Milton Bradley Failed Because of, and Only in, Chicago
Milton Bradley is back in the Chicago papers - and the news is all about how happy Bradley is that he’s only in the Chicago papers, not the city, itself. That’s right, Milton Bradley finally says what we all knew he was thinking: someone other than Milton Bradley is to blame for his failures last season.
“Two years ago, I played, and I was good,” Bradley told The Times. “I go to Chicago, not good. I’ve been good my whole career. So, obviously, it was something with Chicago, not me.”
Bradley, who has played for eight teams in 11 seasons, had a career-best season for the Texas Rangers in 2008, batting .321 with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs. Looking to add left-handed punch to their lineup, the Cubs signed Bradley to a three-year, $30 million contract before the 2009 season.
Bradley struggled to live up to the contract and manage the pressures of playing in a big market. He batted .257 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs.
“Just no communication,” Bradley told the paper, referring to his Cubs tenure. “I never hit more than 22 homers in my career, and all of a sudden I get to Chicago and they expect me to hit 30. It doesn’t make sense. History tells you I’m not going to hit that many. Just a lot of things that try to make me a player I’m not.” ESPN Chicago.
Step back for a second and think about what you’re hearing. Do players ever say things like this? “I’m a really good player, and the reason I had one bad season is because the place where I played was awful and they didn’t treat me right.” You almost never hear things like this, and when you do, it is almost always more of a reflection of that player than it is of the team. Imagine, for a moment, that this wasn’t Milton Bradley. Imagine it was, for example, Aaron Heilman. Wouldn’t we be surprised to hear him say these kind of things?
But it is Milton Bradley. So there really isn’t much of a surprise here - did anyone really expect Milton Bradley to take any responsibility? Once again - and we can only wish Jim Hendry had observed this simple fact - there’s a reason why the guy doesn’t last anywhere more than a season and a half.
ShareMarlon Byrd Says He’s a Great Center Fielder
But when Byrd showed up to Chicago Cubs camp looking like the 2010 version of Glenallen Hill - that is to say, the dude was stocky and ripped - it was hard to picture him covering tons of ground out there. Byrd’s says that’s bullocks, though, and he’s ready to show the Cubs what they’ve been missing defensively.
More important, he’s moving from the American League West, which is full of large outfields, to the National League Central, which generally has smaller outfields, including Wrigley.
”Which means I get to play shallow,” he said, ”which is my forte.”
Which means over-the-shoulder and over-the-head catches.
”I do both,” Byrd said. ”If I have a wrong read on balls coming [over a shoulder], I just let it land over my head [into the glove].”
It’s not that fans are going to see a version of Willie Mays or Joe DiMaggio — although Byrd does wear Mays’ No. 24.
”Those guys are greats. They could go anywhere with ease, very fluid,” Byrd said. ”I know how to go back on a ball correctly, so it’s just a difference.”
It’s something Byrd started by watching Andruw Jones with the Atlanta Braves when Byrd was coming up with the Philadelphia Phillies.
”Wherever he played, I would try to play,” he said. ”And about every pitch, I’d get nervous and take a couple of steps back because he was so shallow. But over time, and being with [Rangers coach and former Gold Glove center fielder] Gary Pettis for a couple of years, I got better. I started trusting what I did in the outfield.”
The chance to play with Jones last season helped, too — even if the big acreage at Rangers Ballpark and a young pitching staff didn’t.
”I couldn’t play shallow until our pitchers got in a groove,” Byrd said. ”I couldn’t start creeping in until about the third inning.”
Now he’ll have a more veteran pitching staff with the Cubs and an outfield he can work with.
”One thing you’re going to see about Marlon is how good a center fielder he is,” Jaramillo said. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
Nothing inspires confidence quite like a guy saying he affirmatively wants to try and make over-the-shoulder catches.
ShareJim Hendry is All Kinds of Reactionary
I suspect that if Jim Hendry were an avid investor in the stock market, he probably wouldn’t have too much success. You see, in the market, you have to anticipate moves. You need to see where the market is going to be in 6, 12 months, not where it is right now. You can’t simply react to every latest craze (though you can sometimes ride the wave for a little bit, but I digress).
