Debate: Swap Linebrink for Bradley?

[bmags]

I've rooted for some real dbags in sox uniform before, I can do it again.

[Princess Dye]

Exactly. You root for the uniform.

[ThunderBolt]

AJ was "Clubhouse poison." Jurassic Carl was INSANE, Floyd was a pushover, and Jenks was a punk. People change in our clubhouse, this might be Ozzie's biggest strength

[son of a rude]

AJ was "Clubhouse poison." Jurassic Carl was INSANE, Floyd was a pushover, and Jenks was a punk. People change in our clubhouse, this might be Ozzie's biggest strength

Bradley would be the worst yet, but his OBP is so damn good.

[longshot7]

I say no. He's a total cancer to a ballclun and while Linebrink sucks, he's a good teammate.

[Kyyle23]

AJ was "Clubhouse poison." Jurassic Carl was INSANE, Floyd was a pushover, and Jenks was a punk. People change in our clubhouse, this might be Ozzie's biggest strength

 

Dude, Bradley has changed clubhouses 7 times, and its about to be 8 times. And its all for the exact same reason, Anger, Anger and more anger. this cat aint changin his stripes. Jurassic Carl looks like a normal person standing next to Bradley.

[DukeNukeEm]

I say no. He's a total cancer to a ballclun and while Linebrink sucks, he's a good teammate.

I'm gonna start calling it the ballclan.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

AJ was "Clubhouse poison." Jurassic Carl was INSANE, Floyd was a pushover, and Jenks was a punk. People change in our clubhouse, this might be Ozzie's biggest strength

The difference is, AJ was a Major League catcher, which we needed. Carl Everett (the second time) was our DH, which we needed because Frank was out. Floyd was a young SP, which we needed. Jenks was a young, cheap power arm, which we needed. I don't see any hole on this club that Milton Bradley would fill other than DH, because we certainly wouldn't want him in the OF, and why would we want a guy who isn't even hitting for power to be our DH? Why would we want to pay even Linebrink's salary to a guy like that when we could probably get Thome back for the same amount? Besides, Bradley is never healthy for a full season anyway. Thome is a better health bet than Bradley is.

 

Linebrink is a sunk cost. We're better off eating that and hoping we get something out of it on OUR field rather than taking on an even worse contract and expecting that player to perform in an even larger role. At least when Linebrink sucks we can - in theory, not practice when it comes to Ozzie - hide Linebrink's ass as the last man in the pen. But if Bradley sucks for us then we still have to play him every day because if we're paying him that much money then we're not going to be bringing in a real DH as a backup plan. And at least if Linebrink suddenly becomes good again he'll be a player who fits an area of need for other teams, whereas Bradley would be basically untradeable to the entire NL and wouldn't be wanted by at least half the AL because of character issues, or intradivisional issues, or because we simply don't want to help out another contender.

 

It's simple: Bradley-for-Linebrink, like Peavy-for-Zambrano, is just the wishful thinking of Cub fans who still haven't realized that unlike Jim Hendry, our GM is not a complete buffoon. The Cubs gave an assload of money to a career cancer with major health issues who just happened to have a career year in the best hitting environment in baseball. Now they're going to have to pay him to play for someone else. Let's just let those Cubbies enjoy their misery.

Edited September 21, 2009 by Kenny Hates Prospects

[kapkomet]

Dude, Bradley has changed clubhouses 7 times, and its about to be 8 times. And its all for the exact same reason, Anger, Anger and more anger. this cat aint changin his stripes. Jurassic Carl looks like a normal person standing next to Bradley.

^^^

 

Milton Bradley was born pissed off - probably because his parents named him Milton. If *anyone* thinks he needs to be on the Sox, they really need to think about what a punk this guy is.

 

[klaus kinski]

I dont want him anywhere near our young players (or our old ones for that matter)

[SouthsideDon48]

Bradley is actually my favorite Cubs player... because of how much he pisses Cubs fans off.

 

Also I think, if Bradley was on the Sox, that he would not have as many problems as he did with other teams. I mean, look at Pierzynski and Everett, they were both cancers as well.

