Milton Bradley News: Pro Sports Daily

Bradley hopes to fill Cubs' problem spot

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January 9

Chicago Tribune

"Since Sammy Sosa left in disgrace after the 2004 season, right field has been a sinkhole of talent — and dollars — for the Cubs. First there was Jeromy Burnitz, then Jacque Jones, Cliff Floyd and Kosuke Fukudome. And now there is Milton Bradley. While the Cubs have been through five players in four years, Bradley has been through five teams in five years. For better or worse, the two have found each other for the next three years at $30 million. Bradley even donned Sosa's No. 21, which he has worn since rookie ball. "I'm not coming in here trying to fill anybody's shoes," he said. "I'm coming in my own man and to be part of this team, [to] bring energy and cohesiveness. It's just a number. ..."

Bat and baggage

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January 6

Chicago Sun-Times

"The long-awaited announcement that enigmatic outfielder Milton Bradley has signed a three-year contract with the Cubs could come Thursday. The Cubs said Monday that Bradley is expected in town this week for a physical, a precursor to finalizing a deal believed to be comparable to the three-year, $30 million contract outfielder Raul Ibanez signed with Philadelphia last month. Injuries have kept Bradley, 30, from playing more than 101 games in all but two of his seven full seasons in the majors, and his new contract is believed to contain language that protects the team on the back end of the deal if Bradley misses significant playing time on the front end. Bradley's history of temper ..."

Milton Bradley to sign with Cubs

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January 6

Chicago Tribune

"With the trade of Jason Marquis and the signing of Milton Bradley to be announced as soon as Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, the Cubs' off-season agenda appears to be fulfilled, right? Not necessarily. If the Cubs' hierarchy has one thing on its mind with the franchise on the market, it's winning one World Series in its second century of trying. So don't count out general manager Jim Hendry going after more pitching, perhaps that much-discussed deal for 2007 Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy of San Diego. With the deal for free-agent Bradley in place for $30 million over three years, pending a physical examination this week, plus the trade of second baseman Mark DeRosa and the signing ..."

Focus squarely on Bradley with Ibanez out

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December 13

Chicago Sun-Times

"With outfielder Raul Ibanez off the free-agent market, will the Cubs and Milton Bradley be the next to reach agreement? The Cubs had Ibanez on their short list of desired free agents to fill their left-handed-hitting need until the Philadelphia Phillies nabbed Ibanez, 36, reportedly for a three-year deal worth $30 million. But Bradley has been the Cubs' top target since at least the early part of the winter meetings. And by the time the team left the meetings in Las Vegas on Thursday night, they knew Ibanez was headed elsewhere, making Bradley a singular priority. Leaving the Bellagio Hotel on Thursday afternoon, one Cubs official said Bradley was the team's next focus, and one of ..."

Bradley Impresses Rays' Management

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December 9

Tampa Tribune

"The fact that Milton Bradley was the first item on the Rays' agenda as the winter meetings officially began Monday doesn't necessarily mean he's first on Tampa Bay's offseason priority list. But it certainly sounds as if Bradley is near the top. The 30-year-old outfielder, who has posted eye-popping numbers in the past but also has drawn plenty of attention for his volatility on and off the field, apparently made a positive impression on Andrew Friedman and Joe Maddon during a lunch meeting Monday at the Bellagio Hotel. "He was very impressive today," Friedman said. "We have a tremendous amount of respect for Milton as a player and felt it was a good opportunity to sit down and learn a ..."

Tampa Bay Rays meet with controversial slugger Milton Bradley at winter meetings

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December 9

St. Petersburg Times

"Milton Bradley had pizza and French onion soup for lunch Monday at the Bellagio. Rays officials got a taste of what the talented but controversial outfielder is like. "Honest, open and intense," manager Joe Maddon said. "And I liked all three." The Rays' efforts to improve their offense moved to the next stage when they met with the first of several free agents under consideration, with Jason Giambi believed to be next. Other, perhaps lesser, possibilities include Raul Ibanez, Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu and Adam Dunn as the costs and competition may be higher. Executive vice president Andrew Friedman termed the meeting "just a get-to-know-you session" that was a product of scheduling and not ..."

Bradley, Blalock file for free agency

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October 31

Dallas Morning News

"Milton Bradley has said he intends to parlay his career-best 2008 season into a multiyear deal or he won't play in 2009. Now, he gets to see if his demands will be met. Bradley and four other eligible Rangers filed for free agency Thursday on the first day of the filing period. Hank Blalock, on whom the club the holds a $6.2 million option for 2009, pitchers Jamey Wright and Jason Jennings and infielder Ramon Vazquez also filed. The Rangers have had several conversations with Bradley's agent, Sam Levinson, but were not surprised by Bradley's decision. Bradley can start to talk with other clubs immediately but can't discuss contract terms before Nov. 13. "Milton had a great year, and it ..."

Bradley deserves a long-term contract

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September 22

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

columnist Gil Breton

"Milton Bradley poured out his heart last week, as much as the chronically guarded Bradley will allow it. He wants to take care of his mom, he said. He wants to be paid like "one of the elite players in the game." He wants, he said, "a long-term contract." And if the Texas Rangers or anyone else only offer him a one-year deal, Bradley said that he'd be "fed up with baseball" and quit. As the Rangers continue their slow slide toward the season's end, their won-loss record seems destined to betray them. They will likely finish below .500 for the eighth time in nine seasons. But for anyone who watched and followed the way they played before injuries and inconsistent pitching finally betrayed ..."

