This thing never seems to go away. In an interview with Colleen Dominquez, Milton Bradley says he felt like "a prisoner in his own home" during his time in Chicago.

"When you get paid a lot of money to play this game, they expect miracles. And when you don't go out there and perform like that, then people don't like it. People don't want to see a guy that's brash and cocky and a little arrogant and kind of does his own thing making a lot of money. They were like, 'He doesn't deserve that.'"

Is there anything to that? Probably. Was there racism involved, probably. Do we have to keep rehashing this thing?

When Pat Hughes proclaimed, "Chicago Cubs baseball is on the air," Spring had officially arrived for me, despite the piles of black snow littering my neighborhood. This morning I reflect on what I listened to yesterday and, in the quest to be ever pessimistic about the Northsiders, I'd like to share with you a few things I learned from yesterdays Cubs opener.

1. It's pretty apparent Randy Wells will be a Cy Young candidate in 2010. His line - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 SO, 0 BB
2. Fukudome appears to be ready to hit .300.
3. Derrek Lee will probably hit 35-40 HR's.
4. Marlon Byrd will prove to be the best free agent signing of 2010.
5. The new slimmed down Geo Soto should be an All-Star. I predict .295, 25 HR and 90 RBI.
6. Starlin Castro is a potential HOF SS, I can just tell.
7. 16 hits! Look for the Cubs to be one of the top offenses in 2010.
8. Bullpen worries? Who us? Did you see Sean Marshall yesterday?
9. Kevin Millar will prove to be the secind best free agent pick up of 2010.
10. Tyler Colvin is amazing, he should be our every day LF.
11. Milton Bradley was definitely the problem in 2009, I mean c'mon, a 9-3 win over an AL team.

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times points out that the Cubs could very well have a vastly different look in 2011 than they do when they take the field for Opening Day 2010.

Derrek Lee, who reported to camp Tuesday, is set to become a free agent at season's end and has stated that if there isn't an extension agreed to before Opening Day, he won't address it during the season,

"I really haven't thought about it that much...I wouldn't want it to be a distraction."

Aramis Ramirez has the ability to opt-out of his contract after this year, and following a major shoulder injury, one that limited him to just 82-games in 2009, the clock may be ticking on his time in a Cubs uniform as well.

I've seen varying projections from the Cubs this season, but the one that everyone looks at comes from Baseball Prospectus. The link right now shows the Cubs finishing under .500 for the season, and has the Cardinals running away with the division by nine games. This leaves me with the burning question, and a "nightmare scenario" not unlike many other teams face each season:

What if the Cubs tank in the first half of the season and find themselves too far behind the front runners of the division and realistically out of the Wild Card hunt?

Derrek Lee turns 35 in September and Ramirez 32 in June. Do you try to move these two, or more, at the deadline?

You already have Alfonso Soriano signed until he turns 63 or so, Kosuke turns 33 in April, Marlon Byrd 33 in August, Ryan Dempster 33 in May, and Ted Lilly is 34 already. The core of this team is aging, and with every year that passes, they get further from being a team who can compete for a World Series berth. This is no longer the baseball of years past where guys hit their peak at 35.

The window has already begun to close, and with new ownership now in place they may find themselves headed in a new direction must faster than may Cubs fans realize.

So today has been uneventful, as the sporting world usually is around this time. So while trying my hardest to come up with a story worth reading, I found myself patrolling the Blogiverse, or whatever the hell they are calling it these days. In my travels I learned something interesting: Cubs blogs hate really don't like each other.

Take for example the recent war of words between Tales from Aisle 424 and Paul Sullivan. It all started with this Tweet: One idiot gone, one idiot en route. Former leader of Boston's '04 "Idiots" signs minor league deal with Cubs.

That led to a response from from Aisle 424: It is My Subjective Opinion that Paul Sullivan is an Asshole

That led to a link from Wrigleyville23: A Testy Day in Cub Media Land

In the comment section was a response from The Hawk, which led me to this story from The Bad News Cubs: Existence Fail - MB21 and ACB

Aisle 424's post also led to a response from Hire Jim Essian: Paul Sullivan Gave My Imaginary Kid Boner Cancer

Which led to a response from Another Cubs Blog: Starfuc*ers Inc.

Which led me to the comment section and a link to this article from Hire Jim Essian that refers to Al Yellon of Bleed Cubbie Blue: Yellon Pissed at HJE for Using His Image Without Permission

It takes some reading, but within each of these posts you'll find some disdain for one of the other Cubs blogs or Paul Sullivan.

