If someone has pneumonia - nobody says - "Oh, quit your whining - cough up that phlegm and get back to work."
Actually, the Ms did say that to Carlos Guillen, who managed to post a better offensive season than most of Jack Wilson's while suffering from TUBERCULOSIS.
Can't imagine why he doesn't like us.
I'm glad these Mariners are not those Mariners. One of the important tests of this Bradley/Mariners relationship was in how we would handle him once he blew up about something.
We're handling him fine. He might actually grow up a little here nearer the end of his career. It's a hard thing to do to acknowledge your problems and deal with them. Would I prefer that he was a mentally healthy and productive ballplayer?
Yep.
Do I think getting him mentally healthy might help him in the lineup? Maybe.
Do I think it sends a good message that Bradley does not get to walk roughshod over the management of this team, but ALSO that they can deal with him in a productive way instead of the acrimony and bitterness that happened in Chicago?
Yeah, it does. Wak may do some things in game management that I don't like but the guy is absolutely someone who seems to have the respect and admiration of his players. More like a certain ex-coach for the Eagles and Rams than a ball-buster. I'm all right with that. Vermeil won a ton of games with a soft touch and a sharp mind.
I hope Bradley gets his head on straight. I hope he can contribute to the Ms becoming a winning organization on the field again (and I would caution Doc not to credit the Ms with an excess of winning a la John Wooden before they actually DO win).
But the org DOES seem to be in far better hands than its Bavasi/Hargrove times. That's very gratifying to see.
~G