 

My only concern might be Ozzie throwing Bradley under the bus in a post-game interview. Bradley prolly won't react good to that.

[NorthSideSox72]

AJ was looked at as a great teammate in MIN, then had one bad year in SF. Not SEVEN BAD STINTS WITH SEVEN TEAMS. And Jenks had off-field problems, not on-field ones. The only player I've seen the Sox take on who had a bad rep that is in the same genre as Bradley's was Jurassic Carl, and he had issues as it was. But Everett was never seen as a guy who didn't make the effort, or who had a fragile ego - both of which Bradley has, and both of which would be an epic disaster in Chicago and on an Ozzie-coached team.

 

No frickin way.

 

[LittleHurt05]

NO

 

close thread

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

To be fair though, Texas liked him and wanted to bring him back. The people over there said he was a great influence on the other players, so it's not like every team thought he was a horrible guy. I think the main points are that Bradley makes a lot of money, he's a DH-only player, he's having a well-anticipated sucky season outside of Texas, and he'd be very, very hard to trade should we get him and look to move him later. The clubhouse issues don't prove a whole lot because again, the guys in Texas loved him. Have a little pity for a guy who has to put on the Cubbie blue about 200 times per year.

[bmags]

Okay, I do care. Bring him on this team. I'm sure he reads message boards, so if he comes on here, I will be a big apologist, and massage his ego. He'll hit like 200 hrs.

[greg775]

Sweet Lou felt the need to try to intimidate Bradley, Bradley hates that. If you talk to the guy on his level, he'll produce and behave.

 

Come on. Are you serious? Lou Piniella has a great reputation.

Lou isn't going to intimidate somebody, anybody, unless they deserve that treatment.

And "Bradley hates that." I'm sure some of the Sox hate when Ozzie tells it like it is as well.

 

I thought this thread would be one big bash on Bradley. Instead some would be in favor of it?

How can anybody think adding this clubhouse wreck would help our team any?

You can polish a turd all you want but a turd will always be a turd.

I agree with the poster who said it probably started when his parents named him Milton. I do feel for him for that one.

[almagest]

Guillen's been as good as any manager at deflecting attention away from his players and to himself. I think if there's any place Bradley could be successful, it's here. I guess it depends on whether the Sox feel he would behave himself. The talent's certainly there, and even though Bradley's having a bit of an off-year, a switch-hitting DH who gets on base a lot and can hit for power is a nice replacement for Thome.

[elrockinMT]

AJ was looked at as a great teammate in MIN, then had one bad year in SF. Not SEVEN BAD STINTS WITH SEVEN TEAMS. And Jenks had off-field problems, not on-field ones. The only player I've seen the Sox take on who had a bad rep that is in the same genre as Bradley's was Jurassic Carl, and he had issues as it was. But Everett was never seen as a guy who didn't make the effort, or who had a fragile ego - both of which Bradley has, and both of which would be an epic disaster in Chicago and on an Ozzie-coached team.

 

No frickin way.

 

 

I agree that AJ was no cancer. He was a competitor who wanted to win-badly. Maybe with Peavy and AJ on the same team it will satrt to rub off in a good way on some of our other players

[NorthSideSox72]

Guillen's been as good as any manager at deflecting attention away from his players and to himself. I think if there's any place Bradley could be successful, it's here. I guess it depends on whether the Sox feel he would behave himself. The talent's certainly there, and even though Bradley's having a bit of an off-year, a switch-hitting DH who gets on base a lot and can hit for power is a nice replacement for Thome.

Ozzie deflects attention away from players who put in the work and don't complain. Bradley is not that guy. Ozzie would hang him in the press, eventually. He doesn't do prima donna players - see Orlando Cabrera, who Ozzie defended at first, but then stopped defending when Orlando caused problems in his clubhouse (not getting into whether that was right or wrong - just that it simply is).

 

[WCSox]

Dude, Bradley has changed clubhouses 7 times, and its about to be 8 times. And its all for the exact same reason, Anger, Anger and more anger. this cat aint changin his stripes. Jurassic Carl looks like a normal person standing next to Bradley.