The reason I say this is because being a reactionary has been Jim Hendry’s MO for the last several years with the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs lacked a leadoff hitter one year, so Hendry hastily signed a poor fit leadoff hitter to a gigantic contract (Alfonso Soriano). The Cubs had a few games of bad luck against right-handed pitching, so Hendry decided he had to dump a righty or two and get a lefty in the lineup (Milton Bradley (switch hitter)). Then the Cubs had a bad clubhouse guy, so Hendry decided to go out and grab as many “good” clubhouse guys he could find.
That’s all fine, but it reflects a guy who is merely reacting to the needs of his club, and not anticipating them before they percolate to the surface. And when it comes to Milton Bradley, Hendry should have anticipated what happened - but to hear it from him, nothing would have gone wrong if Bradley had just hit better in April.
“Offensively, he was the right guy. It wasn’t like we didn’t do our homework,” Hendry said Thursday on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000. “If he’d have hit like he normally did the first couple of months probably a lot of the issues wouldn’t have come out. He was probably our best player in spring training.
“I remember having some chats with Derrek Lee and Aramis [Ramirez] during camp, and they were thrilled to have him. He just got out of the gate so poorly and just didn’t handle that lack of success well. He had always been a good hitter and really good the couple years before we got him.”
Bradley was coming off the best season of his 10-year career after batting .321 with 22 home runs and 77 runs batted in for the Texas Rangers in 2008. He signed a three-year, $30 million contract before the 2009 season, giving the Cubs’ lineup a left-handed bat. His volatile temper was even thought to be a good thing, bringing some energy to the Cubs clubhouse.
But Bradley got off to a rough start, batting .118 in April. The Cubs suspended him for the rest of the season in September for his conduct. He finished his only season as a Cub batting .257 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs.
The Cubs traded him to the Seattle Mariners for pitcher Carlos Silva and cash in December. They have added several players with reputations as good clubhouse guys such as outfielders Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady, Silva and Kevin Millar, but Hendry said that is the norm while Bradley was the exception.
“Until Milton we had always had [good character players] so it wasn’t like a U-turn in philosophy,” Hendry said. “We’ve had a great bunch of guys here for a long time, and we still do. Obviously, I made the mistake of trying to fit in the perfect type of offensive player. Obviously when that didn’t work the other issues came out. It was fortunate we put it behind us but [signing good character guys] wasn’t a conscious effort.” ESPN Chicago.
Bradley was a disaster waiting to happen no matter how he hit in the early season. The guy hasn’t lasted more than a full season anywhere he’s been in the last half decade. There’s a reason for that, and it has nothing to do with how he hit early in the season.
I’m sorry if it seems like I’m continuously ragging on Jim Hendry, but it frustrates me to hear him espousing this kind of revisionist history in an obvious effort to stump for continued employment after 2010. I hope the Cubs win in 2010, I truly and painfully do. But it’s becoming more and more clear that, if they should win this year, it will be in spite of Jim Hendry’s recent efforts, not because of them.
ShareRudy Jaramillo is Made of Magic
The Chicago Cubs’ new hitting coach, Rudy Jaramillo, was the biggest addition the Cubs made all offseason. That’s according to the guy who was supposed to be the biggest addition the Cubs made all offseason, Marlon Byrd.
“I don’t know if you understand the magnitude of what he can do with hitters,” Marlon Byrd said of Jaramillo. “He’s unbelievable.”
Jaramillo leaves the Texas Rangers after 15 seasons there, the longest tenure with one team of any Major League hitting coach. His hitters have won 17 Silver Slugger Awards, three home run titles, three RBI championships and a batting title.
“He’s a great teacher,” said Byrd, who followed Jaramillo to the Cubs from Texas, signing a three-year deal. “He didn’t play in the big leagues or have a long career in baseball, but over time, he’s become a big league hitting coach, and that’s a big thing, being able to teach and see the swing and teach hitters their own swings.”
Byrd has benefited from the partnership. Last season, he batted .283 and set career highs in doubles (43), home runs (20), RBIs (98) and slugging percentage (.479). In four seasons with Philadelphia, Byrd batted .271 and hit 13 homers. In three years in Texas with Jaramillo, Byrd hit .295 with 40 homers.
