I'm disappointed that the Mariner organisation has let him give this interview.
Someone from the Mariner PR dept. needs to be following Bradley 24/7 whilst in Peoria and if a member of the media comes within 20 yards of him they need to be warning them away. What could can come to Bradley from interviews like this? He needs to learn how to say ‘No Comment’ and move on.
I wish I hadn't even read this interview, it's given me a soured opinion of Bradley who appears to live in an idealistic world where 'bad people' don't exist.
You soured on him because he didn’t like the over hostility and loads of hate mail he received in Chicago? Should he have said it was a nice gesture? He’s human. Very, very human. And I think Seattle will be just fine for him so long as everyone remembers whom he’s replacing.
I can do without the slavery talk and the racial undertones of the whole conversation.
I don’t think they hated him in Chicago because he’s a black man. They hated him because they are a desperate fanbase who will boo anyone who makes money and doesn’t produce up to expectations.
There are racial undertones in the whole conversation
because of the racial undertones of Bradley’s treatment, and other african american player on the Cubs. These are well documented, and are referenced here and here
There was overt racism. Tons of black players have spoken how difficult Wrigley can get.
Derek Lee, Jacque Jones, LaTroy Hawkins, Juan Pierre, Mike Cameron, even Torii Hunter.
As usual, it was a vocal minority of a huge fanbase that ended up being louder than the majority of people who were just frustrated at a lackluster season. I suppose Bradley deserved his time to explain what went down, but he just comes off as both delusional and paranoid. Perhaps it was just a failed marriage to begin with playing in a city desperate for Cubs glory.
I believe he may have legitamate gripes, and I accept that I should have taken these into account first. However, I feel as a professional athlete at a new team he should keep stum about further comment on his previous team...
…these media distractions can no help himself or the ballclub. Which is why I believe the M’s PR dept. should be protecting him more.
I had no opinion of Bradley before he joined Seattle because I didn't know much/anything about him other than he was great for Texas and if injured often.
There’s nothing wrong with this interview. He says that th city expected too much of him, turned hostile, and hi was upset that his kid was being called names at school. He also says that he didn’t flip a tizzy when Lou called him a piece of shit to the media. How does he come off poorly here? I don’t see it.
The insinuation that Cubs people were transmitting or even generating racist hate mail is… interesting.
I like Bradley a lot, and yes, he comes across as an intelligent guy. But pro athletes probably shouldn’t react like this to booing and taunts. The constant jabs at Chicago’s fans may be justified for all I know, but it’s not terribly professional to keep repeating how historically awful they are.
(Yes, we criticize athletes for saying the expected and sticking to cliches in interviews, and then when someone says what they feel, we criticize it too. But the guy has a reputation for taking any perceived slight…poorly, and the interview seemed like it will only enhance the view that he sees conspiracies and threats everywhere.)
I also feel your reaction to this is unfair and incorrect.
In the United States, we often describe ourselves as being post-racial, and this is anything but the case. Bradley has been painted by Chicago local (and some national) media outlets as the stereotypical black thug and a cancer. If Bradley has an opportunity to disprove this portrayal he should do so.
In this interview he comes off as intelligent and articulate, certainly not the way he has been portayed. While it is easy for us to sit in our anonymity and declare what he should do, he is merely trying to do his own PR to enhance his image.
That sounds reasonable. I have no idea what the Chicago media have portrayed him as.
Using my own standards it just sounded like he was whining over things that affect most people in life, however I accept that I do not know the full story behind his problems in Chicago and I probably should have researched more before jumping to conclusions.
But now that he has answered the questions, will the media finally let it go? I doubt it and it would piss me off if I was Milton Bradley. There should now be a mandate by the Mariners PR to have Bradley respond to these questions with “I’ve already answered this question, next question” and other variations of the sort.
I didn't think he looked bad either, but then I read the article afterwards.
In the video the reporter was definitely pushing Bradley down a line he was uncomfortable with, like the repeated question if he thought the letters came from the Cubs Front Office. Then if you read the article underneath the video, it has Jim Hendry blasting back at him.
“That couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Hendry said. “I think it’s time maybe Milton looked at himself in the mirror. It is what it is. He didn’t swing the bat; he didn’t get the job done. His production was the only negative, or lack of.”
Call me crazy, but it looks as if ESPN was setting Bradley up for this story.
Pushing him on the letters thing was way out of line
He obviously didn’t want to answer, get off it. It seemed like she was trying very hard to fan the flames, and Milton did a surprisingly good job not biting on it.
