Quote of the Day
Milton Bradley, commenting on how so many experts are picking the Cubs to win the NL Central:
“They should. I’m here. I’m a winner. When I went to the Dodgers, after they hadn’t been to the postseason since ’88, they went to the postseason. I went to the A’s in 2006. We weren’t supposed to do anything, and we went to the ALCS. I was with San Diego. We were one win away from making the postseason, and I got hurt. Everywhere I go, people win. It’s not a surprise.”
Your mileage may vary, but I love it when guys spout off like this. Maybe it’s not as polite as those “take it one game at a time” quotes, but doggone it, it’s more interesting.
God love Milton Bradley, the new king of to the postgame interview.
…better not go criticizing MB unless you REALLY know him. He might come lookin’ for ya!
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3438827
Just imagine how amazing those teams would have been if he missed less than a combined 130 out of 409 total games.
Even if his name were Hasbro, I’d always look up when I heard he was playing and try to guess for which team.
Not exactly the “straw that stirs the drink” but a priceless quote, nonetheless. Almost as good as Shaq saying a few years ago that “I’ve won everywhere I played, except college and the pros.”
Also, he’s wrong, as the Dodgers went to the postseason in 1995 and 1996, though they got swept both times. In 2004, with Milton “Winner” Bradley, they lost 3-1 to the Cards, their one win coming in a game in which the Winner went 0-for-3 with a walk and a GIDP. So, yeah, big difference.
And, after losing 91 games in 2005, the Dodgers immediately returned to the playoffs in 1996, having gotten rid of Winner Bradley.
Those 2006 Oaklands who weren’t expected to do anything? They’d won 91 and 88 games the previous two seasons, finishing 2nd each time, and they replaced Scott Hatterberg with Frank Thomas, so to say that they weren’t supposed to do anything is more than a little naive.
Also, in SD, sure, he hit well when he played, but it was his own fault that he got hurt at the end of the year, tearing up his ankle while being restrained from attacking an umpire.
Whoops, the Dodgers returned to the playoffs without MB in 2006, not 1996.
Craig,
You love Bradley’s bloviating on his wonderfulness as some kind of a “winner”, but can’t stand Curt Schilling? I don’t understand your criteria.
As a life-long cubs fan, I am so excited to have this volatile character in the lineup. Can’t wait for season.
Chris—don’t read too much into my praise of Bradley here. I said I find it more interesting. I also find political scandals and—truth be told—Curt Schilling interesting.
My beef with Schilling is a bit different than a lot of people’s. It’s not a reflexive anti-Curt thing. It’s just that I find a little goes a long way, and you rarely get a little of him. I’m certain that if Bradley had an open mike like Schilling does, I’d grow pretty weary of him too.
Milton Bradley had a walk off grand slam in Game 7 of the Eastern League Championship, so yeah. Cut him some slack.
As silly as the quotation looks, I think it’s pretty hard to deny that Bradley was a difference maker for that 04 Dodgers team, 8-year drought or 16-year drought aside. And while Bradley *has* blamed himself for that injury with San Diego, I’m pretty sure everyone else who was there agrees that the horribly unprofessional umpire who baited him was absolutely at fault for the incident.
Milton Bradeley is the reason that Mark DeRosa is in Cleveland… so I love him!!!
I guess it would be expecting too much from even MB for the Rangers to have made the postseason last year, huh? He conveniently leaves them out though doesn’t he……