Cubs suspend Milton Bradley for rest of season

[snopes]

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 after he criticized the team in a newspaper interview.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/bbn_cubs_bradley_suspended

[Canuckistan]

IOW, they hated the games Milton Bradley was playing.

[Admiraldinty]

They told him, "Do not pass 'Go'. Do not collect $200."

[snopes]

Originally Posted by Admiraldinty

They told him, "Do not pass 'Go'. Do not collect $200."

Monopoly is Parker Brothers, not Milton Bradley (although both are brands now owned by Hasbro).

[Sue Bee]

Originally Posted by Admiraldinty

They told him, "Do not pass 'Go'. Do not collect $200."

Originally Posted by snopes

Monopoly is Parker Brothers, not Milton Bradley (although both are brands now owned by Hasbro).

Even if it was MB, the fact is that Milton is going to be passing go, and collecting many many multiples of $200.00. He is going to be cashing very large checks for the next 2 years courtesy of the Cubs, regardless of where, or if, he plays. His negative behaviour is being rewarded because he is getting what he wants.

I don't understand why the Cubs did not put him on the DL for the rest of the year, and then buy out the third year of his contract for 2MM (per a clause in his contract). It is apparent that they will be foisting him on some other team and eating a good portion of his salary. But it would save them 8MM or so.

Hendry should go too. He never saw a big money long term contract that he didn't like.

[Mr. Furious]

Originally Posted by Sue Bee

I don't understand why the Cubs did not put him on the DL for the rest of the year, and then buy out the third year of his contract for 2MM (per a clause in his contract). It is apparent that they will be foisting him on some other team and eating a good portion of his salary. But it would save them 8MM or so.

The MLBPA would have a field day with that.

[Johnny Slick]

Also, critical remarks directed at the front office or no, Milton Bradley is not the reason the Cubs are a disappointment this year.

[snopes]

Originally Posted by Johnny Slick

Also, critical remarks directed at the front office or no, Milton Bradley is not the reason the Cubs are a disappointment this year.

No, but Milton Bradley is the reason Milton Bradley is a disappointment every year.

[Sue Bee]

Originally Posted by Mr. Furious

The MLBPA would have a field day with that.

Let 'em. Let 'em have a big old stinking hissy fit. Bradley took himself out of the game saying that his knee hurt, and then took himself out of the lineup and refused to pinch hit. Let the players association file a grievance. It's worth it, even if the team lost the hearing.

Tell you what, they should send MB to AAA for all of next year, considering that they are going to end up paying his salary.

There isn't enough cheese in the world to go with all that whine.

[Johnny Slick]

Originally Posted by Sue Bee

Let 'em. Let 'em have a big old stinking hissy fit. Bradley took himself out of the game saying that his knee hurt, and then took himself out of the lineup and refused to pinch hit. Let the players association file a grievance. It's worth it, even if the team lost the hearing.

Tell you what, they should send MB to AAA for all of next year, considering that they are going to end up paying his salary.

There isn't enough cheese in the world to go with all that whine.

I'm pretty sure Bradley has the right to refuse assignment to the minors. The Cubs could then release him if they wanted to but then he'd a. be free to sign with anybody else, and b. would still be owed the entirety of his contract by the team, minus whatever the new team decided to pay him. Additionally, in order to send him down to the minors he would have to clear waivers.

I know it sounds nice to stick it to a guy who's being mouthy, but realistically the Cubs need to treat him as an asset. A tarnished asset, granted, but still something they can get something out of if they feel the need to trade him. There are a lot of teams out there who would be willing to take a guy who is pretty decent afield in a corner OF spot and who is sporting a .345 wOBA in an "off" year. As for the character stuff, it's funny how that kind of thing goes away or at least is muted when a player changes teams.

[Sue Bee]

Originally Posted by Johnny Slick

I'm pretty sure Bradley has the right to refuse assignment to the minors. The Cubs could then release him if they wanted to but then he'd a. be free to sign with anybody else, and b. would still be owed the entirety of his contract by the team, minus whatever the new team decided to pay him. Additionally, in order to send him down to the minors he would have to clear waivers.

I know it sounds nice to stick it to a guy who's being mouthy, but realistically the Cubs need to treat him as an asset. A tarnished asset, granted, but still something they can get something out of if they feel the need to trade him. There are a lot of teams out there who would be willing to take a guy who is pretty decent afield in a corner OF spot and who is sporting a .345 wOBA in an "off" year. As for the character stuff, it's funny how that kind of thing goes away or at least is muted when a player changes teams.

Johnny, I hope that you are right, but the word seems to be that most GMs are not even willing to take him for a few hundred thou a year. He has proved himself to be too much of a headcase, worse even than T.O..

Bradley has played for 7 teams in the last 10 years, five of which were glad to wash their hands of him in the last 5 seasons. Count it, that is one team per season that he has burned. Jim Hendry is not going to find a big enough sucker to take him. People know now, if they didn't (obviously, Hendry didn't) that he is a major cancer.

This is a man who injured himself being restrained by his manager while trying to get at an umpire. He's gone after an announcer, and into the stands after a fan. This, in addition to endearing himself to the Chicago Cub fans, the media, his coach and fellow players. Oh, and did I mention that he did this while hitting .118 in April? Or hitting all of 3 ribeye in June? Loosing count of the outs? The countless times that he was a spectator on the field as opposed to backing up 1st? Now, tell me, who is going to be crazy enough to deal with all that? EDIT- Bradley is not even close to being decent as an outfielder. Maybe, in comparison to Soriano, he would be termed "decent", but there are at least 2, maybe 3 call ups (Sam Fuld, Andres Blanco and I would bet even Hoffpauir) who would be better defensive outfielders than Bradley.

The biggest blame for signing him should be laid squarely at Hendry's door, and in Cub Fandom, people have been talking like they're ready to gather up manual farm implements and storm the castle.