]

11:36 AM on 09/21/2009

Wow, if that ain't the truth. Go Cards!