Monday, January 5, 2009

Insert Board Game Joke Here

Cubs fans in the bleachers are expected to be on high alert and on the lookout for flying plastic bottles next season, and announcers from opposing teams in the NL should expect a personal visit if they say anything mean about the Cubs new rightfielder, because Milton Bradley is a Cub.

The relationship between Milton and Lou is probably one of those weird marriages that looks horrible on paper but will end up working. He better not try to take Ted Lilly out of a game, though - that dude will swing at you.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Desperate move. But that's $10m/year that they can't spend on someone better, so I'll take it.

wv23 said...

yes, it is desperation to sign a player who put a .321/.436/.563 in the AL last year while recovering from knee surgery.

and if it doesn't work out? well, they'll have the RF who started most of the year as the cubs finished 7 games up on a team that has lost cc and sheets.

oh, and i'm sure that $10m/year was better spent on, say, eric gagne.

Matt said...

I like the name Milton. It reminds me of Office Space.

D'Amico's one good year said...

Uncle Milty... Though, for some really weird reason, he's linked in my head with Carl Everett... So when I read his name I think of the Game of Life sans Dinosaurs.

So does this put the Fukudome experiment to bed?

wv23 said...

fukudome is moving to center in a platoon with johnson.

Charlie Marlow said...

I like that my buddy, when asked his thoughts on a Manny Ramirez to the Cubs idea, said "Nah, we don't need a clubhouse cancer like Ramirez."

Hey, good luck with MB this year, guys!

wv23 said...

charlie - have you seen anyone say milton is a bad teammate (ie clubhouse cancer)? i haven't - and a significant percentage of cub fandom has been looking, as they are mortified by such an angry young man being allowed to play baseball. i don't think such evidence exists.

as for manny ... well, since he became a regular with the Cleveland Indians in 1995, his teams have finished 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 1st and 1st. They have won two World Series and two other pennants, on top of the seven division championships.

would that all teams be afflicted with such "cancer."

Charlie Marlow said...

No, trying to beat up an ump over a call, fighting with fans in the stands, and tossing bats are all on-field incidents. I'm sure his angry temperament won't bleed over into the clubhouse.

And, I'd never say either of those players aren't very good offensive players, particularly Manny. The media has covered his attitude, and his teammates have done the rest. To argue that he doesn't divide a clubhouse is ludicrous.

As far as Bradley, if he can stay healthy this season, and post a record amount of games in RF for you guys, and control his temper, you'll have spent your $10MM wisely.

Charlie Marlow said...

I also forgot the altercation he got into with Eric Wedge that earned him a trade out of Cleveland, calling his teammate Jeff Kent a racist in 2005, and most recently, confronting a television announcer for the Royals for 'unfair comments' he'd made about Bradley this past season.

So...while I haven't read an article where someone uses the words "clubhouse cancer", I'm guessing calling a teammate a racist doesn't help matters.

Anonymous said...

As long as Jeff Kent isn't a Cub I don't think anyone in the Cubs' clubhouse cares what MB said about him. Let's not even consider that Jeff Kent is renowned to be one of the biggest jackasses and unlikeable players in the majors.
I would also add that MB never actually confronted the KC announcer, his manager cut him off at the pass. I suppose Brewers fans would rather focus on anything but the fact that Bradley can flat out rake. He led the AL in OBP and OPS last season. Any stat projections you look at will also tell you that even a half of a season of Bradley plus an average level replacement would be a better option in right than Ibanez, Abreu, or Dunn. I suppose that since Corey Hart wasn't available the Cubs will just have to settle for Milton Bradley.

D'Amico's one good year said...

Wow, paint with a broad brush much? We wonder why dumb flame wars start, and it's because of laziness... Way to ignore the fact that the only real critiques of the Bradley signing are the ever-trollish Anon, and Charlie, who concedes that Milty is a good player and addition to the Cubs and is simply expressing concern over Bradley's attitude. Concerns that are legitimate. Look, I loved Dennis Rodman, but his behavior was a concern, and if Bradley does something stupid, like he has in the past, it would suck for the Cubs to lose such a talented player because he can't behave himself. Is it a good signing for the Cubs? Certainly. You are the one turning it into a stupid Brewers Fans vs. Cubs Fans thing. Yay for you, your GM spends money on talented players.

Also!- Jeff Kent can eat a bag of dicks, that bigoted, miserable, racist, homophobic piece of shit.

Charlie Marlow said...

Touche DOGY!

Anonymous said...

At first glance I got a good chuckle about the sCrUBS signing the same player I saw bring out a ball bag and start chucking balls after he got tossed one game. However, after seeing him in person take BP and play a couple of games in Arlington, I was impressed. Now the question is, how much did that have to do with Hamilton? Where do you bat him? Can Pinella keep him in check? I guess we will see. I am not laughing as hard as I was originally, but I'm sure he'll blow up a few times, hopefully against the Brewers so we can get a cheap laugh.