“He can teach you how to hit big league pitching,” Byrd said. “A lot of guys can’t do that. There are some big league hitting coaches who understood what they did at the plate, but it’s understanding every single position player and even the pitchers, trying to help them. Your guys are out there getting four, five at-bats a day, and it’s getting those guys right [that's important], and that’s what he does best.” cubs.com.
Jaramillo certainly has a capable crop of hitters to work with, even if they were down last year. He has never been a guy to preach patience at the plate, however, which has been many fans’ primary concern with the Cubs’ offense ever since Dusty Baker ushered in his “you don’t walk across the plate, you hit across the plate” philosophy. Lou Piniella, for his part, has done little to eschew that approach.
ShareThe Cubs Are Considering Kris Benson
Though the Chicago Cubs are not looking for another starting pitcher - or looking to make any other considerable free agent acquisitions - they’ll continue to monitor guys they can snag on minor league deals. One such guy is formerly mediocre starting pitcher Kris Benson.
A number of National League teams are keeping track of Kris Benson’s progress, including the Diamondbacks, Cubs, Reds and Nationals, according to one major league source.
The Dodgers are also looking to add starting depth but are a more remote possibility, sources indicated.
Last week, Benson’s agent said he expected the free agent right-hander to join a new team within the next few weeks. FOX Sports on MSN.
Benson, 35, pitched a little bit - terribly - last year for the Rangers, but before that hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2006. It’s highly doubtful he’ll come back and contribute meaningfully.
But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a reason to sign him. Her name, my friends, is Anna Benson.
Live Together, Die Alone: LOST and the Chicago Cubs
“Every man for himself is not going to work. It’s time to start organizing. We need to figure out how we’re going to survive here. Now, I found water. Fresh water, up in the valley. I’ll take a group in at first light. If you don’t want to go, then find another way to contribute. Last week most of us were strangers. But we’re all here now. And God knows how long we’re going to be here. But if we can’t live together, we’re going to die alone.” - Jack Shephard
I have generally avoided using this space to pontificate on things personal and outside of baseball. I figure you all come here to read about the Cubs, not my thoughts on health care reform. And for a guy who has an obsession with the television show LOST that is equaled only by his obsession with the Cubs, it’s hard not to go off about the show from time to time. Warning: this is one of those times.
But the truth is, this post is as much about the Cubs as it is about LOST. The parallels weaving their way through the show, the Chicago Cubs, and Cubs fandom are worth at least one, little article as we approach tonight’s premiere of the much-anticipated final season and dramatic conclusion of LOST. The article’s a bit longer than our usual fare here at Bleacher Nation, but I think it’s worth your time if you’re a fan of the Cubs or a fan of the show. Keep reading up on the Cubs-LOST crossover.
ShareThe Cubs Will Win This Year Because Marlon Byrd is a Nice Guy
Get ready to be overloaded with “addition by subtraction” type optimism pieces as we gear up for the 2010 Chicago Cubs season. The Cubs, apparently, are going to win eight to ten more games in 2010 simply by virtue of not having Milton Bradley on the team anymore. I question the statistical legitimacy of such a claim, but who am I to quibble with Lou Piniella - the guy who said it.
It’s no wonder the good-guy nature of newly signed outfielder Marlon Byrd — and clubhouse chemistry in general — was the undercurrent of the pre-convention media event Wednesday at Harry Caray’s downtown.
How important is it to new teammates that Byrd is a good clubhouse guy?
”As opposed to what? Who are you implying?” pitcher Jeff Samardzija said, smiling. ”You hear a lot about the clubhouse growing up as a kid, but you never really know going into it. But after being here for a couple years and understanding the dynamics of it, it means a lot.”
Especially after 5½ months of one underachieving, oversensitive outfielder grinding against the grain of a team already grinding through injuries and slumps.
Whatever Byrd might bring as a center fielder, it’s his reputation for a personality nothing like that of Bradley, his friend and former Texas Rangers teammate, that’s attracting more attention.
”Hopefully he’s a great guy. I’m sure he will be,” Samardzija said. ”That means a lot. When you’re on each other’s side and everyone’s on the same page, it means a lot. It makes going out and playing the game a whole lot easier.”
