[Indianplaya17]

SEATTLE -- From slumping slugger to would-be bunter to restored basher and recipient of a cold, celebratory beer shower -- all in mere minutes. Milton Bradley finally got his true welcome to the Seattle Mariners.

And baseball's self-proclaimed bad boy loved it.

"Just having fun. That's all they've been doing since I got here. It's a welcome change," Bradley said of his eighth team in 11 major league seasons dousing him in suds late Tuesday night.

Bradley was the life of Seattle's party after hitting a three-run homer in the eighth inning to power his new team to a much-needed 3-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

"A great night for Milton," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said. "That couldn't have been better timed."

Bradley began the day in a 1-for-22 rut. His team of high expectations was 2-6 and hadn't scored in 20 innings before he went deep.

It was the 31-year-old's first homer to give his team a lead in the seventh inning or later since Sept. 22, 2006, when he was with the A's.

A few days ago, Wakamatsu sat Bradley down after the mercurial left fielder flipped off fans during the fourth inning Friday night at Texas. The manager said Bradley "opened up" to him that he was feeling pressure to carry his new teammates as their cleanup hitter.

Wakamatsu told Bradley to "rely on us" more. He also lessened some of the burden by moving Bradley down two spots in the batting order.

Jose Lopez started the decisive rally with his third hit. Then Brad Ziegler (0-2) walked Mike Sweeney. Bradley showed bunt on the first, low pitch -- his idea.

Ziegler wasn't buying it.

"They didn't [trade for] him to move runners over in the eighth inning," he said.

After the bunt show, Wakamatsu motioned to Bradley from the dugout to wait for a pitch higher toward the strike zone "and whack it."

"He listened to me," Wakamatsu said with wry smile.

Two pitches later, Bradley golfed Ziegler's low fastball five rows into the right-field bleachers. As he stepped on home plate following his second homer of the season, Bradley raised both hands above his head. He pressed his palms together and jabbed them toward the sky.

"Don't read anything into that. That's personal," Bradley said of the celebration.

"If you keep working hard, talent is going to surpass bad luck."

Doug Fister (1-1) threw eight crisp innings for the Mariners, allowing three hits and walking one. It was the longest outing in the majors for the 26-year-old right-hander, who began last season as a Double-A reliever. It was also the longest outing this season for a Seattle rotation that has struggled without injured left-hander Cliff Lee.

David Aardsma finished the three-hitter for his third save in three chances. Bradley went 2 for 4 to raise his average to .115.

Brett Anderson struck out six in six innings for Oakland, allowing six hits and walking two. He hasn't allowed a run in 12 innings over two starts this season, both against Seattle.

The Mariners left runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings before Bradley came through against one of his seven former teams.

"We needed one thing to spark us," Fister said. "That's what tonight was. We just needed a little momentum, and that's what we've got."

Game notes
Mariners pitching coach Rick Adair said Lee (strained abdomen) looked great during a 63-pitch bullpen session. The 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner is expected to make his season debut May 1 or 2, pending Wednesday's hearing on his appeal of a five-game suspension for throwing over the head of Arizona's Chris Snyder in a spring game. ... A's manager Bob Geren said he was hopeful 2B Mark Ellis would play Wednesday. Ellis missed the first two games of the series with a hamstring strain from Sunday's game at the Los Angeles Angels.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=300413112

[Sven]

Didn't you guys hate him?

[RyGuy]

He won't make it the whole season without at least one suspension.

[clarkaddison]

SEATTLE -- Milton Bradley's return as Seattle's cleanup hitter lasted six innings and two strikeouts. Then, Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu removed the angry slugger from Tuesday night's loss to Tampa Bay.

The self-proclaimed Kanye West of baseball wasn't in the stadium immediately after Seattle's fourth straight loss. Multiple Mariners say Bradley was furious for leaving a 3-1 game following his second strikeout looking against James Shields, with the bases loaded in the sixth.

