Milton Bradley's ESPN Interview: An In-Depth Look

This article was originally published at TheDailyCub.com , my blog covering all things Chicago Cubs.

Let’s take a look at an alternate universe, one where nobody ever has to take accountability, then gets to do an interview on a major network without being asked about your play.

It’s a world where, if you screw up, the world is just against you. It’s not your fault. Why should you take the blame when people are trying to hold you down?

This is the world that former-Cub Milton Bradley lives in, and he has been showing it to the world the past week, with an interview with ESPN’s Colleen Dominguez.

Let’s take a look at this interview comment by comment from Milton Bradley.

Quote: “Well I mean, unless you go out there and you’re Superman. You know, you’re Andre Dawson, you’re Ernie Banks, you’re Hall of Fame. You know know, then, it’s going to be tough.

“I got the same mail, you know, LaTroy (Hawkins) probably got, the same mail Jacque (Jones) got. Every time I got mail I handed it to the PR guy and said ‘Here it goes.’

“It got to the point where I didn’t even have to open up the letter to know what it was. I could see it from the envelope.”

Analysis: Yes, Milton. The major reason is race, and look at these other two examples of disappointing Chicago Cubs players as proof.

What he’s really disappointed about is that Cubs fans didn’t give his magic a chance as a way to embrace him despite his struggles on the field.

I mean, being able to read mail without opening it, that’s magic on Chris Angel’s level. In fact, when he threw that ball up in the stands despite there only being two outs, he was actually performing a magic trick, we just didn’t let him finish.

Quote: “I’ve never got hate mail. I got it in LA (Los Angeles), I got it in Oakland, and I got it in Chicago. And never anywhere else.”

Analysis: Exactly, it’s not like those three stints made up half of your career. And it’s also not like you just contradicted yourself completely in about 15 seconds.

Quote: “You really think that something’s going to take place. I’ve had bottles thrown at me, um, you really think it’s going to be something worse. You’re kind of on the field, you know, not feeling comfortable.”

Analysis: I now exactly how you feel, and when you keep saying “you know,” it really hits home, you know.

And I’m really curious on what that “something worse” that Milton says he fears of. Is it just upping what gets thrown at him, or is he saying it is on the line of assassination?

Because if it’s just a different ballpark snack, who cares, if it’s an assassination attempt, why would he even take the field, you know.

I commend Milton for his bravery, it takes great heart to show up everyday despite having people trying to kill him at every game, just waiting for the right moment.

Quote: “I was pretty much a prisoner in my own home. You know, I pretty much stayed home, ordered in every day, never went anywhere.

“I went out one time when a buddy of mine came in to visit right before the All-Star break and I go to a restaurant and I hear a guy badmouthing myself and (Alfonso) Soriano.

“Saying how terrible we were and we didn’t deserve anything and we should go back to the ghetto where we came from and that kind of stuff.”

Analysis: Again, risking threat of death to show his friend a good time, Bradley’s bravery is commendable.

As for hearing that one person saying that Bradley and Soriano should just go back to the ghetto because they weren’t worth anything, all of Chicago is now lumped into this one fan.

Sorry Chicago, but because of him, you are all racist people who hate black people (although Soriano is Dominican).

Quote: “I fear more for the people around me, I don’t worry about myself too much. I’m going to be alright.”

Analysis: Give this man a statue, vote him into office, he deserves to be honored every way possible.

Quote: “I worried about my family, I worried about my kids. The worst part that was the last straw was when I found out that my kid had been called derogatory name at school, you know.

“Three-year-olds shouldn’t be called names, that comes strait from the home. And when we had a meeting with the school and we met with the parents, you know, the parents totally denied it. But, you know, that comes from the home.”

Analysis: I know exactly what you mean. These parents are just trying to deny that their kid did any wrong-doing, and people like that are the lowest scum of society.

Also, that kid must also hate Milton Bradley, because that’s the only way that it should be involved in an interview about sports, you know, because this interview is sports related.

Quote: “In that first at bat, bases loaded, big situation you know. Adam Wainright on the mound for the Cardinals, throws me, you know, a good curveball down and in, a ball. But I get rung up on it and react. I react, you know, never curse, never call the umpire his name, but I get ejected.”

Analysis: First off, the umpire was already decidedly racist because he called that close pitch a ball instead of a strike. If you weren’t swayed by the bad call, the fact that he threw you out of the game after you yelled in his face proves it.

Quote: “I have a painting, I have it in my house. It’s of a guy in the '60s holding a sign that says ‘I am a man.’ It’s important to me because when you get into this game, you start playing, you know, people give you a check, and they think, you know, you’re a slave.

“They tell you what to do. Move, jump, stuff like that, and to a certain extent they can, but I’m a man first and you’ll respect me just like you’d respect anyone else.”

Analysis: AMEN. First off, that painting sounds just powerful. Secondly, you are a man Milton Bradley, and I’m behind you 100 percent.

They can’t make you their slave just because they pay you $7,000,000 to hit .257 and 12 home runs. Those guys like Lou Piniella are taking you for granted, if only you could show those guys and go make $7.50 an hour bagging groceries.

Those guys have it made.

Quote: “I take it all in stride [Piniella calling him a ‘Piece of sh*t’]. You know, the next day he called me into his office and wanted to apologize.

“You know I felt, you know, he put me on blast, called me out in front of everybody, you can apologize in front of everybody. He didn’t chose to go that route, but I accepted his apology nonetheless. Because as a Christian, that’s what you do.

“You know I don’t have time to hold grudges against people. You know, I’ve got enough stuff I got to deal with.”

Analysis: You are completely correct Milton. Even though that sh*thead Piniella did that to you, why hold a grudge. Just wait a couple months and talk about how Lou was wrong on ESPN.

If any of you couldn’t understand, I was being completely sarcastic. I think Milton was being a complete idiot throughout all of his time with the Cubs, and he has done so throughout his time in the majors.

Good luck Seattle Mariners, you are going to need it.

I’m Joe W.