To sum up, as best I can: Another Cubs Blog and Hire Jim Essian dislike Bleed Cubbie Blue, but Another Clubs Blog also dislikes Hire Jim Essian. Bleed Cubbie Blue dislikes Hire Jim Essian. The Bad News Cubs dislikes Another Cubs Blog and Wrigleyville23 (or Faggotville23 as The Hawk prefers to call him). Aisle 424 and Wrigleyville23 dislike The Bad News Cubs. And so on.

Whew, I better make sure nobody dislikes me. I suppose they'll have to find me first.

Update: Let me be sure to say clearly that I love them all, and they amuse me to no end. I'm such a puss.

Did the Cubs add some depth while I wasn't paying attention?

Chicago Cubs Depth Chart - MLB Baseball - ESPN via kwout

It has been reported, and talked about widely, that the Cubs are one of roughly 10 teams looking at free agent pitcher Ben Sheets. At first glance I was opposed to such a deal, given Sheets history of injury and the Cubs history of losing out on high-risk/high-reward players. After giving it some more thought, I have come the conclusion that the Cubs would be wise to make a move like this, if of course they can make it work financially.

According to MLB.com:

"In order for Chicago to be Sheets' next destination, he'll have to come down from his initial request, which is believed to be a two-year deal averaging $10 million to $12 million per season.

The Cubs have committed approximately $125 million for 2010, and they have eight arbitration-eligible players who will receive raises. This year's payroll was expected to reach $140 million, meaning there isn't any room to handle the amount of money Sheets reportedly seeks."

The only way the Cubs could make something like this work is if they offer Sheets a 1-year deal that is heavily incentive laden and a bit lower than the $10 to $12 million he is looking for, thus protecting them from the possibility of him missing considerable time and allowing the contract to fit in their budget.

There are those who might argue that the Cubs should look at their weaknesses, and that pitching isn't one of them, but as NQTC points out the other day, "With Harden walking and Lilly undergoing surgery that will keep him out of the first month or more of the season, the Cubs rotation drops off considerably after Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, and Randy Wells.  Assuming Wells doesn't have some kind of sophomore slump, that leaves Carlos Silva, Jeff Samardzija, Tom Gorzelanny and Sean Marshall to compete for the last two spots."

Not exactly a great spot for the Cubs to be in to start the season, and if Wells can't produce like he did in 2009, none of the other names are all that exciting as fourth starters, let alone fifth.

Of course the injury concern is a major one, but Sheets says he feels great following his year away from baseball and told ESPN, "I believe I can pitch the way I used to. Hey, Chris Carpenter came back and was dominant. As long as I believe I can do it, that's all that matters. Watch, I'll show 'em."

Chris Carpenter eh.

After compiling a 49-50 record in his first six seasons (Sheets is 86-83 through eight seasons and was 61-69 through his first six), Carpenter had to undergo surgery in September 2002 to repair a tear in his pitching shoulder. Following that surgery the Blue Jays wanted to send him back to the minors. Carpenter refused, and chose to become a free agent and signed with St. Louis. Carpenter then missed the entire 2003 season while rehabilitating his shoulder and was forced to have another operation in July to remove scar tissue.

It was with the Cardinals in his seventh season that Carpenter came in to his own. Finally healthy in 2004, Carpenter went 15-5 with a 3.46 ERA, earning NL comeback player of the year honors. However, he missed the postseason because of a biceps injury, and St. Louis was eventually swept in the World Series by Boston. In 2005 Carpenter went 21-5 with a 2.83 ERA and won the Cy Young award.

Injuries continued to plague Carpenter though, and in 2007 and 2008 he compiled a total of 21 innings in just five games. He returned in 2009 to go 17-4 with a 2.24 ERA in 192 innings and 28 starts and led the Cards to a division title.

Then there is Ben Sheets. Sheets has been bothered by injuries dating all the way back to his 2003 his third season in the league, when bulging discs hampered him but did not force him to miss any time. It was in his fourth year that Ben really started to show what kind of pitcher he was capable of being, striking out 264 batters and finishing with a 2.70 ERA in 34 starts. In 2005 Sheets missed time in the beginning of the season with a series of inner ear infections and he also began 2006 on the DL but was able to return rather quickly. After three starts he was back on the DL with shoulder tendinitis and returned just after the All-Star break and finished the year.