Multiple Mariners said Bradley's mindset late Tuesday night was "not good," though Wakamatsu deflected thoughts of an incident with a fiery former All-Star who is on his eighth team in 10 seasons.

"We just felt at that time, what went on with the two strikeouts, it was time to get him out of the ballgame," Wakamatsu said following the 5-2 loss. "It was just time to get him out."

Bradley went 0 for 3 batting cleanup for the first since April 9, when he was in the middle of a 1-for-22 debut for Seattle.

He and Wakamatsu were due to appear along with Ken Griffey Jr., Ichiro Suzuki and Mike Sweeney at an elementary school Wednesday afternoon for the Mariners' annual education day in the Seattle community.

Bradley's benching was just one of many blights on yet another dismal night for a suddenly wayward team, one that has been expecting its first postseason since 2001. The Mariners lost for the fourth consecutive time at home by wasting yet another strong pitching performance. This time, Jason Vargas allowed four hits in 6 2/3 innings.

How bad have Seattle's fans soured on the Mariners' offense? The crowd of 14,589 -- the second-lowest in Safeco Field's 10-year history -- booed after Griffey, their 40-year-old civic icon, swung over a pitch from Shields that skimmed the dirt. That ended the "rally" in the sixth and kept the home team down 3-1.

Griffey was 0 for 4 with an RBI groundout in the ninth. He is batting .210 and has one extra-base hit in 19 games.

Seattle's latest embarrassment came after Wakamatsu held an afternoon meeting to stress better fundamentals from his hitters.

They have scored six runs in their last four games, and 88 in 26 games, the fewest in the American League. They have nine home runs all season, tied with Houston for fewest in the major leagues.

That is why Bradley was back batting cleanup Tuesday, because Wakamatsu said the 2008 All-Star with Texas is the one Mariners player best suited for the fourth spot, with potential for power and run production.

When he pulled him out of the cleanup spot last month, the manager said Bradley was putting too much pressure on himself to carry the team.

"If he struggles in that situation, we'll change it again," Wakamatsu said before the game.

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said Monday he's been making a "tremendous" amount of phone calls in search of another hitter, but other teams are not offering because the trade market had yet to open.

"I expect something to happen. I don't know when. It might not happen now. It might not happen for a month from now," Zduriencik said.

"I'm certainly aware of what our strengths and weaknesses are on this club."

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5163297

[clarkaddison]

Milton Bradley was heard saying "Im packing my bags, im outta here!" after the game. He needs to retire. He is having problems every where he goes.

Milton, your NOT good. Your just a distraction and your outbursts just cover up the fact that you are horrible.

[Indianplaya17]

LOL @ MILTON!!! SUCK A FAT ONE, MILTY.

[McClunger]

Hopefully Seattle shapes up. They can't afford to drive Milton away after everything they invested to get him.

[Macha Man]

If he can't make it this time, not sure he'll get another chance. Understandable in a big city market like Chicago, some players just can't deal with that environment. But Seattle is a lot more laid back area, less attention on him from the media.

[Indianplaya17]

IMO, he's doing this so he can get attention. In big markets, he's overexposed but in small markets he's not getting enough attention.

[Indianplaya17]

SEATTLE -- Milton Bradley has asked the Seattle Mariners management for help in dealing with personal issues and is not likely to play much in the coming days.

Bradley was not in the starting lineup on Wednesday night against Tampa Bay, a day after he left the stadium following his benching by manager Don Wakamatsu.

General manager Jack Zduriencik says Bradley met with Wakamatsu and Zduriencik on Wednesday morning and told the pair "I need your help." Zduriencik says the team will do whatever it can to help Bradley.

Bradley told the Mariners management that his issues have put him in a position where he can't compete the way he expects and that "It's been a long time coming."

Ryan Langerhans is listed as the starter in left field and is batting seventh.

Bradley was yanked from Tuesday night's 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay after striking out in the sixth inning. He was not in the stadium immediately after the game and his mindset was described as not good. Bradley spoke earlier Wednesday at a Seattle elementary school and gave an emotional speech. His teammates at the event rallied around him.

