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Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
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Cubs Win, Gatorade Cooler Loses Again...Bradley Sent Home.

Submitted by Rob G. on

I'll make this brief, but wanted a place to discuss the latest in "As Milton's World Turns". First though, the Cubs won, they hit a 2-run home run and a 3-run home run. It's nice to know those haven't gone extinct. Jake Fox and Geovany Soto did the damage and no truth to the rumor that Soto was promised White Castle if he hit one out today.

Randy Wells got his second win on the year, two solo shots being the only marks against him.  After 98 pitches and 7 innings, the increasingly baffling Lou went to Carlos Marmol and he predictably walked two of the first three hitters, gave up a couple of hits with some assistance from Soriano losing a ball in the sun (which I admittedly didn't see) and was mercifully pulled for Sean Marshall who got out of the jam by inducing the 3-2-3 double play by A.J. Pierzynski with the bases juiced.

The big story though will unfortunately be Milton Bradley.  He struck out his first two times and then flew out to left and then apparently took out some frustration on a Gatorade cooler. Details are a bit sketchy now, but either Lou was already rethinking his change of mind of playing Bradley on Friday or Lou took exception to Bradley's freak out and the two exchanged words and Bradley was replaced by Ryan Freel in right field. Why Bradley freaking out is any different than Z or Dempster or any other player is beyond me, but I'm guessing there was some tension before this moment between the two. Or maybe Lou is standing up for the rights of Gatorade machines and coolers everywhere to dispense thirst-quenching beverages to athletes. Then to complicate matters, Bradley was spotted in street clothes leaving the game. It seems Lou told him to go home after the Gatorade thrashing, so at least he didn't walk out on his own, because we all know what Cubs fans think about that.

Hopefully this is much ado about nothing and Lou seems to have already decided to put in the past, suggesting Bradley could still play tomorrow(lefty happens to be on the mound). I do know that trouble seems to follow Bradley and some of that is his own doing and some of it is unfairly going after someone with a checkered past. As I mentioned, Z can punch out a catcher and take out a Gatorade machine and Lou gets the catcher traded and laughs at Z's freak out. Soriano is hitting worse over a 2-month period than anyone I've ever seen wear a Cub uniform, but Bradley is threatened with a benching. Then of course, Bradley can't buy an extra base hit when it counts to save his life and thinks the entire world is out to get him, when all they really want him to do is hit over .250 with a little pop.

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Milton Bradley

Comments

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:28 pm

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-cubs-sale-momentum-090626-,0…

Sources familiar with the matter said the parties have made "good progress" recently in what have become protracted extended negotiations to reach a definitive agreement on the sale of the Cubs, Wrigley Field and Tribune Co.'s 25 percent stake in Comcast SportsNet Chicago. Talks had hit a snag more than a month ago when the two sides could not agree on some issues, including how to value the broadcast rights to the Cubs.

"We're closing the gap," said one source, who asked not to be identified because the sales process is ongoing. "The attitudes are much more positive."

A second source said, "I don't want to speculate why but momentum has picked up."

Submitted by The Real Neal on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:42 pm

The game would have been even cooler had Lee proceeded to knock out Pierznisky as he headed towards first in the bottom of the 8th. Other than that, and the pitching of Marmol, it was pretty good. Our useless closer even managed a one-run save!

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:43 pm

"I told him to take his uniform off," Lou said. "He threw his helmet and smashed a water cooler, water flying all over. I just told him to take his uniform off and go home. I followed him up into the clubhouse, and we exchanged some words." ruins my headline if it's a water cooler... http://blogs.dailyherald.com/blog/18 Miles also repeats that good chance Bradley will start tomorrow.

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Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:52 pm

should have hit the "read more" link...

Apparently, the Cubs feel that Bradley is acting selfishly. GM Jim Hendry talked with us in the runway after the game and said he wanted players to be "all in."

I pressed him on that, and he said that "all in" means all for the team. Some of Bradley's teammates also are beginning to wonder.

 

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Submitted by The Real Neal on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:06 pm

That stuff flows both ways, though. Why is it that the team is 100% behind Soriano being the leagues worst regular, but not Bradley? No one likes to be treated unfairly at work. If Lou would come clean with Soriano, that would probably go some of the way towards getting Bradley back in line.

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Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:15 pm

my assumption is that the "selfishness" doesn't have much to do with slumps or how anyone is hitting, since all players go through them. I mean, you have to figure players are pretty sensitive to that.

I would guess there's more to this story that we can only theorize at the moment.