 

The difference is, AJ was a Major League catcher, which we needed. Carl Everett (the second time) was our DH, which we needed because Frank was out. Floyd was a young SP, which we needed. Jenks was a young, cheap power arm, which we needed. I don't see any hole on this club that Milton Bradley would fill other than DH, because we certainly wouldn't want him in the OF, and why would we want a guy who isn't even hitting for power to be our DH? Why would we want to pay even Linebrink's salary to a guy like that when we could probably get Thome back for the same amount? Besides, Bradley is never healthy for a full season anyway. Thome is a better health bet than Bradley is.

 

Linebrink is a sunk cost. We're better off eating that and hoping we get something out of it on OUR field rather than taking on an even worse contract and expecting that player to perform in an even larger role. At least when Linebrink sucks we can - in theory, not practice when it comes to Ozzie - hide Linebrink's ass as the last man in the pen. But if Bradley sucks for us then we still have to play him every day because if we're paying him that much money then we're not going to be bringing in a real DH as a backup plan. And at least if Linebrink suddenly becomes good again he'll be a player who fits an area of need for other teams, whereas Bradley would be basically untradeable to the entire NL and wouldn't be wanted by at least half the AL because of character issues, or intradivisional issues, or because we simply don't want to help out another contender.

 

It's simple: Bradley-for-Linebrink, like Peavy-for-Zambrano, is just the wishful thinking of Cub fans who still haven't realized that unlike Jim Hendry, our GM is not a complete buffoon. The Cubs gave an assload of money to a career cancer with major health issues who just happened to have a career year in the best hitting environment in baseball. Now they're going to have to pay him to play for someone else. Let's just let those Cubbies enjoy their misery.

 

 

AJ was looked at as a great teammate in MIN, then had one bad year in SF. Not SEVEN BAD STINTS WITH SEVEN TEAMS. And Jenks had off-field problems, not on-field ones. The only player I've seen the Sox take on who had a bad rep that is in the same genre as Bradley's was Jurassic Carl, and he had issues as it was. But Everett was never seen as a guy who didn't make the effort, or who had a fragile ego - both of which Bradley has, and both of which would be an epic disaster in Chicago and on an Ozzie-coached team.

 

No frickin way.

 

^^^

 

I'd rather go 72-90 with Pods or Kotsay at DH than bring a nutcase douche like Bradley into the clubhouse. Remember when Griffey gushed about how the Sox organization had a "family" atmosphere? That attracts free agents and players with no-trade clauses. Let's not mess that up.

 

[Thad Bosley]

Rather than trade anybody with a pulse for "Bad Boy" Milton Bradley, I'd rather we go out and re-sign "Good Guy" Jim Thome for one more year. You'd get all of the OBP that Bradley brings to the table plus more homers and RBIs. That and you'd have arguably the best influence in all of baseball in the clubhouse vs. the worst.

[ThunderBolt]

^^^

 

I'd rather go 72-90 with Pods or Kotsay at DH than bring a nutcase douche like Bradley into the clubhouse.

Wow, that's really sad to hear. Some fan you are.

 

[greg775]

Bradley is the kind of guy who gets GMs fired, just like Jose Guillen should get KC's GM fired.

This is a non issue cause KW won't want this clown in our locker room.

[NorthSideSox72]

^^^

 

I'd rather go 72-90 with Pods or Kotsay at DH than bring a nutcase douche like Bradley into the clubhouse. Remember when Griffey gushed about how the Sox organization had a "family" atmosphere? That attracts free agents and players with no-trade clauses. Let's not mess that up.

I am not saying I want to go 72-90, I am saying that Bradley won't improve your record as a team necessarily, and in fact may hurt it, even if he puts up big numbers. I know lots of people here seem to think baseball is like some video game, but its not - human players have human reactions, and there is a 95% chance that Bradley's emotional issues would throw the clubhouse into a fit, and there is no doubt in my mind that can have serious impact on players' play on the field.

 

Though you are also correct that when you have a good reputation for the clubhouse, it makes sense to protect that, so that you have more available talent.

 

[SoxAce]

I am 50-50 on this.. I'll leave it at that.