Bradley stood before students and teachers at Lakeridge Elementary school in south Seattle and openly discussed what motivates him.

Baseball's self-described bad boy recalled coming home as a child to his mother in Long Beach, Calif., and described her sorting through bills. She put the bills she could pay in one pile and those she couldn't in another.

The 32-year-old Mariners slugger said with shrugs "that was my motivation" to become a major league player.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5166152

[RyGuy]

Yeah, he'll be done soon. Hey, if you don't want to keep playing, just retire. I keep hearing how he's such a good guy at heart. Well, he's a jackass who is a below average player with huge baggage.

I mean, what kind of team would give him a big contract?

Oh. Yeah.

[cubbiefan009]

What a fucking idiot! This guy NEVER stops...grow a fucking pair and man-up. You suck! Thanks, Seattle.

[Indianplaya17]

SEATTLE -- Milton Bradley was placed on the restricted list by the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, a day after asking the team for help in dealing with "emotional stress" from personal issues.

Seattle recalled outfielder Michael Saunders from Triple-A Tacoma to fill Bradley's roster spot.

While on the restricted list, Bradley cannot be in uniform or with the team. He will miss at least five days -- and manager Don Wakamatsu said he won't go on the Mariners' eight-game road trip that begins next Tuesday in Baltimore.

But general manager Jack Zduriencik said the team opted for the restricted list instead of placing Bradley on the 15-day disabled list. Zduriencik said it's expected Bradley will be away from the club for "five, six, seven days for sure," and then the situation will be re-evaluated.

"The process has started. We're together with Milton and his agency group and we're forming a partnership to help him get through this thing," Zduriencik said. "The timeframe has yet to be determined. I don't know the answer to this because I'm not a professional in this field."

The moves came a day after Bradley met with Wakamatsu and Zduriencik and asked for help in dealing with his issues. The 32-year-old arrived at Safeco Field on Wednesday morning and told the leaders of his eighth team in 10 seasons, "I need your help."

That startling admission came after Bradley became angry for striking out twice on Tuesday night and Wakamatsu removed him from a close game in the sixth inning because the manager thought he wasn't fit to play anymore. Bradley left the stadium soon after. Several Mariners players described his mindset Tuesday night as "not good."

Wakamatsu said before Thursday night's game that Bradley met with a counselor earlier in the afternoon and all reports indicated the session went well.

The 32-year-old Bradley publicly blamed Chicago's fans and media for running him out of that city following his failed season with the Cubs in 2009. He already had run-ins this season, flipping off a fan during a game in Texas in the midst of a 1-for-21 start.

Bradley has repeatedly said that he feels enormous pressure to produce for the Mariners and that he is enjoying the atmosphere and his teammates in Seattle.

Bradley is batting .214 with two home runs and 12 RBIs in 21 games. He was in street clothes in the clubhouse on Thursday before the moves were made, speaking briefly with Ken Griffey Jr. and sitting quietly at his locker.

"We're just happy we're going down this road right now and getting him some help," Wakamatsu said.

Zduriencik said he was in contact with Major League Baseball on how best to handle Bradley's situation, finally determining the restricted list was the best move.

"I do not know the length of time this will take. Certainly we hope it's sooner than later," Zduriencik said. "I hope that we're not involved in this thing for a lengthy, lengthy period of time. I don't think that will be the case. I think we'll see some headway in a period of time and we'll move forward with it."

Saunders slumped at the start of the season at Tacoma, but rebounded with seven hits in his last four games to raise his average to .200. He hit .221 in 46 games with the Mariners last season.

Wakamatsu also said shortstop Jack Wilson was only available in an emergency Thursday night after injuring his right knee running out a bunt single on Wednesday night. Wakamatsu said Wilson is day to day.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5169446

[Indianplaya17]

5-7 days away wont cure "MILTON BRADLEY". He's a nut case and shouldn't be playing baseball. He needs some psychological help.

