Links for Wednesday, as Ty Wigginton continues his assault on the American League…
- Milton Bradley left the Mariners in the middle of last night's game, reports ESPN's Mike Salk. The distractions become difficult to tolerate when he's hitting .214/.313/.371. GM Jack Zduriencik says Bradley asked the organization for help following last night's incident and will sit out for a few days while he works out personal "issues," according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
- Bradley, for his part, texted Peter Gammons (Twitter link) to say: "Any reports I said I'm packing up and leaving are 100% fabricated."
- The Cardinals aren't sure yet whether Aaron Miles will work his way up to the bigs, writes Andy Jasner at MLB.com. The team is evaluating Miles' progress after signing him to a minor league deal last week.
- Baseball fans are mourning the loss of Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell, who was 92. A public viewing will take place Thursday night at Comerica Park.
- Barry Zito's 2014 option for $18MM vests if he starts racking up 200 inning seasons, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Even if it remains a club option, the Giants face a hefty $7MM buyout.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis says Texas high school righty Jameson Taillon is the consensus #2 in the June draft. Will the Pirates spring for him? Will the Orioles have a shot at #3?
Milton Bradley is always good for a laugh.
honestly what did seattle think they were getting in bradley…I wonder if this keeps up if they can try to void out his contract…
If the Pirates and Orioles can only leave Anthony Ranuando for Kansas City!
Lol, Ranaudo would be a terrible pick for KC or for anyone in the top 10. He is facing shoulder injuries, a Boras client, and hes been getting rocked his last few times out. His stock has fallen considerably.
In fairness to Seattle, who could have seen this coming? Oh yeah, 7 teams in the past 9 years.
and still not as bad as Carlos Silva was
“Was” being the operative word. At any rate, no matter what Silva does, Bradley isn’t the Cubs’ problem anymore. He is not missed. Heck, it would have been worth the money the Cubs made in the deal alone.
From Seattle’s point of view, there were two options: Keep Silva or take Bradley. At the time, taking Bradley was by far the best option, and I still think that holds true today.
“At the time, taking Bradley was by far the best option, and I still think that holds true today.”
How does this hold true today? Plain and simple, Silva has outperformed Bradley thus far. He has put up fair numbers and actually helped the Cubs win a few games. Bradley’s numbers are not much and he is pulling his usual BS and now walked out on the team… A HUGE NO NO. Granted, no one expects Silva to pitch this way all season. He will face better teams. Given Bradley’s past and his unstable personality, he is not a better option today or any day.
It is also one month into the season. Try not to let your preconceptions of Bradley allow you to write him off after one rough month. And, in all fairness, he’s outperformed most of the rest of Seattle’s lineup.
And get your facts straight. He did not “walk out on the team”. He came to the team asking for help in controlling his anger because he knew that if he didn’t get it under control, he would serve as a distraction. Milton going to Wak and Jack Z and asking for them help is a highly commendable and respectable decision, and it sure as hell wasn’t easy for him to do so. He’s clearly making an effort to do well and turn things around, and I’m sure much of the rest of Seattle’s fanbase is with me when I say we’ll support him through it.
“It is also one month into the season. Try not to let your preconceptions of Bradley allow you to write him off after one rough month. And, in all fairness, he’s outperformed most of the rest of Seattle’s lineup.”
Bradley was outperforming the rest of Seattle’s line up with not so good numbers, just better than others. Also, he left the team because he initially said he was not helping the team. So his ‘outperforming’ the team was not that spectacular.
“And get your facts straight. He did not “walk out on the team”. He came to the team asking for help in controlling his anger because he knew that if he didn’t get it under control, he would serve as a distraction.”
That is totally wrong. BRADLEY LEFT DURING A GAME. It was even reported he left when he found out he was being replaced in the outfield. Maybe so, maybe not. Regardless, ANY PLAYER leaving during a game is wrong. If he wanted to get the help he so richly needs, he could have stayed on the bench and spoke with management AFTER the game.
If Bradley is truly getting the help he needs, that would be great. However, he has caused so much trouble in the past with his anger issues and immature ways that I will wait and see. As far as one rough month, I don’t know. Maybe he comes back a better person. I am not an expert on anger management and his deep issues. It seems to me it would take much longer than the time he will miss. I have my doubts a few sessions are going to change those lifelong issues. While he is in rehab, he can pay his last landlord the massive amount he stiffed him.
Did I say he put up “spectacular” numbers? All I stated was that he was performing better than about 66% of the lineup. While those numbers may not necessarily have been the prettiest, at least he’s been contributing something to the offense. Too many people, yourself included, are quick to jump down his throat, all the while ignoring the embarrassing offensive struggles of Lopez, the DH and catching platoons, and Kotchman.