As opposed to what? Throwing helmets and tantrums so often your manager finally kicks you out of a game and calls you an unprintable name? Claiming umpires are out to get you? Eating your pregame meals alone in the trainer’s room? Taking yourself out of games? Refusing to pinch-hit and creating a dust-up over it with your hitting coach? Claiming that negativity within and around the organization is why the team hasn’t won a World Series in 100 years? Spending the final 15 games of the season at home because you’ve alienated and ticked off so many people that the general manager suspends you?
Piniella often downplayed the value of chemistry last season, deflecting Bradley’s drag on the Cubs. He used his Bronx Zoo collection of infighting Yankees of the 1970s as an example that friendships have little to do with championships.
But there’s no denying the shared focus on winning those Yankees had, regardless of their personal differences.
And there’s no denying the difference between that and what the Cubs went through last year. The Bradley saga — and by extension the chemistry problems — might have played out differently had he hit well enough and the Cubs stayed healthy enough to overcome the other issues and reach the playoffs.
But when asked about Byrd’s intangibles Wednesday, even Piniella said, ”There’s no substitute for having hard workers on the team and having good chemistry in the clubhouse.
”We’re going to start anew. I like the things we’ve done. We’re going to have a good ballclub this year. I’m looking forward to a team that will win this division again and give us another chance to move on and win the World Series.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
So I guess it isn’t merely the subtraction of Bradley that will lead to more wins. It’s the addition of a good clubhouse guy like Marlon Byrd. I’m sure it can’t hurt, but let’s hope he performs as well on the field as he does in the clubhouse.
ShareThe Marlon Byrd Signing: Local Media Woo, National Media Boo
Now that the Marlon Byrd signing is firmly in the rear view mirror, and we’ve all had plenty of time to process the move, we can reflect and consider just what it means for the Chicago Cubs. Was it really the right move? Was it a bad decision?
Interestingly, there seems to be a noticeable split in the punditry: the national media suggest the deal was a mistake, and the local cheerleaders suggest the deal was a great one. Compare this glowing write-up from the Sun Times:
”We worked very hard and wanted to come up with the right fit in center field, and we felt we explored every avenue, free agent- and trade-wise,” said general manager Jim Hendry, who signed Byrd to a three-year, $15 million deal. ”And it kept coming back to Marlon.”
A big reason for that is Jaramillo, who soon after being signed by the Cubs in October began promoting his former Texas pupil as a good option for the Cubs’ need in center.
Cubs officials said Byrd told Jaramillo repeatedly, from early in the offseason, that he wanted to come to Chicago. And once Bradley’s bad contract was shipped off to Seattle for Silva’s bad contract — along with $5.5 million in 2010 payroll relief that essentially covers Byrd’s salary and the difference in Silva’s — talks accelerated.
”I’m very excited,” said Byrd, 32, who said he spoke with Jaramillo at least every other week throughout the offseason. ”When I knew I had the opportunity to become a Cub, I was really hoping this would be my landing ground. When my agent called me and told me there was a very good opportunity of being there, I told him that’s where I wanted to be.”…
Byrd, who’s widely regarded as a fan-friendly, strong clubhouse presence and was named the Rangers’ ”Good Guy” by writers last season….
Offsetting the concern about adding yet another right-handed bat are Byrd’s history of hitting right-handed pitchers a little better than lefties — including a 56-point difference in average last season — and his reputation as being better-than-average in center field.
That adds to the overall upgrade in the Cubs’ outfield, with Kosuke Fukudome being allowed to move back over to his natural right field, where he’s considered one of the National League’s top defenders. Hendry’s offseason focus shifts to the next priority: getting another veteran relief pitcher, possibly through trade, and looking at potential backup outfield help.
If you read only that summary of the move, you’d think (a) Marlon Byrd was the top free agent outfielder on the market this year, (b) the Cubs signed him for free, (c) Marlon Byrd is going to dominate right-handed pitchers, and (d) Marlon Byrd is a great defensive center fielder.
Frankly, I’m not convinced of any of those things. For my part, I’m more persuaded by the national take on the deal: that no matter how you spin the backloading, it was too much money and too many years for a guy who should not be a starter on a team like the Cubs. The national, and better, take on the Byrd deal, after the jump.
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