It’s one thing to say that Bradley’s personality negatively affected the teams performance, but to say that his production was “negative”, is just flat out wrong. If you are looking at RBI’s from a high walk hitter who’s primary spot in the lineup was the 2 hole and who only played in 124 games to judge a player’s production, you have no business being a major league GM. His wOBA was .345, his WPA was .55, and his UZR WAR was 1.1. He had a solid year and his production should not be criticized, especially given the huge bag of fail delivered by Fontenot, Soriano, Soto, etc.
We can only hope Bradley and keep his head in the game and his focus on baseball. It seems he constantly has an agenda that seems to distract him sufficiently to impact his play and affect his relationships with other players, managers and fans.
Well, here he goes again. Another fresh start. They say you can learn from past experiences.
and given the number of loaded questions he was handed I think he really did his best to articulate his feelings without saying something really bad. The reporter was trying to get him to make a controversial statement and he really didn’t.
I'm disappointed that the Mariner organisation has let him give this interview.
Someone from the Mariner PR dept. needs to be following Bradley 24/7 whilst in Peoria and if a member of the media comes within 20 yards of him they need to be warning them away. What could can come to Bradley from interviews like this? He needs to learn how to say ‘No Comment’ and move on.
EnglishMariner - March 10, 2010
I wish I hadn't even read this interview, it's given me a soured opinion of Bradley who appears to live in an idealistic world where 'bad people' don't exist.
EnglishMariner - March 10, 2010
Meh. I could really care less what Bradley says while he's here. Just hit and stay healthy Milton, that's all you need to worry about.
Goose - March 10, 2010
I feel that things would run smoother if he just kept his mouth shut when the media start provoking him.
EnglishMariner - March 10, 2010
Come on
You soured on him because he didn’t like the over hostility and loads of hate mail he received in Chicago? Should he have said it was a nice gesture? He’s human. Very, very human. And I think Seattle will be just fine for him so long as everyone remembers whom he’s replacing.
Bearskin Rugburn - March 10, 2010
Overt.
god, typing is a problem today.
Bearskin Rugburn - March 10, 2010
I can do without the slavery talk and the racial undertones of the whole conversation.
I don’t think they hated him in Chicago because he’s a black man. They hated him because they are a desperate fanbase who will boo anyone who makes money and doesn’t produce up to expectations.
Rudy4three - March 10, 2010
There are racial undertones in the whole conversation
because of the racial undertones of Bradley’s treatment, and other african american player on the Cubs. These are well documented, and are referenced here and here
Ballard Erik - March 10, 2010
Right, but one of the methods they used to express that hate was racism.
Graham MacAree - March 10, 2010
There was overt racism. Tons of black players have spoken how difficult Wrigley can get.
Derek Lee, Jacque Jones, LaTroy Hawkins, Juan Pierre, Mike Cameron, even Torii Hunter.
As usual, it was a vocal minority of a huge fanbase that ended up being louder than the majority of people who were just frustrated at a lackluster season. I suppose Bradley deserved his time to explain what went down, but he just comes off as both delusional and paranoid. Perhaps it was just a failed marriage to begin with playing in a city desperate for Cubs glory.
Ozzie Montana - March 10, 2010
People unfortunately yell things at every park
To single out Wrigley isn’t accurate.
BeerCub - March 10, 2010
I don't think I've ever heard a racist comment yelled as Safeco (or any other sporting venue in the northwest)
They don’t yell those comments at every park.
Edgar for Pres - March 10, 2010
Alrighty
BeerCub - March 10, 2010
That's a pretty naive assumption.
Ozzie Montana - March 11, 2010
I'm pretty sure that saying anything of a racist nature at Safeco would get you tossed in about half a second,
Aaron Campeau - March 11, 2010
I've heard some stuff that was definitely racist and ignorant.
However, it is very rare at Safeco.
Sec 108 - March 11, 2010
I've heard it as well, but like ac suggested the guilty party was removed from their seats in a hurry.
BrianL - March 11, 2010
I think once I yelled "GO BACK TO CUBA YOU STUPID MONKEY"
after Yuni pulled a Yuni on a routine ground ball. That was probably in poor taste.
appleshampoo - March 11, 2010
As is the case at any ballpark, provided security hears you.
Or someone reports it. From my experiences at Wrigley, the security is pretty lazy.
Ozzie Montana - March 11, 2010
I defer to Lee Elia when it comes to the atmosphere at Wrigley
I trust you know what I mean,
Bearskin Rugburn - March 11, 2010
I believe he may have legitamate gripes, and I accept that I should have taken these into account first. However, I feel as a professional athlete at a new team he should keep stum about further comment on his previous team...
