Is it a case of Milton just being Milton? It’s no secret that Milton Bradley has struggled early in his Cubs debut season. In just over a month, Bradley has struggled at the plate, missed games due to injury, and received a two game suspension for bumping an ump. It takes some players an entire season to hit these milestones, but Bradley has been able to do it all in just a little more than 30 days.
But last night, Bradley seemed to take out all of his frustration on one pitch from San Diego starter (and soon-to-be-Cub?) Jake Peavy. Bradley launched a Peavy pitch deep into right center field for what HitTracker estimated to be a 450 foot two-run mammoth home run.
After touching home plate, on his way back to the dugout, Bradley put his hand up to his ear as if to say, “Why aren’t you booing now?” Was this just some good natured ribbing from Bradley to the fans who have been booing him this year, or was it a polite variation of Bradley flipping the bird?
It’s hard to say for sure. Bradley is a fiery guy who has had some anger management issues in the past. But I didn’t get the impression that he was angry. Sure, the right field “boo birds” have been tough on Bradley. They’ve let him know that they are less than impressed with his performance this far (and they’ve done it in some ugly ways). The right field bleacher bums are known for their razing of the occupant of right field at Wrigley when he doesn’t perform up to expectations. Even so, it seems to me that Bradley is just as frustrated with his performance thus far this season as the people who pay to sit in right field.
After the game, Bradley talked about the fact that he never got comfortable at the plate in Spring Training and that he has gotten off to a slow start. Obvious, I know, but recognizing you have a problem is the first step to solving the problem. At least that’s what Dr. Phil says. So if it’s true, then at least Milton has recognized and admitted that he has had a problem.
Hitting that bomb off Jake Peavy was great, but it doesn’t mean that Bradley has turned the corner and is ready to meet everyone’s expectations, including his own. Even with the home run, Bradley is hitting just .186 with 4 home runs and 8 RBI. Not exactly spectacular for a guy who led the AL in OBP in 2008. Even so, it’s a step in the right direction. Now he just needs to serve his suspension (if MLB ever decides his appeal) and get back to the business of hitting. Otherwise, we might have to call in Dr. Phil.