[Indianplaya17]

Former Chicago Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley said he followed general manager Jim Hendry's call for self-examination as he tried to get help for dealing with pressure and anger issues.

"When Jim Hendry told me to look in the mirror, I did," Bradley told ESPN.com's Elizabeth Merrill. "That was a guy who gave me a big contract and instilled a lot of trust and belief in me. I never disrespected Jim, and things didn't work out. I know he had insurmountable pressure on him as well. He had to do what he had to do. When he said it, I just didn't blow it off. I took it to heart, and it weighed on me. And I'm doing what I've got to do."

Hendry traded Bradley to the Seattle Mariners for pitcher Carlos Silva and cash during the offseason one year into a three-year, $30 million contract.

During an interview with ESPN's Colleen Dominguez in March, Bradley described the atmosphere in Chicago as so negative that he felt like a prisoner in his own home because he didn't want to venture out. He also talked about the difficulties he perceived for African-American players in Chicago, unless they were the caliber of Ernie Banks or Andre Dawson.

Bradley also talked about receiving hate mail with no postage mark, and when asked if he thought it had come from within the organization, Bradley said: "I would hope not, but ... who knows? I don't know. I don't even care to know."

Those comments prompted what turned out to be apparently well-received words of advice from Hendry.

"That's absolutely ridiculous," Hendry said in March. "That couldn't be farther from the truth. I think it's time maybe Milton looked at himself in the mirror. It is what it is. He didn't swing the bat; he didn't get the job done. His production was the only negative, or lack of."

Bradley returned to the Mariners -- his eighth team in 11 seasons -- on Wednesday after missing 2½ weeks to undergo counseling.

Bradley, who batted .257 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs with the Cubs, said he contemplated seeking help during his one tumultuous season in Chicago.

"I wanted to take some time out, get my thoughts together, and just speak to someone and get an understanding from somebody unbiased," Bradley told ESPN.com. "But you can't really do that in Chicago. There's just too much going on."

In his first extensive interview since seeking counseling earlier this month, Bradley told ESPN.com that the intense pressure he put on himself to perform led to thoughts of suicide, and that his breaking point came on the night of May 4, when he left Safeco Field before a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays was in the books.

"That night when I kind of left here," Bradley says, "I didn't know where I was going or where I was at. I didn't know what was going to happen. I just wanted to do something right, you know? Just one time. Like when I hit that [game-winning] home run against the A's [in April] and I finally came through. You don't know how long I was searching for that last year. I just want to hold my own.

"A lot of responsibility has been thrust on me, and I just want to come through."

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/n ... id=5214847

[Indianplaya17]

SEATTLE -- Milton Bradley arrived in Seattle this winter distrusting the world.

Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu could see that. He knew Bradley was joining his eighth team in 10 years. He knew many people saw the mercurial slugger as baseball's bad guy. And after suspensions and repeated run-ins with umpires and his own teams, Bradley himself believed he was fulfilling that bad-boy role.

Wakamatsu also knew he needed a cleanup hitter with power to boost an offense that was a liability for a team hoping to win an American League West title.

So the manager approached Bradley in February, on his first day in spring training, to set ground rules.

"Milton, I told him from day one there has to be some kind of trust factor," Wakamatsu said.

"He was a little like, 'I heard that before.'"

But after two weeks away for emotional counseling set up by the Mariners, Bradley said the team has been more supportive, accommodating and patient than any of his seven other clubs. He's finally trusting his employers.

Just as important for the Mariners, his bat is getting well, too.

"My mind is clear," Bradley said. "It's been a while."

On Tuesday, he hit the go-ahead single in the eighth inning against Detroit. Then he ran from first base into the dugout during a pitching change. His surprised teammates gave him high-fives and back slaps. Bradley then ran back to first base to complete the first in-game dugout celebration from a guy still on the basepaths that Wakamatsu or any other Mariner had ever seen.