…these media distractions can no help himself or the ballclub. Which is why I believe the M’s PR dept. should be protecting him more.
EnglishMariner - March 10, 2010
Wakamatsu says he was fine with Bradley's interview although he hasn't seen it yet
Graham MacAree - March 10, 2010
Just so I understand this.
You were okay with Bradley and his reputation after being with eight different teams but you soured on him after this one interview?
ThundaPC - March 10, 2010
I had no opinion of Bradley before he joined Seattle because I didn't know much/anything about him other than he was great for Texas and if injured often.
EnglishMariner - March 10, 2010
Well that's a absurd reaction
There’s nothing wrong with this interview. He says that th city expected too much of him, turned hostile, and hi was upset that his kid was being called names at school. He also says that he didn’t flip a tizzy when Lou called him a piece of shit to the media. How does he come off poorly here? I don’t see it.
Bearskin Rugburn - March 10, 2010
He comes off a bit paranoid
The insinuation that Cubs people were transmitting or even generating racist hate mail is… interesting.
I like Bradley a lot, and yes, he comes across as an intelligent guy. But pro athletes probably shouldn’t react like this to booing and taunts. The constant jabs at Chicago’s fans may be justified for all I know, but it’s not terribly professional to keep repeating how historically awful they are.
(Yes, we criticize athletes for saying the expected and sticking to cliches in interviews, and then when someone says what they feel, we criticize it too. But the guy has a reputation for taking any perceived slight…poorly, and the interview seemed like it will only enhance the view that he sees conspiracies and threats everywhere.)
marc w - March 10, 2010
I also feel your reaction to this is unfair and incorrect.
In the United States, we often describe ourselves as being post-racial, and this is anything but the case. Bradley has been painted by Chicago local (and some national) media outlets as the stereotypical black thug and a cancer. If Bradley has an opportunity to disprove this portrayal he should do so.
In this interview he comes off as intelligent and articulate, certainly not the way he has been portayed. While it is easy for us to sit in our anonymity and declare what he should do, he is merely trying to do his own PR to enhance his image.
Ballard Erik - March 10, 2010
That sounds reasonable. I have no idea what the Chicago media have portrayed him as.
Using my own standards it just sounded like he was whining over things that affect most people in life, however I accept that I do not know the full story behind his problems in Chicago and I probably should have researched more before jumping to conclusions.
EnglishMariner - March 10, 2010
I don't think Bradley is the one who comes away looking bad here
The interviewer is. I’ve never seen so many loaded questions in an interview, but he handled them pretty well.
OlSalty - March 10, 2010
In fact, he almost sounds downright reasonable which is weird
OlSalty - March 10, 2010
Maybe its just me
but I like Milton Bradley just a little bit more after this interview.
Ballard Erik - March 10, 2010
Not just you
Bearskin Rugburn - March 10, 2010
I certainly do.
But now that he has answered the questions, will the media finally let it go? I doubt it and it would piss me off if I was Milton Bradley. There should now be a mandate by the Mariners PR to have Bradley respond to these questions with “I’ve already answered this question, next question” and other variations of the sort.
Wilder. - March 10, 2010
I didn't think he looked bad either, but then I read the article afterwards.
In the video the reporter was definitely pushing Bradley down a line he was uncomfortable with, like the repeated question if he thought the letters came from the Cubs Front Office. Then if you read the article underneath the video, it has Jim Hendry blasting back at him.
“That couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Hendry said. “I think it’s time maybe Milton looked at himself in the mirror. It is what it is. He didn’t swing the bat; he didn’t get the job done. His production was the only negative, or lack of.”
Call me crazy, but it looks as if ESPN was setting Bradley up for this story.
Jaejo - March 10, 2010
Jim Hendry is really in charge of running a team? He shows very little professionalism
for a man with his positon.
Rudy4three - March 10, 2010
Hendry has not managed to maintain a dignified silence for months now
msb - March 10, 2010
Pushing him on the letters thing was way out of line
He obviously didn’t want to answer, get off it. It seemed like she was trying very hard to fan the flames, and Milton did a surprisingly good job not biting on it.
OlSalty - March 10, 2010
I noticed I fudged the structure of the last few words.
What I meant ESPN was going out of their way to villanize him, and they succeeded in that regard. I saw BCB quoted me as well…. oh well.
Jaejo - March 10, 2010
And I agree he handled himself well. He was very timid, but seems like a cool guy.
