How Much of a Liability Is Milton Bradley for the Mariners?

Bradley might have said it best himself:

""If I was a musician, I'd be Kanye West. If I was in the NBA, I'd be Ron Artest. In baseball, they've got Milton Bradley. I'm that guy. You need people like me, so you can point your finger and go, 'There goes the bad guy.'""

The last part of the phrase is obviously a reference to one of film's most notorious 'bad guys,' Tony 'Scarface' Montana. Bradley hasn't been linked to any international drug-trafficking or multiple-homicides, but he has been one of the most notorious players of recent MLB history.

As a Mariner, he is playing for his eighth team in 11 years. He was already thrown out from two of the three spring training games last week - one of the ejections he still sees as comical. He was the one who last season blamed the city of Chicago for the ball club's woes, calling the fans racists.

His career numbers have been streaky at best. Seattle is hoping for some consistency as far as production. But one thing is for sure, Bradley's attitude won't change:

""I had a teammate last year who said if I ever change, he'd kick my [rear]. So I'm not changing. Everybody is not going to love you, no matter how you treat other people, no matter what you say. [I] never say anything bad about anybody. Somebody is always going to have something bad to say about you.""

Will his antics be too much of a liability for the club? Can manager Don Wakamatsu and others keep Bradley in line?

Wakamatsu defends his new man:

“To me, it's almost like a witch hunt. It's almost embarrassing to me that egos get in the way and [Bradley] doesn't even get a chance. It's pretty blatant that some guys have it out for him.”

Hometown reporters are willing to tolerate him, as long as he is producing. Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times remarks:

“I have no doubt Bradley is sincere in what he's saying. He shoots from the hip with a real degree of honesty. For better or worse. And do you know what? If Bradley can carry the middle of the order for this team and lead it to the post-season, he'll own Seattle the way Scarface ruled Miami.”

Gerry Spratt of Seattle PI mimics the sentiment with his pop culture reference:

“Bradley is playing for his eighth team in 11 seasons, so he hasn't exactly been blacklisted from the game. Then again, Kanye still sells plenty of albums. Maybe even to Taylor Swift fans. As long as Bradley keeps turning out the hits, he can get away with being who he is. It works for Kanye West.”

Drew Silva of NBC / Rotoworld might have the most realistic approach:

“[Wakamatsu's] conspiracy talk may be overdoing it, but it's pretty evident...Bradley's reputation is going to leave him with little leeway in arguments no matter the jersey he is wearing.  He needs to be careful this season, because we're sure...[the] team will quickly tire of defending his actions.”

Then of course, what is baseball without its fans. And most of them are displeased with what Bradley has done over his career, leaving eight different teams in the dust. Commenter krock6764 doesn't mince words on USA Today's Daily Pitch Blog:

“You're a punk Bradley. First ballot inductee in the A-hole Hall of Shame.”

The best line of the entire issue might go to SlyFox1908 on ESPN, however:

“Yo, Milton, I'm really happy for you, and I'mma let you finish, but Terrell Owens is the best distraction of all time!”

The jury is still out for Bradley in Seattle. Their re-signing of Ken Griffey Jr. might help by having a veteran presence in the club house, especially since Milton has expressed the respect he has had for Junior over the years. Odds are that Bradley will find a way to get himself in trouble, though. It will likely be about damage control, and keeping focus on Bradley's production in the middle of the line-up. That focus is three-faceted: on the field, in the media, and in the fan base. If Wakamatsu and the Seattle management team can do that, Bradley's contribution will likely be greater than that of Carlos Silva, the man whom he was traded to replace.

How much of a liability is Milton Bradley for the Mariners?