Agamemnon:  "We can't control Achilles!  He's as likely to fight US as the Trojans!"

Sage:  We don't need to control him.  We need to UNLEASH him!

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Q.  Is it possible to draw a bead on the Milton Bradley template, without personally knowing the man?

A.  In my opinion, yes, if you've spent some time in the sort of place in which Bradley grew up, the Bradley personality is not unfamiliar.

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Q.  Is that PC?

A.  Bradley did in fact grow up in LA's inner city environment.  We'll leave out a characterization of what that environment is like :- ) beyond the TV cliches, and just note that Bradley has a background that he resents. He's got a lot of chips on his shoulder, and IMHO will have them until his last day.

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Q.  Is Bradley like Carl Everett?

A.  Not at all. 

Everett's baggage, though real, was overstated because the media didn't like his politics.  Everett typically got along fairly well with his teammates, in the periods around the explosions. 

Milton Bradley's baggage is downplayed, for reasons that are the inverse of Everett's.

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Q.  Is Bradley like Erik Bedard?

A.  My fave post today was by G-Money, pointing out that if you just don't hassle Erik Bedard, then you'll be fine.  To a great extent that's the key with a Bradley type.

That said, Erik Bedard likes people pretty much..  Yes, you read that right.   He gets easily frustrated by silliness.  But, though he's introverted, he gets along fine with people who act like adults.

Come to think of it, is there any way to put Bedard in the 3B clubhouse and Bradley in the 1B clubhouse... we don't really need the two coming to blows because Bradley saw Erikkkk roll his eyes.

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Q.  Can Wok and Zduriencik smooth things out?

A.  Let's not forget that 28 other teams wanted zero to do with an 8.0 RC/27 outfielder.

Bradley's issues can't be minimized.   When nobody -- with modern pro sports the way it is?! -- will touch a great player, that's because he's even way out past the Albert Belles and Everetts of the game.

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Can't tell you how amazed we are with Zduriencik.  Here is one more brass stud in the stock of his buffalo rifle.  The 'width' of his managing resume just expanded by 25%.

We all thought that Zduriencik wanted Boy Scouts.  Instead, he wants players who are there to beat down the pesky rodent Angels (of which the Russell Branyan personality is one type).  Milton Bradley is definitely that.

I had no idea that Capt Jack had the Oakland Raiders arrow in his quiver, but apparently he is confident that he does. 

I'm starting to become really amazed by the man. 

Not because he acquired wins at $1.7m per this winter -- the key to that, ironically, was trading prospects for club-controls ML stars, precisely the thing Bavasi was mocked for.  Any GM can acquire cheap wins if he offloads glam prospects for ML vets about to walk.  That's not the key to Zduriencik's virtuosity, and it's not fair to laud Zduriencik for it, considering the three years we just spent bashing Bill Bavasi for the same thing.

But Zduriencik deserves our admiration because every time Zduriencik makes a deal, you see the inspiration behind it.  After.  He's two steps ahead of us on everything.

Which is what you'd expect from somebody with more training than us.  But you don't always get it :- )

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Part 2