The Bald Truth
Oh, poor, poor me. I can't catch a break. Everybody hates me. The umpires always pick on me. Waaa! Waaa! Waaa!
Jeesh. Even those of us who thought umpire Larry Vanover did screw Milton Bradley with a Strike 3 call on an out-of-the-zone pitch last month are sick of this woe-is-me crapola.
Grow up, Little Miltie!
In a decision announced Thursday by MLB honchos, Bradley's suspension for getting into Vanover's face back on April 16 was reduced from two games to one.
Milton's reaction?
"I never get treated fairly."
Why?
"Because I'm Milton Bradley, you know what I'm saying?"
Oh, do we ever. Poor, poor, pitiful me.
Look, those of us who have been around Chicago sports for awhile heard this same sad song in the 1990s. Back then, NBA refs had it in for poor, misunderstood Dennis Rodman.
Well, maybe if The Worm wasn't always cursing out, mocking and head-butting them, the refs wouldn't have been "out to get" him.
And maybe if Milton Bradley wasn't always tearing the umps a new one, they wouldn't be "out to get" him.
Like ballers and ballplayers, umps and refs are only human. Treat them like dirt and they aren't likely to cover you with roses.
Act like a child and you get detention, Little Miltie. Deal with it.
The Quote
"I love Jim Hendry. He's the most honest, decent person I've ever met ... probably ... as far as GMs go." - Bradley, after the Cubs GM publicly backed his $30 million hothead.
Wow. Could Bradley possibly have thought of another qualifier to describe his love for Jim Hendry? Maybe Milt could have added "on a Thursday in Chicago"?
Lou-ism of the Day
Asked if this was the best bench he's had since he started managing the Cubs, Piniella said:
"Oh gosh, they've improved the bench. I'm talking about the cushions."
THE BALDEST TRUTH
After a few minor hiccups, it didn't take long for the Cubs to re-establish themselves as the class of the NL Central.
There are some very nice stories in the division. Some better-than-expected teams, too. The Cardinals, especially, won't give up or concede anything. But the Cubs have spent so much more money on so much more talent than every other club. And most times, talent does win out.
The Cubs haven't come close to having their whole team healthy this season and they've played pretty bad for long stretches. Yet their record is right where it was last year, when they won 97 games and ran away from the field.
It doesn't bode well for the rest of the division.
Of course, the Cubs actually going on to win a playoff game is a whole 'nother story.
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Gotta disagree with you on this one, Mike. The issue isn't the way umpires deal with him, it's how MLB handled the suspension situation. I'm not at all shocked the umpire threw him out of the game for vehemently arguing balls and strikes. But if MLB is suspending him just because he's Milton Bradley, even if they believe the contact (if there was any) was miniscule and incidental, then that's unfair.
ReplyDeleteAre umps going to have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to Bradley? Probably. But MLB should treat his appeal like any other, and I don't think he should have been suspended for that particular incident.
The difference between you and Milton, Mike, is he can hit major league pitching. You should look up psychological projection on wikipedia.
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