The only storyline more worn out this All-Star week than Josh Hamilton’s salvation (who knew heroin was a PED?) is the notion his Texas teammate Milton Bradley was at any point a similar menace to society. The five tool reprobate superstar is at the very least, an unfairly maligned or misunderstood character. Sure, he’s only a few weeks away from attempting to accost a rival team’s broadcaster during the middle of a game, but who amongst us hasn’t fantasized about commandeering the Yankee Stadium service elevator and taking a pop at Michael Kay?
That said, Bradley is thoroughly deserving of the starting DH nod tonight for Terry Francona’s AL squad, and quick to point out to the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes that any blogging to carry the M.B. byline is his work alone (link swiped from Repoz and Baseball Think Factory).
“I don’t know where it went wrong,” said Bradley, referring to his relationship with Indians manager Eric Wedge. “I had a great relationship with Wedge in Triple-A. When you become a big-league manager, maybe you have different responsibilities.”
“I don’t know if he had a format as to what he wanted everybody to be. It seemed he wanted everybody to be clones of each other. I’m not that type of guy.”
Bradley has had problems with fans, managers and teammates during his career. Why is he always in the center of the storm?
“I’ve never been apologetic enough,” he said. “I’ve never said, ‘I’m so sorry, what can I do to make things better? Come on in and I’ll answer any question you’ve got.’
Bradley’s blog leading up to the All-Star Game has received good reviews.
“It’s a chance for people to see my words from my standpoint,” he said. “I read a couple of comments that people didn’t believe I wrote it. I couldn’t understand that. I did go to high school. I did take advanced classes and graduated with a 3.7 grade-point average. I took the SAT one time and scored an 1,120. I’m not an idiot.
“I was told to express my sentiments and how I felt. I did the best way I know how.”