In 2007 Sheets pitched until August when he was forced to leave with a hamstring injury. 2008 was a banner year for Sheets, as he and acquisition CC Sabathia pitched the Brewers into the playoffs. Ben had 31 starts, went 13-9 and finished with an ERA of 3.09. He did miss the playoffs with the tear in his elbow, which kept him out the entire 2009 season.

So yes, Sheets has a history of health issues, a lot of them. Hence the incentive laden contract. If he is as healthy as he says he is the Cubs would be getting a guy that could fill in for Ted Lilly to start the season and would make the rotation as formidable as any when Ted returns. Let's not forget that Randy Wells is still an unknown, despite his stellar 2009 season and right now the Cubs are looking at eitherTom Gorzelanny, Jeff Samardzija, Sean Marshall, Mike Parisi or Carlos Silva to compete for the fifth spot until Ted Lilly returns. Upon his return the Cubs rotation could look like this: Ted Lilly, Ben Sheets, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells in no particular order.

Tim Kurkjian of ESPN writes, "If Sheets is anywhere close to the pitcher he used to be, how could any team not like him? When healthy, Sheets throws in the mid-90s with one of the best curveballs in the game and great control. Sheets, 31, has an 86-83 career record and 3.72 ERA. In 1,428 innings, he has 1,206 strikeouts and 313 walks; his 3.85 strikeout-to-walk ratio is the fifth-best all time among pitchers with 1,000 innings. In 2008, he threw three shutouts and had an ERA below 3.00 until his final start of the season. He can be a dominant starter when he is healthy."

Sheets is a risk, but for the right price and the right contract structure I think he is a risk worth taking and one that could pay off big for the Cubs in 2010.

I know that you can't grab tone from the words on a piece of paper, or that of a website, but when I came across this article: 2010 AL MVP: Milton Bradley, Seattle Mariners, I clicked the link and what I thought I might read was far different from what I actually read.

When the news came across the wire that the Cubs had traded Milton, a smile crossed my face. I didn't even care to hear who the other parties were in the deal. I was satisfied enough knowing that he was gone and the Cubs could move forward with their off-season plans, no matter the direction.

I know many Cubs fans feel the same, and I am fairly confident in writing that I believe that many Cubs players took the news quite the same as I did. Remember these comments from Ryan Dempster, "Sometimes you just have to look in the mirror and realize that maybe the biggest part of the problem is yourself." Or the moment when, "after Hendry finally pulled the plug in St. Louis and told the team he was sending Bradley home, several players applauded."

David Chalk from Bugs and Cranks sees things a bit differently. He writes,

"The Cubs totally mishandled Bradley last year, but he still gave them a decent year and a .378 OBP. Obviously, the Cubs expected more based on his superb 2008 when he lead the AL in OBP, OPS, OPS+, OPP and tons of other fancy offensive stats."

I think we have different opinions on a decent year. If you only look at the OBP then you might be able to make a case for that, but this situation goes far deeper than the numbers. For arguments sake though let's take a gander at that "decent year."

In 2009 Bradley hit .257 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI. Under no circumstances would that be considered a "decent year" even if he wasn't making $10 million per. His .378 OBP would have put him among the top 20 in the NL, except for the fact that he didn't have enough at bats to qualify due to his numerous injuries, incidents and flat out poor play throughout the season.

Chalk goes on,

"...the only reason the Cubs wanted to dump him, and the only reason why anyone would think Bradley's not worth risking $3 million a year for two years, is the slugger's reputation. And really what he has ever done that's so terrible?"

Milton is not a murderer. Milton is not a criminal. What Milton is, however, is a cancerous organism that enters Major League club houses and eats away at them from the inside. There is a reason why he is headed to his eighth team in 11 seasons. Cubs fans may have denied it when he was acquired by Hendry prior to 2009, but there is little doubt of the damage he can do now.

For arguments sake though, let's take a look at the Milton Bradley timeline:

I put together a little something for a friendly site called Baseball Reflections on the Cubs. Please check it out if you are so inclined. It's called Playing Good Idea / Bad Idea with the Cubs Offseason.

Rumor has it that the Cubs have begun contracts talks with hitting "guru" Rudy Jaramillo, formerly of the Texas Rangers. According to ESPN's Bruce Levine the supposed contract could make Jaramillo the highest paid coach in all of baseball. Could he be the one to solve the Cubs hitting woes of 2009?

