I began the season predicted a Milton Bradley meltdown by May 15th. Moved that up (I think) to May 1st, then back to June 1st, then back up to May 15th. There it has sat the last couple of weeks. I jiggled it around a bit based on Meltdown's...er...Milton's perceived mind set and PA production.
I think I posted all of those predictions. I moved it up lately because I felt that because he was struggling and the team was struggling Bradley would revert to Bradley. Leopard's don't change their spots was how I put it, IIRC.
Last night saw that meltdown. I made it with a good 10 days to spare. You know the old line about "losing doesn't build character, it reveals it," well, the true M. Bradley is now in town.
Dr. Jekyll has now become Mr. Hyde.
For what this can do to team chemistry, be afraid, be very afraid.
I'm already longing for even somebody like a Bad Wlad, or a Charlton Jimerson, or a Jeremy Reed...or even a Loopy Saunders to come in a play LF!
Mostly I want Tui.
And is Bucky Jacobsen still around? Can he come in a play 1B? Pleeeeze!
moethedog
He exhibits all the classic symptoms of clinical depression and talk therapy (which he's received for several years now with all of his various organizations to try to control his emotions) isn't working. It's time to try something else.
...you soud rather pleased with yourself in this post. Perhaps that was not the intention...but proclaiming victory here is quite despicable, IMHO. Bradley didn't erupt like you were predicting...he imploded internally, taking no one with him at all but himself. A distraction, he surely is, but don't rewrite history and claim you nailed this prediction...you didn't. He hasn't even been ejected from a regular season game yet...let alone said anything to the media to draw their ire. He's been nothing but positive about Seattle and the team has been nothing but positive about him (aside from the flipping the bird incident)...he's dealing with a mental illness.
And to gloat about that...I find that offensive.
Of what this can do to team chemistry, that is.
It might be the thing that brings the team together. What was the catalyst for team togetherness last season? Mostly, it was the dark cloud from the previous season being lifted. It wasn't Griffey alone, or Wak alone, or any one person or group of people. It was those people being airlifted in to an oppressive situation, and making it light. It was a massive sigh of relief.
Milton Bradley may be the squall that tests everyone's mettle early in the journey. Maybe they come out stronger and better on the other side.
I'm here to testify that between Zduriencik and Wakamatsu the M's have the ability to manage this where other teams did not. They have a rare set of people skills and beliefs that will make this NOT kill team chemistry. They will not let it fester. They will not be overly indulgent of one player. They will have compassion. They will put the org above everything, while giving Milton the help and support they can reasonably offer.
That's my read on it. They COULD cut Milton at any time and 'solve' the problem. And Jack will do it in a heartbeat. But the compassion they show Milton (tough love?) will be seen by the other players as a CREDIT to the organization. Until such time as the other players see it otherwise. When that time comes, Milton will be cut.
I'm just wowed by the M's current managment and their people management skills. I think they're special, and I think we'll see in time how that manifests itself.
Surprising post from you SABRMatt, considering it's not uncommon for you to gloat about your own correct prognostications.
1) I never gloat about HUMAN MISERY AND MENTALL ILLNESS
2) I only gloat when I'm actually correct. Moe was WRONG in his prediction, as I explained...but he's claiming victory.
glmuskie, I think there is something to what you have said, especially in consideration of the way this has been handled this afternoon by Wak and Z. Z's comments tonight were dead on, and it seems that a DL stint or similar may be coming (I think I could read that between the lines). It may pull this team even closer. And if Bradley did make the phone call this morning then I'll give him credit. But all in all, this guy is a difficulty for any team.
Matt,
It was a meltdown. I don't know what else you would call it. "Quitting" (as it seems happened) in the middle of a game, for a professional and not a twelve year old little leaguer, is indeed a meltdown. Heck, it is probably a meltdown for a twelve year old. Am I gloating? Nope. I wish it wasn't to this point because I wish the M's hadn't ever made the move to bring in "Bad News" Bradley. Did I call this correctly.? Yep! Was I lucky in that it happened pretty near to when I thought it might happen? Perhaps.
I never predicted that he would get in a fight with a teammate or rip into a bystanding journalist. I just said he would melt down. I may have said that a water cooler might suffer. If I didn't say that I surely thought it. And I assure you that I'm not gloating at his mental issues. He is certainly fighting his personal demons. But this kind of episode was perfectly predictable. The M's clubhouse may be the most feel-good clubhouse in the majors, it is certainly up near the top, if all accounts are correct. Bradley still couldn't avoid a collapse. He's a major league liability.
He has problems. I wish him good luck. I wish the Mariners weren't paying him $12M to be a problem.
moethedog
"Bad News Bradley" and call him "Meltdown"...and the entire point of your post was to go: "See???? I told you so!!!" then yes...you are clearly gloating.
My point is...even if you correctly predict that a player is going to melt down, if you get the prediction right but for the wrong reason...then you weren't right...you were LUCKY. You weren't predicting Bradley would melt down because he was depressed and needed medical attention...you were predicting Bradley would melt down because "leopards don't change their spots and this guy is bad for a clubhouse"...that's not the same thing. You didn't have a good read on Bradley's personality at all...you just got lucky.
...of how you define "meltdown", you're oversimplifying things. Here is an article shedding some light on what's going on. After reading that, I'm more than willing to let the team work things through with him.
The second part of that article - discussing his day at Lakeridge Elementary - actually brought tears to my eyes. You never hear that side of Bradley and now I just really feel for him and hope he can fid some way to beat his demons on the field and get back to having fun.
...we might look back on this day as the one where Bradley really DID change...the very same day Moe proclaimed victory for believing that leopards never change their spots.
People change EVERY DAY. People are constantly evolving...for some, the process of changing is harder than for others, and no doubt, Bradley is one of those people whose cross to bear is enormously burdensome. But this mantra that I keep hearing that people can't change...it's complete malarchy...if people couldn't change, I would most likely be dead by now...that's where I may have been heading eight years ago when I hit bottom and decided I had to confront my problems.
Bradley is now my favorite Mariner. I don't even care what he does from here on out on the ballfield.