"The way I was feeling, I needed to share with my teammates," Bradley said. "It was a good feeling. I came through."

On Wednesday, after Mike Sweeney homered in the eighth to spark a four-run rally and another win over the Tigers -- Seattle's first series win in a month -- Bradley sneaked up behind Sweeney in the dugout while he was conducting a postgame interview. After Bradley unsuccessfully tried to plant a shaving-cream pie in Sweeney's face, he and Sweeney walked out of the dugout laughing together. Sweeney's arm was around Bradley's shoulders.

Is this really the same guy who in March called himself the Kanye West of baseball? Who flipped off fans who were heckling him in Texas during his slumping start to the season? Who became so uncontrollable following two strikeouts in a game on May 4 that Wakamatsu saw he was unfit to play and removed him from the tight contest?

Bradley left the stadium before that game ended. A day later, he came to Wakamatsu and general manager Jack Zduriencik and asked for their help in controlling his emotions.

The Mariners placed him on the restricted list for two weeks while Bradley received counseling that is ongoing. He said he was having "unpleasant thoughts." He told his wife he was understanding why some people commit suicide.

He returned saying, "I don't have all the answers; I'm not saying I'm cured."

Yet since he came back, he is batting .296 entering Friday's series opener at the Los Angeles Angels. That's 82 points above what his average was when he went on the restricted list. He has hit his first home run since April 13. He says he's as happy as he's been since a 2006 playoff run with Oakland.

Bradley is back in the cleanup spot that created so much pressure and doubt for him in April. He is starting to provide some of the production Seattle desperately needs to climb back into the division race.

"That's where I should be hitting," he said. "If I'm swinging the bat the way I'm capable of, I should be in the middle of the order driving in runs, being a producer. The way I've been swinging it, you can't put me there.

"I have to stay consistent and maintain this, because the way it has been is one day on and two, three or four days off. That's what brings the frustration, but I have to just stay with it."

Bradley's detractors are waiting for the next big failure, that next frustration, and expect Bradley to blow up yet again.

Yet Wakamatsu sees progress. He cited Sunday's game against San Diego. Bradley struck out, dropped his batting glove and helmet, and squatted. He stared for a long, tense minute along the first-base line. But this time there was no eruption.

"I think he believes in us now," Wakamatsu said. "I think it helps that he knows we care about him [after] he opened up and said, 'I need some help.' That was step No. 1.

"We said this was the right environment for him. In the last month, he's started to understand that this is the right environment for him."

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/n ... id=5227063

[Indianplaya17]

BALTIMORE -- Seattle Mariners outfielder Milton Bradley could miss the rest of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee.

The procedure took place Tuesday, Mariners interim manager Daren Brown said.

It will take Bradley between four to six weeks to rehabilitate the knee, which means he may not return in 2010.

Asked if Bradley could be sidelined for the rest of the season, Brown said, "That's what it looks like."

Brown, however, said Bradley could return if he can bounce back in four weeks.

Bradley was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 31, retroactively to July 27. The switch-hitter was batting .205 with eight homers and 29 RBIs in 73 games.

His batting average from the left side of the plate was .191.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/n ... id=5471901

[Indianplaya17]

Milton Bradley arrested at a LA home

LOS ANGELES -- Police say former Los Angeles Dodger Milton Bradley has been arrested for investigation of felony battery.

Police say the outfielder, released by Seattle this year, was arrested Tuesday at a San Fernando Valley home.

Police told the Los Angeles Times details of the incident were not available.

Bradley posted bail and is due in court Oct. 18. Attorney Harland Braun tells The Associated Press he hasn't talked with his client yet.

Bradley was arrested at the house in January for allegedly threatening a woman, but no charges were filed.

Bradley has a history of problems. In 2004, he confronted an officer in Ohio. The Dodgers traded him to Oakland in 2005 after he threw a water bottle at fans and he had a clubhouse run-in with a reporter.

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/ ... os-angeles