Shocker...Milton Bradley goes off again!

[roxfan00]

Critical comments cause Bradley to go looking for Royals announcer

Associated Press

Updated: June 12, 2008, 2:26 AM ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Milton Bradley stormed out of the Texas Rangers clubhouse after an 11-5 victory Wednesday night over Kansas City and bounded up four flights of stairs looking for Royals television announcer Ryan Lefebvre.

Bradley, who was the designated hitter, heard what he considered derogative remarks made by Lefebvre on a TV in the Rangers clubhouse.

General manager Jon Daniels and manager Ron Washington were close behind and intercepted Bradley before he reached Lefebvre.

"I don't want to get necessarily into the details," Daniels said. "He was upset. Someone who doesn't know him was passing judgment on TV. It was obvious he was hurt by the comments."

Bradley never reached Lefebvre, although he was within about 20 feet of him in the TV booth before being led back down to the clubhouse.

"There was no incident," Daniels said.

Upon returning to the clubhouse, Bradley screamed at teammates and broke down in tears.

"I'm tired of people bringing me down," Bradley said. "It wears on you. I love you guys, all you guys. I'm strong, but I'm not that strong. All I want to do is play baseball and make a better life for my kid than I had."

Several of Bradley's teammates consoled him after he calmed down.

Lefebvre, who is the son of former major league manager Jim Lefebvre, said he met with Daniels and Washington about his on-the-air comments, but did not talk to Bradley. Lefebvre said the comments were intended to praise Josh Hamilton, who missed nearly four years of professional baseball with cocaine and alcohol additions, rather than tear down Bradley.

"It was a conversation about how Josh Hamilton has turned his life around and has been accountable for his mistakes," Lefebvre told The Associated Press. "Right now, it seems like the baseball world and fans are rooting for him. ... It doesn't seem like Milton Bradley has done the same thing in his life."

The oft-injured Bradley has a history of losing his temper.

He slammed a plastic bottle at the feet of a fan in the right-field seats at Dodger Stadium in 2004 after someone threw it on the field. With San Diego in the pennant chase last September, he tore the ACL in his right knee when he was spun to the ground by Padres manager Bud Black, who was trying to keep him from an umpire.

He was suspended for five games after slamming the bottle, and had a four-game suspension for tossing a bag of balls onto the field after an ejection. There was a dugout confrontation with Cleveland manager Eric Wedge during spring training in 2004 before getting traded to Los Angeles.

Bradley claimed umpire Mike Winters baited the player into the confrontation and directed a profanity at him last September. Winters was suspended the final five days of the regular season and didn't work the postseason.

"We weren't singling out Milton Bradley," Lefebvre said. "We also spent a lot of time complimenting Milton Bradley, but that's not what he heard when he was in the clubhouse.

"We weren't tearing up Milton Bradley. I told [Washington and Daniels] this wasn't a Milton Bradley rip session, but just based on the pictures we've seen in this series of him walking to the dugout all the way to right field, dropping his bat, making gestures to the fans in right field and above the dugout and taunting them. He's the only person in baseball I know that does that type of stuff."

ESPN

[ferrousoxide66]

Doesn't he have some meds to take? Seriously, the guy sounds bipolar.

He's going to be busier than a one-legged man in an asskicking contest if he wants to take on anyone in the media with something critical to say about him.

[DEAD!]

"It was a conversation about how Josh Hamilton has turned his life around and has been accountable for his mistakes," Lefebvre told The Associated Press. "Right now, it seems like the baseball world and fans are rooting for him. ... It doesn't seem like Milton Bradley has done the same thing in his life."

......

"We weren't singling out Milton Bradley," Lefebvre said. "We also spent a lot of time complimenting Milton Bradley, but that's not what he heard when he was in the clubhouse.

For all the trouble that Milton Bradley has caused, at least those things that he has done happened has been baseball related, as far as I know. So really, can anyone blame Milton for at least being upset?

[Joshawaggie]

I can't blame him for being upset at that comment. What he does in retaliation though is very hypocritical. That was the last thing he should have done if he really has "turned his life around." Also he wants to try make life better for his kid than what he had, so he should have been a man about the situation and either ignored it, or have a calm conversation with the announcer telling him he was upset at his remarks, take the apology, and leave.

[Erik121]

This is a huge problem with baseball. They should worry about playing the game, not what some announcer says about them.

[oddball]

Let me step up and say this, all you ever hear about Milton Bradley is "when's he going to blow up next?" That would piss me off too and just wear on me. Is it right for him to go off.... I don't know. I don't know what he did. I mean if he's yelling at some nobody/has-been/never-was announcer, let him get his frustrations out and move on. I think a lot of times incidents like these are blow so out of proportion because of the media, because there's more of it. We have ESPN, we have the internet. You have to stand up for yourself sometime and constant ripping of Bradley gets old and tiring. It's like these people have nothing else to do except for wait for him to get pissed at them for constantly asking him. He's probably no different than whomever in the past, except as soon as he does something it gets reported because there's the internet and ESPN reporting it. It really makes me wonder how these reporters would like to be dogged day in and day out by mistakes of their past? How many of them would blow up? It just bugs me that these "reporters" and not just sports but in general think that being aggressive and confrontational is getting a story, when in fact you're just getting a reaction to you being the biggest Donkey's Behind in the world. I'm not saying Milton's right, but I love the fact that the media in reporting all these stories is never wrong and no one is questioning the background, what a reporter or broadcaster did wrong 2 years ago. Let's start question Stuart Scott on what he did wrong or Bob Costas, or Jim Nance, let the athletes ask the annoying questions to the announcers and reporters and see how they like it.