And I'm not sure what your cutoffs are for worst regular (and trust me, Soriano is a waste of space right now), but there are a dozen or so regulars with worst numbers in June, Fukudome would be one of them. A lot more if we want to go the full season. Maybe most overpaid...or biggest discprepancy between expected and actual results.

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Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:22 pm

further solidifying him as the worst regular over the last 2 months...

Francouer and Bonifacio also with worst OPS numbers since May 1st, no real easy way to search and I'm sure Soriano is near the bottom and probably giving the worst value of any player.

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Submitted by big_lowitzki on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:38 pm

Ok... looked it up. Unfortunately the database doesn't have OPS, but you can sort by OBP and SLUG individually. Soriano hasn't been close to the worst regular since May 1st. Ok... maybe close, but there have been several who have been worse (minimum 100 plate appearances, which may have been too low of a cutoff). Starting with Jordan Schafer, Bill Hall, and Austin Kearns.

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Submitted by big_lowitzki on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:51 pm

Fair enough... 200 plate appearances wouldn't include many people though. And Schafer was a regular for the entire month of May, before getting sent down. Here is the list of players with 200+ plate appearances, sorted by SLUG. Soriano has the 6th lowest SLUG and the 2nd lowest OBP.

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Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:52 pm

well yes, it wouldn't include a lot of players since anyone who's hit like Soriano over the last 2 months would normally have gotten benched long ago...with a few minor exceptions.

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Submitted by Ahone Ahtwo Ahthree on Sat, 06/27/2009 - 06:27 am

Amen - I was told by MikeC a couple of weeks ago to crawl back under my rock for talking about how bad Soriano has been, and how big of a factor that has played in the struggles of the Cubs. I think MikeC has a man-crush on Soriano, because he has been stoutly defending his honor since then. I would argue that no player has been more detrimental to his team than Soriano since Ramirez went down, factoring in both offense and defense. Jordan Schafer, Bill Hall and Kearns? Not much is expected of those turds...

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Submitted by Romero on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:47 pm

Yes, Rollins has been hitting like shit, but I expect he is still WAY more valuable than Soriano because of his glove.

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Submitted by The Real Neal on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:05 pm

Rollins has what looks to be really bad BABIP luck in his 'favor'. Soriano just sucks.

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Submitted by Chifan on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:55 pm

While poor performance might not be "selfish", I would say his lack of enthuism for playing defense is. You can count on him once a game totally misreading a fly ball or walking to pick up a ball that is in the gap.

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:45 pm

"Lou seems to have already decided to put in the past, suggesting Bradley could still play tomorrow" good. bradley is explosive, but tends to calm and collect himself "after the storm"...this is something lou should already know and be familiar with.

Submitted by big_lowitzki on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:48 pm

Hmm... this one kinda' sounds like it was on Lou. Not Bradley. Don't get me wrong - Bradley got angry. Again. But lots of players get angry when they struggle. I actually like that Bradley gets angry when he struggles. It shows that he cares. But Lou got pissed that Bradley got angry, got into a verbal altercation with him. Like I said in parachat, Lou wouldn't have done anything (and never does do anything) when Zambrano does the same thing. Hell - when Lee was struggling in April, we say more than one emotional outburst after a strikeout or a pop-up. And does anyone else find it incredibly ironic that Lou is complaining about players' temper tantrums?

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:56 pm

Alfonso Soriano said he'd never seen a player and manager fight the way Piniella and Bradley did. "I hope he comes back and he can help the team to win," Soriano said of Bradley. "If he's not that way, we don't need him. We have 25 players, we have to be on the same page. If he's not 100 percent to help the team to win, we don't need him. If he's 100 percent and he comes and wants to play, he's more than welcome." anyone else find it amusing that Soriano is calling someone out for not being a team player?

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Submitted by granolaCUB on Sat, 06/27/2009 - 06:01 pm

Yes I thought that was an interesting comment as well. Maybe this puts a little pressure on Soriano to turn his 'mall walk' into (at least) a canter for the next ball in the corner. Soriano v Bradley in a cage match. Hmmm. I would have to say that Bradley has the edge in this one ...

Submitted by The Joe on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 06:42 pm

Personally, I don't understand the comparisons to Soriano. Soriano has proven himself (as a Cub) offensively and has carried the team at times. Bradley hasn't hit as a Cub. Soriano is well-liked by everyone and has never had 'attitude' problems. Bradley has a 'why me' attitude and has talked about how he's 'going to hit'...but hasn't. It seems like these explosions have been a common occurrence, and if so, I can understand why it would have gotten annoying. Soriano can pretty much do what he wants (although all he does is play every day and generally keep his mouth shut) because he's earned it. He's not responsible for filling out the lineup card. He wants to play everyday even if he's not hitting...that's not a bad thing. He also doesn't decide where he hits in the lineup.