Absence should be brief this time for Texas Rangers' Bradley

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August 11

Dallas Morning News

"After nearly two weeks out of the starting lineup with quadriceps soreness, Milton Bradley returned Sunday. It was only a cameo appearance. Bradley took two at-bats before leaving with what the Rangers called a stomach virus. Bradley later confirmed the illness. He left the game in the fourth inning but did return to the dugout later. Manager Ron Washington said he expected Bradley to be ready to play again Tuesday in Boston. "This was not about his [quadriceps]," Washington said. "All of a sudden, his stomach felt upset. We had a semblance of the lineup we like to have out there, and I think that helped some of our guys get better pitches to hit earlier in the game." Bradley started ..."

Milton Bradley's turnaround complete

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July 16

New York Daily News

"Texas Manager Ron Washington interrupted a dominoes game in the Rangers' clubhouse before a game in Baltimore on July 6. He needed to see Milton Bradley in his office right away. For Bradley, one of baseball's most volatile players who has been suspended numerous times, these meetings usually don't go very well. But this particular one was unlike any previous meeting. Washington simply wanted to tell Bradley in private that he was an All-Star for the first time in his career. "I never actually thought I'd get voted in," said Bradley, who has already tied his career high with 19 homers. "But Ron said, 'Congratulations, you're an All-Star.' It was a surreal moment. It was really ..."

Bradley not worried about trade deadline

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July 14

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Every year around the trade deadline, Milton Bradley knows that his name will come up. This season is no different, especially with Bradley having a career year. He's hitting .316 with 19 home runs (tied for his career high) and 57 RBI. "I don't speculate," Bradley said. "I know I'm going to be that guy that's speculated with trades because I'm multi-talented. I don't really care about it, though.""

Bradley???s intensity is too valuable for Rangers to lose

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July 13

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Texas Rangers rookie catcher Max Ramirez deserved the accolades he was getting from his teammates as he trotted back to the dugout one night last week. He???d just been flattened at home plate by his LA Angels??? counterpart, Jeff Mathis, but had held on to the ball for a crucial out. It was the first of two vicious home-plate collisions in the series that Ramirez would not only survive, but would come away from clinging to the baseball."

Milton Bradley is an All-Star only 10 months removed from severe injury

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July 13

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"He has flashed All-Star ability in samples of 200 and 300 at-bats, usually with a stint or two on the disabled list preventing him from garnering one of baseball???s top achievements. He admits that injury woes have kept teams from locking him down for multiple seasons, knowing that it???s bad baseball business to sink millions into a player who has finished a season with 500 at-bats only once in his career."

Two Texas All-Stars Check Their Extra Baggage

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July 13

New York Times

"They called themselves the Risk Brothers. When Milton Bradley and Josh Hamilton met around the batting cage in February at the Texas Rangers??? training camp, they joked that the baseball world, obsessed with their pocked pasts, thought their employer was playing a game of Rangers Roulette"

D-Backs won't chase Bonds, Bradley

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July 10

East Valley Tribune

"After internal discussions, the Diamondbacks have opted against pursuing Barry Bonds to aid a flagging offense, team sources indicated Wednesday. Nor are they interested in Texas DH/outfielder Milton Bradley, contrary to a radio report Wednesday. General manager Josh Byrnes did not specifically address Bonds or possible alternatives, but did say that while any moves before the July 31 nonwaiver trading deadline would likely involve offense, they would be more likely to come via trade."

Bradley out for interleague games

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June 23

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Three more interleague road games remain on the Rangers' schedule, and right fielder Milton Bradley might not play in any of them as the Rangers continue to wait for his strained left quadriceps to heal. Manager Ron Washington said Bradley will be available as a pinch hitter, but there is no word when he will be in the outfield again. That's the only place he can play the next three games at Houston with National League rules in play. "You can't push anyone out there if they're not able to perform," Washington said. "We never expected it to last this long. We've just got to wait on him.""

Deciding Bradley's fate is enough to give Texas Rangers a headache

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June 18

Dallas Morning News

columnist Evan Grant

"You know you thought this when the Rangers signed Milton Bradley last winter: "Oh, now this is going to cause some headaches." You were right, too. And it has nothing to do with Bradley's much-ballyhooed desire to introduce himself to Kansas City broadcaster Ryan Lefebvre last week. The headaches are over what to do with him. Re-sign him? Trade him? Trade him now and re-sign him later? He has presented the Rangers with an intriguing set of decisions."

Bradley's bat, arm help Texas Rangers earn doubleheader split

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June 16

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"The home run in the top of the eighth inning was nothing new. It was No. 15 this season for Milton Bradley. The catch and throw in the bottom of the inning was something Bradley has done before in his career but not since returning to the outfield after a major knee injury last year. Each play by Bradley proved pivotal in the Texas Rangers' 8-7 victory over the New York Mets during the first game of a doubleheader Sunday at Shea Stadium. The Mets rebounded to win the second game 4-2, scoring all of their runs against Kason Gabbard in his return from Triple A Oklahoma."

Texas Rangers' Bradley seeks perception change

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June 13

Dallas Morning News

"A day after Milton Bradley's late-night visit to the Kansas City press box, the first-year Ranger with the volatile past said he merely wanted to give the two TV announcers a chance to meet the person who was referred to on the air as someone who "clearly has no control over himself." Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said the matter was closed and warranted no disciplinary action."

Texas Rangers' Bradley gets emotional over TV comments

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June 12

Dallas Morning News

"Milton Bradley is an emotional player. That emotion overflowed in the clubhouse after Wednesday?s game in response to something Kansas City Royals television broadcaster Ryan Lefebvre said about him on the air during the Texas Rangers' 11-5 win. Bradley left the clubhouse after the game and reached the press box but never talked to Lefebvre. General manager Jon Daniels and manager Ron Washington chased after Bradley, and Daniels escorted him back to the clubhouse."