My point is that Bradley did return and he asked his bosses for help. If you’re going to point out all of Bradley’s past faults and errors, it’d be highly unfair of you to not acknowledge that making the effort to admit weakness and ask for help when it’s needed is a tremendous step in maturity for Milton. Nobody ever said that his anger and frustration was going to be a problem that a few sessions could fix, and it most likely will not be. However, if the counseling Seattle is getting him helps him as a person and improves his temper on the field, then I don’t see how someone could possibly not support it.
“Too many people, yourself included, are quick to jump down his throat, all the while ignoring the embarrassing offensive struggles of Lopez, the DH and catching platoons, and Kotchman.”
What? I am not jumping down the rest of the Mariners weaknesses because the story above is focused on Bradley leaving the team, not the hitting woes of the M’s. There are too many ‘woe is me’, ‘pitty me’ and self centered actions involving Bradley in the past. Some fans buy into it. That’s your choice, no problem. Case in point, you started your responses by telling me to get my ‘facts straight’. That Bradley aksed for help. I point out that he left the team first and you ignore that fact. Yes, he did ask for help…AFTER he walked out on the team. We’ll see if it is genuine or just an attempt to get the criticism off his back for a bit. Time will tell. I truly hope he gets help and it works for the better. Until then, I hold a wait and see approach.
Do you really think it was the best option? Bradley’s negative personality has consistently negated his positive offensive numbers throughout his career – not just for the Cubs but for several other teams. What has happened so far should surprise no one. Seattle has treated him with kid gloves like no other organization so far, but the results have been the same. I’m glad to see Bradley took the positive step of asking for help but, given his past, you have to wonder if it’s sincere or if he’s only motivated by the realization that Seattle may be his last chance.
As for Silva, Dave Cameron at Fangraphs wrote an excellent article detailing Silva’s pitch selection, particularly against lefties, and how it has changed from his days in Seattle as compared to his days in Chicago. The Cubs pitching coach, Larry Rothschild and spring training instructor, Greg Maddux are responsible for that and other adjustments he’s made since joining the Cubs.
You have to wonder if Seattle just got so fed up with Silva that they didn’t see the forest for the trees. A couple of simple adjustments have put Silva in a position to be an effective pitcher again. No one’s calling him an ace, but they could have had a decent starter and used the money sent to the Cubs for a better, more emotionally stable hitter. The Cubs, for example, turned around and signed Marlon Byrd with the money they saved. I’m not saying Byrd would have been the answer for Seattle, but there were guys out there they could have used that $9M on. Instead they sent it to the Cubs in their eagerness to dump Silva and pick up a player who is better on paper than he is on the field. The worst part is that, lately, he hasn’t even been good on paper either. Given his emotional baggage, you have to question if adding Milton Bradley as a central part of your equation is ever the best solution to a team’s offensive problems.
The new regime seems to avoid pitchers in the first few rounds, and focus on luring high school pitchers away from college in the later rounds. We did it last year and got a nice haul of young pitchers. Personally, I don’t like the idea of taking a pitcher that high, none of these cats are sure things, but there’s so many what-ifs with pitchers.
As an O’s fan, I’m hoping for Taillon. He has the highest ceiling of anyone in the draft, including Bryce Harper
don’t get carried away now.
That is, of course, my opinion. However, looking at the scouting reports on him, he seems to have a ton of potential. Besides, many scouts have mentioned Harper isn’t an “elite” prospect a la A-Rod or Mauer. Plus, I generally think the ceiling for pitchers is higher than for hitters. Especially because I can’t see Harper staying at catcher for too long…
blasphemy
Total Bummer on Ernie Hawrwell
Sad, sad day for the game
Milton was a good player when he was in San Diego, i wouldnt mind him coming back to the Padres.
I hope that the Pirates pick Taillon. Not only because I want the Pirates to get better, but I just really hate the Orioles.
How could you hate the Orioles? They just make the Pirates look like a World Series team!
Asking for help is a step in the right direction for Bradley. It’s probably something he should have done years ago but it’s better late than never. He isn’t going to keep getting all these chances. Hopefully he can get his issues under control.
Hey look, Milton Bradley claiming the media is making things up to savage his reputation. We haven’t seen that before or anything.
I don’t know what is wrong with Milton Bradley’s head, but it is obviously severe. He is so utterly narcissistic that I do not believe he has EVER ONCE entertained the possibility that the drama that follows him like a cloud might just be because of his own actions. Everything is somehow somebody else’s fault. The Cubs tried to turn him into a power hitter so he sucked; the Mariners didn’t (yet–we’ll see in the offseason) but his manager won’t stick up for him when he claims a strike is a ball, so he sucks, sulks and storms out. I remember a quote near the end of Spring Training that went something like this: “I’ve hit everywhere I ever went except Chicago. Maybe that should tell you something.”