What would the Cubs be getting with a guy like Rudy? Also from Levine: "Among major league baseball people, Jaramillo's reputation is impeccable. Many former students of the veteran hitting coach contact him in the off-season to help correct flaws in their hitting mechanics before they report to spring training."

Could this mean more of Uncle Milty in 2010? Hard to say, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Cubs are able to nab Jaramillo that Milton gets another shot in a Cubs uniform, whether I like it or not. Milton performed well in Texas under Jaramillo, well enough for the Cubs to give him $10MM per this past off-season. But enough about Milton.

I'm sure you're wondering: what kind of success has Rudy brought to other clubs he has been associated with? Well, he coached 17 Silver Sluggers and as as Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune points out,

"He has spent 19 seasons as a major league hitting coach with the Rangers and Astros, and his teams always have been near the top in run production. As a minor league hitting coach, he worked with players such as Sammy Sosa, Juan Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez, and he was an influence on Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell in Houston."

Cough.

Anywho. Let's take a look at the Jaramillo impact on the two teams he is most recently associated with, the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers.

The highlighted years are pre-Jaramillo to give you an idea of how the team fared before he was around. Anything jump out at ya? One thing does for me, and it has been a problem for the Rangers since 2001. Strikeouts. The Rangers have been in the top five in team batting average three times since 2001, and at the top in that category in 2008. They were also in the top five in runs scored from 2001-2008. Unfortunately they have also been in the top five in team strikeouts every year since 2001. As for their last playoff appearance, 1999.

That being said, players love him. Players like Mark Teixeira,

"Rudy has been one of the biggest reasons for my development as a hitter. I can't imagine going through a season without him." (The Sporting News 2004)

The list goes on, from Bagwell, to A-Rod, to Michael Young. He is even the guy who made Ruben Sierra a switch hitter, which only lasted for 20 years.

Jaramillo could be the spark this team needs to get back to the offensive powerhouse they were just two years ago. Alfonso Soriano will be hitting out of the leadoff spot for a full season, something he has never done and he has a relationship with Jaramillo from their days in Texas. Geovany Soto needs to make some major adjustments and Rudy could be the perfect fit for a young player like Soto who showed so much promise in 2008.

The Cubs have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to bounce back from a disappointing 2009 season. Jaramillo might be the first piece of the puzzle.

Originally posted on August 27th

Milton Bradley is a poison. Milton Bradley is a cancer. Milton Bradley is killing the Cubs from within. I had recently thought that it would be taking the easy way out to blame him for the woes and the failure that has been the 2009 season, but the more he opens his mouth, the more I lose interest in what he has to say.

Milton's latest is claiming that he faces "hatred" on a daily basis. Yet Milton can not give any specific examples of how this "hatred" is being expressed, or what exactly is being done or said to him "on a daily basis." Instead we get broad generalizations that indict an entire fan base and to a larger extent the city of Chicago.

It is such a strong word, "hate." One has to believe that Milton is insinuating that racism abounds in the "Friendly Confines" and in the city of Chicago itself. I would be more than naive to claim that racism doesn't exist in either place, and I won't begin to debate that. What I do have a hard time believing is that it is so blatant, so overwhelming, so in his face in a crowd of 35,000 to 40,ooo+ that he "pray[s] the game is nine innings, so I can go out there the least amount of time possible and go home." Is he chasing the Babe's home run mark? I'm missing something.

If "hate" is being projected towards Milton, then why can he not give us the specifics. Does he think we are unable to handle it?

"America doesn't believe in racism," he says.

Does he think we are ignoring it?

"It's nothing brand-new. It's nothing that just started when Milton Bradley came here. It's the same stuff [the media] wrote about at the beginning of the year. It's not like it's a surprise or a shock or brand-new to me or anyone else. That's the way it has been. It's not a brand-new story. There's nothing new to write about."

He is right. There is nothing new to write about. This is the same Milton that he has always been. The victim.

Blame Society, Not Milton

We are a nation of victims. Milton is just a product of a sad societal norm.

Think about this quote from Dr. Ofer Zur's Rethinking "Don't Blame the Victim":

"In claiming the status of victim and by assigning all blame to others, a person can achieve moral superiority while simultaneously disowning any responsibility for one's behavior and its outcome...The victim stance is a powerful one. The victim is always morally right, neither responsible nor accountable, and forever entitled to sympathy."