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Submitted by The Joe on Sat, 06/27/2009 - 06:02 pm

Excellent interpretation of what I said. What's with all the vitriole? Chill out. I recognize that he is having a bad year, but I was challenging his comparison to Bradley. They're both having bad years, but only Bradley is creating enemies on the team. Perhaps I chose my words poorly, but I was merely saying that he 'can' do what he wants...but doesn't. By your assessment, Soriano isn't a team player because: 1) he gets injured (though still leads the team in many offensive categories year in and out) 2) wasn't good in the playoffs (apparently unlike everyone else on the team...yeah he is solely the reason they get swept twice. 3) goes into a slump 4) plays a poor defense...though many would challenge this 5) WWF? Wtf? yeah, how dare he not just go home every night, turn off the lights and wait for baseball to resume. 6) doesn't fit into your mold of what a leadoff hitter is 7) Furthermore, we've never heard him complain about where he hits in the lineup, so that's just speculation. Soriano doesn't get a free pass. Bradley was taken out for being an asshole, not for sucking. They both suck, but only Bradley has caused problems off the field.

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Submitted by The Joe on Sat, 06/27/2009 - 06:31 pm

A bigot? Brilliant. Way out of left field there. What exactly am I bigoted against? Assholes or black people? If its the former, you're right. You're also right, it doesn't preclude me from being a dipshit. Your point? If you want to disregard the intent of a person's stance and focus on minutiae for the sake of 'winning' what should be a peaceful discussion, then feel free. My discussion was towards Bradley's personal problems as opposed to Soriano's. They're willingness to be team players. Your response is towards how bad of a player Soriano has been. Keep arguing against what I'm not arguing for if you like. You treat the internet like it's your own personal pissing contest. You condescend to anyone who dares to disagree with you and treat others like shit due to the anonymity of it. I was attempting to contribute to an actual discussion which seems to have enraged you. You define asshole. You epitomize it. I'd say 'grow up' but I have little hope of that.

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Submitted by The Joe on Sat, 06/27/2009 - 06:30 pm

Thanks. I appreciate that. And I shouldn't have resorted to name-calling, so for that I apologize. I get frustrated when discussions turn to personal attacks...which is what I resorted to. I actually thought Soriano and Bradley were both black. To be honest, when Soriano was signed I had the impression that he was a problem and have since come around to liking him. I was happy about Bradley coming here (despite an Ibanez preference) and didn't think his personal issues would be an problem. I still like him, but I'm getting more and more tired of the chip that he has on his shoulder. I would love for him to come around and become a fan favorite. Baseball-wise, they both suck donkey balls this year.

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Submitted by dB on Sat, 06/27/2009 - 06:23 pm

Kenny Rogers, Jeff Kent, Clemens, Schilling, etc all white guys who have exhibited jerk-like behavior and have been called out for it in some manner. K.Rogers might be the closest to Milt when you factor in fan interaction, temper, and getting moved team to team seemingly each year. The only difference would be Rogers was usually a lot less quiet in terms of dealing with the media, or in his case sometimes not at all. Regardless, race might play a factor with the bigoted crowd, a generally small sized community, but jerks and under-performers tend to get called out by fans & the media no matter their race or religion. Even Ichiro has gotten a bit of a rep over the last two years for being a bad teammate even though he rarely talks to the media. A jerk is a jerk and in general a lot of people are just getting tired of Milt's proverbial giant chip-on-the-shoulder routine that has sealed his exit from 6 or 7 other organizations and never taking any of the blame on himself. It's always someone else's fault (usually the media). It also doesn't help that he's hitting like a utility infielder and the team is woefully under-performing. He just isn't a good enough player to warrant the baggage, but unfortunately GMs subscribe to the old adage "the one thing we know about history is that no one learns from history".

