Can’t really blame Bradley for feeling underappreciated
By JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star
Milton Bradley is not crazy. He’s underappreciated.
That’s what set him off Wednesday night when he overheard Ryan Lefebvre’s television comments suggesting that Rangers teammate Josh Hamilton should be Bradley’s “role model.” Bradley left the visiting clubhouse and attempted to confront Lefebvre in the TV booth.
No disrespect to Josh Hamilton — he’s a wonderful story of redemption — but I don’t blame Bradley for feeling as if he doesn’t need a recovering drug addict as a role model. It was a poor, well-intentioned analogy by Lefebvre.
“Here’s a guy, with all the troubles he’s had, has shown that if you work at it, you can get your life back in order,” Lefebvre said on the telecast Wednesday, referring to Hamilton. “And that would be a pretty good role model for Milton Bradley, who clearly has no control over himself, because it’s the same thing year after year. This game, this country, really if you follow baseball, has really embraced Josh Hamilton. I think they’ve wanted to do the same with Milton Bradley, but Milton Bradley has refused to allow himself to be put in that position.”
Lefebvre is right. As far as we know, Bradley hasn’t fallen into drug addiction, recovered and been celebrated as the next George W. Bush, a former member of the Rangers organization who struggled with alcohol and rebounded to become president of the United States.
Again, Hamilton’s story is one that should be shouted from the rooftops. What he’s accomplishing is extremely difficult, and we need role models for people with all kinds of addictions. But, based on what we know about Bradley, he isn’t an addict. He’s a talented, moody outfielder/designated hitter coming back from an ACL knee injury.
That’s not an easy road, either. And Bradley has put together a terrific, All-Star-caliber season at a time when most people thought he would not make it back mentally from the boneheaded umpire confrontation that ruined his knee. Bradley has a story, too.
Batting No. 4, right behind Hamilton, Bradley (.333) is swinging the fourth-hottest bat in the majors. He has every right to feel partly responsible for the MVP numbers Hamilton is posting.
Bradley also has a right to feel ignored. He’s enjoying the best season of his career, and no one seems to take notice or care. Rangers teammates Hamilton, Ian Kinsler and Michael Young are all outperforming Bradley in All-Star fan voting.
Nope. When it comes to Milton Bradley, all people want to talk about are his temper tantrums and Hamilton’s sobriety.
Lefebvre did both within earshot of Bradley. You can understand why Bradley was offended, without condoning his reaction. Like every athlete, Bradley has an ego that wants to be fed. It’s not happening in Texas this season. He’s a sidebar to Hamilton, a situation Bradley has grudgingly accepted.
He’s not, however, going to tolerate being told by someone he’s never met that Hamilton should be his role model. That’s a bad joke. It’s an unintended insinuation that Bradley’s moodiness is related to a chemical dependency.
When I heard about Lefebvre’s comments, I immediately called two friends and asked whether Bradley had a drug problem.
In Lefebvre’s defense, he’s doing live TV and used Hamilton as an example without ever considering that anyone would misconstrue the intent of his comments, which was: Bradley could be just as beloved as Hamilton, if Bradley would carry himself on the field in a more professional manner.
To reach Jason Whitlock, call 816-234-4869 or send e-mail to jwhitlock@kcstar.com. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.