Sums up the character of Milton pretty well if you ask me. Though I will say he has never asked for sympathy, as far as I can tell. But has Milton ever taken responsibility for his actions? Has anything he has done, that people find offensive or wrong been, been unjust? His answer might be this:

"That's just me. It's not right, but that's me." (quoted from this ESPN article from 2003 by Alan Schwarz)

Well, Milton, that character trait is repulsive. My biggest pet peeve in the world is when people exclaim the following, "That's just how I am." Nothing is worse than an offensive characteristic that someone is self-aware of, but not interested in changing. People seem to think that statement excludes them from any responsibility for anything they say or do.

That's just you? Well sir, you suck.

Child's Play

Mr. Bradley is living ironic pun. His name conjures up images of childhood games, none more popular than The Game of Life (originally and even more ironically pun(ish) The Checkered Game of Life), a game drafted by another Milton Bradley some 140 years ago.

For me The Game of Life brings back memories my younger days, most of which are pleasant, something I am thankful for. For Milton those memories may not have been that special. His father, Milton Bradley Sr., whom Milton never had a relationship with, named him Milton Bradley Jr. while his mother was still unconscious following his birth, without her permission (from Schwarz article). It is a name he hasn't changed and he once said that the taunts the name brought and still brings him only drive him harder.

That drive has allowed him to become a player of the ultimate game, the game of baseball, a child's game being played by adults (though sometimes you wonder). For Milton, though, the game seems to bring no joy whatsoever, and there is no indication that it ever has. Reading through the Schwarz article you get the sense that the guy has had a chip on his shoulder from youth and while I can not see the world through his eyes as he would like me to, he fails to realize one thing, I don't have to.

If Milton doesn't like to be booed, and doesn't like to be criticized so publicly, than he should have chosen a different profession. He is not obligated to play baseball, but if he chooses to, he better do it well.

Nothing New

Milton has discussed the issue of race before. There was the incident with Jeff Kent that brought about these comments:

"Race is an issue with everything we do in here.”

“Me being an African-American is the most important thing to me — more important than baseball,” said the 27-year-old center fielder, whose voice never went beyond his normal speaking level. “White people never want to see race — with anything. But there’s race involved in baseball. That’s why there’s less than 9 percent African-American representation in the game. I’m one of the few African-Americans that starts here.”

I can not speak for the atmosphere in the Dodger locker room at the time, but this quote may shed some light on the thought process of Milton. This was 2005, and it is very similar to what he said on Wednesday.

Race is an issue, and it is an issue with many things in our day to day lives whether we would like to admit it or not. I have no doubt that Milton has encountered some form of racism in his life but he seems to be the only Cub addressing the issue as it pertains to the organization, it's fans, the media and the city. If it is happening, why is Milton the only one speaking out? Others have been booed and taunted unmercifully, white and black alike. Alfonso Soriano and Aaron Miles are two of the biggest targets of this season.

Alfonso Soriano had this to say regarding the Bradley issue,

"We're friends, but every head is different," Soriano said. "That's him. I'd like to talk to him about it, but it's his head, it's his game.

"But you can't listen to those fans. They pay their money, so they can say what they want. But if you listen, they want to do it more. If you ignore it, they'll get tired. If you continue, they'll want to give you more and more and more."

Sure they pay their money, and they can say what they want...to an extent. Surely you can't shout racist epithets towards the field in a crowded ball park and expect everyone in your section to approve, ushers and vendors included. Can you? I would think that would be a poor decision, and there have been many by the Cubs faithful. If it is happening it should be addressed immediately and publicly.

Soriano is right about one thing. It's Bradley's head. We will never know the thought process there.

Solution

I was one who liked the signing when it happened. I wanted him to succeed, I think all Cubs fans did.

Now there is only one option. Cut Milton Bradley loose. Undoubtedly he will claim to be the scapegoat for the 2009 season, and in many ways he will be correct. His addition came with high hopes and an even higher salary, and he has failed to produce on the field. Now his outspoken ways have caused what Paul Sullivan calls an "integrity issue" for the Cubs.

What other options do they have at this point? I suppose they can return to hope that he will change. Even Milton might tell you there is little chance of that.

Unfortunately, Milton Bradley will be just another addition to Cubs lore and the many failures through the years. 2009 will fester like a sore.