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Submitted by JoePepitone on Sat, 06/27/2009 - 06:50 pm

Re: #62 -- "Who's a good comparison for Bradley who's played for the Cubs?" I recall Dave Kingman (white guy) as being a pretty significant jerk/douchebag, except that he had two pretty damn good years offensively ('78 & '79) before he combined his douchieness with an injury-plagued third year and wore out his welcome pretty quickly. If he had struggled and acted out like Milton has in his first year, who knows how Cubs fans would have reacted. For example, Kong's stats on June 27 in his first year were .236/15/41 with a slg. of .517 and an OPS of .830. He finished the year with .266/28/79 with slg. of .542 and OPS of .878. Also, he did not exhibit his douchieness until his third year here. By comparison, MB has only produced .237/5/16 with a slg. of .379(?!) and an OPS of .734 to date. Milton can redeem himself by doing a Moises Alou-type turn-around, but he needs to get started. Just for reference, as of June 27, 2002, Moistened Alou had put up a Bradley-esque .229/4/21 with an even more pathetic slg. of .319 and OPS of .612. I knew he had started off incredibly bad but I had forgotten how bad it was. He ended up at .275/15/61 with a slg. of .419 and an OPS of .757. At this point, I would accept that as an end result for Milton.

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Submitted by WISCGRAD on Sat, 06/27/2009 - 06:56 pm

1. He led the team in HR in 2008, ABs, Runs, Triples, and Slugging in 2007. So I would say that's are more than "1" 2) In 2007-2008 Ramirez is 2/23 in the playoffs, Soriano is 3/28. Ramirez has been even worse. And seriously, they've all struggled, you really want to pick who was "the worst." That's dumb. 3) There is no definition of how long a slump lasts. Feel free to make things up though. 4) Stats have shown he is at least average on defense. 5) So is TV allowed? What about going to a movie? Can they hang with their families? Dempster must not care about the team's success because he visits his daughter instead of sitting around all night alone in the dark pondering the team. Every player has their mind on other things. If you hear that Lee, Soto, and Ramirez went out for sushi, would you criticize them as well? What about if Fukudome and Blanco went to see Transformers? What bastards for having lives!!! The audacity. 6) He's been struggling this year. He'd be the worst 3 hitter if he hit 3rd. What's the point? No one is denying he has done poorly. Him and just about everyone else on the team. 7) You are the one who used the word "insist." Google that shit and come back and let us know when Soriano "insisted" on hitting leadoff. If this: "He has said that he is most comfortable batting leadoff and that he doesn't mind where he hits as long as he doesn't get moved around" is the closest you can get to "complaining" about where he bats then keep looking.

Recent comments

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    I suspect Brown will spend some time in the bullpen due to inning restrictions.  Pitched only 93 innings last year and career high is 104 innings in 2022.  I would expect them to be cautious with a young player with his injury history.

  • Childersb3 (view)

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  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Teheran minor league deal is done, per MLB.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Based on Phil’s sound analysis it sounds like a no brainer for Almonte to be placed on waivers as today’s roster move. We shall see.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I suspect Counsell/Hottovy will use the piggy-back extensively, with Taillon and Hendricks pitching as the "pig" (and with a very short leash) and some combo of Wicks, Brown, and Wesneski (whichever two do not start) as the "backers."  

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  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

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  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Based on what Jed has done in the past, I’d say the plan is to

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    I’m very curious to see what happens with Brown now that Taillon returns. Bullpen? Wicks to Iowa? 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Pro teams have to play their "big money" guys if they are healthy and not "locker room" issues.
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    You'd think Smyly is in the same book as well. Same with Neris (he's a 1yr vet RP, so he's not really in this convo too much).
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    So, Taillon, Imanaga, and Hendricks are locks for the rest of April and probably May.
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    And the bullpen moves were "money" based as well. Smyly has actually been okay. But he hasn't been clearly better than Little. Little had one bad outing. But Smyly makes 9mil. If they needed another RHRP and one of Little and Smyly had to go, it was going to Little. But that doesn't mean Smyly is one of the best 13 arms for the team. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: I think there was an issue with Luke Little coming into a game with men on base. He seems to need a "clean" inning to be dominant. So he is a future closer and needs to be used in that role at AAA. Same goes for Michael Arias. He needs to come into a "clean" inning, and is a future closer and needs to be used in that role at AA. Porter Hodge is a more versatile pitcher, a better version of Keegan Thompson (multi-inning RP). But Little, Arias, and Hodge (probably in that order) are the Cubs top three RP prospects (all three are Cubs Top 15 prospects).

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    So, let’s do a little war gaming. Taillon is back for tonight’s game. He pitched two rehab games, just a few innings each, and not especially sharp. Let’s face it, he hasn’t been lights out since the Cubs gave him the big contract. In other words, as flat out bad as Hendricks has been, the chances of Taillon being the savior don’t look exactly promising.

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