Jaejo - March 10, 2010
Hendry is an idiot
It’s one thing to say that Bradley’s personality negatively affected the teams performance, but to say that his production was “negative”, is just flat out wrong. If you are looking at RBI’s from a high walk hitter who’s primary spot in the lineup was the 2 hole and who only played in 124 games to judge a player’s production, you have no business being a major league GM. His wOBA was .345, his WPA was .55, and his UZR WAR was 1.1. He had a solid year and his production should not be criticized, especially given the huge bag of fail delivered by Fontenot, Soriano, Soto, etc.
vivaelpujols - March 15, 2010
This is the correct answer
appleshampoo - March 10, 2010
They could put the old Felix/Fastball shock collar back to work.
Robert - March 10, 2010
The woman interviewing him really pissed me off.
The way she kept pressing him on certain inane questions.
redwolf75 - March 10, 2010
Bradley's past actions speak for themselves.
We can only hope Bradley and keep his head in the game and his focus on baseball. It seems he constantly has an agenda that seems to distract him sufficiently to impact his play and affect his relationships with other players, managers and fans.
Well, here he goes again. Another fresh start. They say you can learn from past experiences.
We can only hope.
At this point I wish him nothing but the best.
quidveritas - March 10, 2010
"It seems he constantly has an agenda that seems to distract him sufficiently to impact his play"
Boy because he’s been so awful over his whole career
Graham MacAree - March 10, 2010
He's supposed to hit like Bonds and field like Mays
he’s black and gets paid a lot, so anything below that level is just a manifestation of his innate laziness and malcontentedness.
Bearskin Rugburn - March 10, 2010
I have no particular affinity for Chicago, but the idea that Chicago would've hated him unless he was historically great is ridiculous.
marc w - March 10, 2010
Nope
When he is on the field we can expect him to conduct himself professionally and give us his best efforts — without qualification.
Anything less than that is a lack of professionalism.
quidveritas - March 10, 2010
Except there's no evidence that his perceived lack of professionalism has affected his play on the field.
brettb3 - March 10, 2010
He was injured, there's a difference between being injured and not trying
OlSalty - March 10, 2010
For what its worth
Drayer on the subject
msb - March 10, 2010
I'm happy our reporters are pretty awesome for the most part
Edgar for Pres - March 10, 2010
Its being reported on Twitter that he isn't speaking to reporters today, which I believe is a good move.
Ken Rosental is taking snipes at him via Twitter as well.
EnglishMariner - March 10, 2010
Thanks for posting that, as time goes by my respect for her continues to grow.
Kermit. - March 10, 2010
Bradley seems very well spoken
and given the number of loaded questions he was handed I think he really did his best to articulate his feelings without saying something really bad. The reporter was trying to get him to make a controversial statement and he really didn’t.
bluemax - March 10, 2010
It always amazes me how consistently terrible the commenters from Bleed Cubbie Blue are
And then I remember who runs the site.
Graham MacAree - March 10, 2010
Aaaaaaaaaand we've done it again
Jeff Sullivan - March 10, 2010
Now that I don't write here I feel even less compulsion to be civil to other sites.
Graham MacAree - March 10, 2010
It's like removing a leech.
R.J. Anderson - March 10, 2010
Every time I visit BCB I leave with fewer brain cells.
I also appreciate the Mariners blogosphere more and more.
redwolf75 - March 10, 2010
I consider myself a Cubs fan and I haven't visited BCB in over 18 months.
Sec 108 - March 11, 2010
Totally agree
All the sbn blogs should be like LL, it’s the best by far.
GarlicFryCubFan - March 11, 2010
Actually, McCovey Chronicles is
But LL is a close second (sorry DRB, I still miss R.J.’s writing too much)
baetown415 - March 11, 2010
Is there a dumber writer on SBN than Al Yellon?
Non-HH division.
OlSalty - March 11, 2010
Yellon is way worse than Rev Halofan
Graham MacAree - March 11, 2010
At least he has a real name though.
I Lick Squirrels - March 11, 2010
Worse than RevHalofan?
I have a hard time believing anyone can be worse than that idiot.
OceanBird - March 11, 2010
Rev is fake. Yellon is real.
It has been mentioned around that RevHaloFan is just an intentionally annoying personality. Al Yellon pretty much is what you see.
The Typical Idiot Fan - March 11, 2010
How about one who doesn't realize that posting NFL games in their entirety is illegal?
http://www.sbnation.com/users/Niko%20Houllis
R.J. Anderson - March 11, 2010
There're some nice posters over there
Like…. um, Harry Pavlidis (sp?) and Colin and… Shawn Goldman and Wreckard and… yeah…
baetown415 - March 11, 2010
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