Well, throw Seattle on the heap then buddy. Maybe the quote isn’t entirely accurate; I don’t know, things can often be remembered differently by different people who aren’t trying to spin anything. I do know when you yell at your manager–WHATEVER your words–and leave the team, you lose all credibility and any benefit of the doubt you may have ever been awarded. And when this sort of idiocy happens on every team you’re on, it’s time to entertain the possibility that it’s not everybody in the world but you causing it to happen.
Better yet, just try to IMAGINE what would happen to you if you tried that nonsense out in the real world, Milton. Try walking into your bosses office, yelling at him and telling him you’re out of there. See if you’re welcomed back the next morning. Try it when you’re not a multi-millionaire for throwing temper tantrums and occasionally hitting a baseball and you have a family depending on you to help provide.
Grow up, Milton. Get some help. There’s clearly something broken up there. Maybe when you get all that sorted out you can get back to being the hitter you’re capable of being.
Hate to break it to you, but Milton will never see that. Good effort though.
Yeah, shout at someone you don’t know on the internet about their emotional issues and the real world, then accuse someone else of narcissism. Classy.
I didn’t know Hitler, but I know he wasn’t a good guy.
I know that’s an extreme point but hey, he makes millions for playing a game yet decides to leave whenever he wants.
I suppose you think flipping the bird to fans, cussing out umps and his manager, leaving the team during a game, calling umps racist, calling his teammates racist AND declaring entire fan bases as racists are classy things to do.
News Flash: Bradley is not a good guy. I’m pretty sure millions of dollars is damn good compensation for what his job entails and the emotions that come with the job. Sorry if I don’t shed tears for the guy who PMS about not being liked while still making millions for playing a damn game. Boo Hoo. If you can’t handle the pressure, then don’t be a Major League Baseball player.
So you’ve never known any gifted people with severe social disorders? I don’t know for sure that he isn’t a decent guy. He’s been a very good ballplayer over the course of his career, and while we expect people to be good at handling media, fans, public life, etc., that’s not really what they’re hired to do, and it’s a totally separate skill set. Do you go to see Russell Crowe movies? I do. Because he’s a good actor. And I’ve never heard of Milton Bradley beating the crap out of a much smaller man.
REALLY hope the Bucs take Taillon, unless, of course, Harper should fall.
didn’t the Bucs take a catcher with like the 4th pick last year?
Yea, they like did. He’s currently OPSing over 1.000.
Your point being?
They can probably move Harper at least to the outfield and perhaps to 3b if he has a good arm.
I think Bradley is brave to ask for help especially knowing how it will bring up everything negative that happened with him in the past. I am glad he came to Seattle, a place with great fans that are forgiving and will give him a chance to try and be a better player and teammate. Seattle knows that he has talent and in the right surroundings, he will thrive. Unlike other organizations, Seattle wont use him as a scapegoat and blame the poor man for everything that goes wrong. Shoot, why do you think he has emotional problems?
I am not happy Milton Bradley was placed in the same ‘odds & ends’ as Ernie Harwell.
It does not seem right.
Zeets
Ernie Harwell passed away yesterday.
For those of you who don’t know, Ernie was the longtime Broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers, after beginning his career with the Dodgers (in a trade with Atlanta for Catcher Clint Dapper-the first Broadcaster involved in a Baseball Trade), then the Giants, and the Orioles. Listening to Ernie was like listening to Vin Scully…Almost always calm, melodious, thoughtful, literate, and a learning experience.
Growing up in the Midwest, I loved listening to Jack Brickhouse (Cubs) and Lou Boudreau (ChiSox), during the day, but the nights were special. If you had the right transistor radio, and the right cloud cover, and understood a little about clear-channel radio and the FCC requirements, you could hear the best broadcasters in the game. Once in awhile I could hear a scratchy broadcast of Harry Kalas (Phillies), or during Tornado Season, Jack Buck from St. Louis, but when the winds were perfect, I could hear Ernie Harwell and the Tigers Rebroadcast, or sometimes, a live broadcast! That, my friends, was special. I heard Denny McLain win his 21st game in 1968 (about 12 hours after it happened), It was magical.
Ernie Harwell was special, and I’m sad to hear he’s passed on. I am honored to have been able to hear and watch him work, and teach, and learn some of the nuances of my favorite sport. I am humbled by the patience he took to teach me, and the world, about the game that we love.
Following is one of his famous quotes, and a link to Ernie’s Speech at his Hall of Fame induction in 1981, which in my opinion, was one of the greatest acceptance speeches in the history of the Hall. Please take a moment and enjoy it.
“Baseball? It’s not just a game – as simple as a ball and a bat. Yet, it’s as complex as the American spirit it symbolizes. It’s a sport, business – and sometimes even a religion.”
Ernie Harwell – “The Game for All America”
baseball-almanac.com/hof/Ernie_Harwell
Be Well, Be Safe,