[ferrousoxide66]

Let me step up and say this, all you ever hear about Milton Bradley is "when's he going to blow up next?" That would piss me off too and just wear on me. Is it right for him to go off.... I don't know. I don't know what he did. I mean if he's yelling at some nobody/has-been/never-was announcer, let him get his frustrations out and move on. I think a lot of times incidents like these are blow so out of proportion because of the media, because there's more of it. We have ESPN, we have the internet. You have to stand up for yourself sometime and constant ripping of Bradley gets old and tiring. It's like these people have nothing else to do except for wait for him to get pissed at them for constantly asking him. He's probably no different than whomever in the past, except as soon as he does something it gets reported because there's the internet and ESPN reporting it. It really makes me wonder how these reporters would like to be dogged day in and day out by mistakes of their past? How many of them would blow up? It just bugs me that these "reporters" and not just sports but in general think that being aggressive and confrontational is getting a story, when in fact you're just getting a reaction to you being the biggest Donkey's Behind in the world. I'm not saying Milton's right, but I love the fact that the media in reporting all these stories is never wrong and no one is questioning the background, what a reporter or broadcaster did wrong 2 years ago. Let's start question Stuart Scott on what he did wrong or Bob Costas, or Jim Nance, let the athletes ask the annoying questions to the announcers and reporters and see how they like it.

There's an easy way to end all this: Let your play speak for yourself and stay away from any sort of commotion. End of story.

There's no need to "stand up for yourself" if you know you're doing right.

[The Nation]

Man...reporters are stupid, the brodcaster shouldn't have said any of that stuff. And Milton should have had a peaceful word with him. Both parties are at fault. The reporter for being insensitive, and Milton for blowing up.

[HedleyLamarr]

"It was a conversation about how Josh Hamilton has turned his life around and has been accountable for his mistakes," Lefebvre told The Associated Press. "Right now, it seems like the baseball world and fans are rooting for him. ... It doesn't seem like Milton Bradley has done the same thing in his life."

......

"We weren't singling out Milton Bradley," Lefebvre said. "We also spent a lot of time complimenting Milton Bradley, but that's not what he heard when he was in the clubhouse.

For all the trouble that Milton Bradley has caused, at least those things that he has done happened has been baseball related, as far as I know. So really, can anyone blame Milton for at least being upset?

I'm siding with Milton on this one. Aside from last year's incident, Milton's been on his better behavior the last couple few years, and it took an umpire that was baiting him on to get him to snap last year. I'm sure Milton would be the first to admit that he's got a short fuse, but to his credit, he's been improving on that the past few seasons.

[NJTank]

They guy didnt say anything that bad, Milton Bradley with his actions only confirm what Ryan Lefevbre said.

[EatSleepJeep]

They guy didnt say anything that bad, Milton Bradley with his actions only confirm what Ryan Lefevbre said.

exactly.

[oddball]

Here's what was said:

(Talking about Josh Hamilton) "Here's a guy, with all the troubles he?s had, he?s showed that if you work at it, you can get your life back in order. 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 and I think they?ve wanted to do the same for Milton Bradley, but Milton Bradley has refused to allow himself to be put in that position.

Yeah, if you do some research on Ryan Lefevbre he's not exactly the choir boy that people are making him out to be. It seems reading KC Royal boards that not only is he a bad announcer, but he was ripping Bradley the whole series. And then there's this.

In Ryan's words, "A great deal of my message deals with people focusing too much on the wrong things in life -- like achievement and accumulation, instead of relationships and community service. The past year has been a journey of recovery and rediscovering my purpose in life.

God Gave Me Everything I Wanted, Just to Show Me It Wasn't What I Needed

This program is deals with Ryan's Christian faith and is good for church groups, men's Bible study groups, teenage Bible groups, and single adult groups.

I looked at Mr. Lefevbre's potos, and it's just that smug face that you want to slap. You know that smart-*** kid in high school that would run his mouth trying to prove that he knows something or those Holier Than Thou Christians who think everyone but them is a sinner, that is Mr. Lefevbre. I think Lefevbre needs to choose his words and apologize to Milton. He could've made his point without bringing Milton in this at all.

[Gothamite]

I'm siding with Milton on this one. Aside from last year's incident, Milton's been on his better behavior the last couple few years, and it took an umpire that was baiting him on to get him to snap last year. I'm sure Milton would be the first to admit that he's got a short fuse, but to his credit, he's been improving on that the past few seasons.

Until this.

[ferrousoxide66]

"It was a conversation about how Josh Hamilton has turned his life around and has been accountable for his mistakes," Lefebvre told The Associated Press. "Right now, it seems like the baseball world and fans are rooting for him. ... It doesn't seem like Milton Bradley has done the same thing in his life."

......

"We weren't singling out Milton Bradley," Lefebvre said. "We also spent a lot of time complimenting Milton Bradley, but that's not what he heard when he was in the clubhouse.

For all the trouble that Milton Bradley has caused, at least those things that he has done happened has been baseball related, as far as I know. So really, can anyone blame Milton for at least being upset?

I'm siding with Milton on this one. Aside from last year's incident, Milton's been on his better behavior the last couple few years, and it took an umpire that was baiting him on to get him to snap last year. I'm sure Milton would be the first to admit that he's got a short fuse, but to his credit, he's been improving on that the past few seasons.

So basically Milton's been on the up and up until now? Frankly, if it takes an umpire or announcer to "bait him", then he's not really fixed what ails him, right?

And yeah, Lefebvre sounds like a pompous ass. Good luck finding one in the broadcast booth or the print media that isn't.

[HedleyLamarr]

So basically Milton's been on the up and up until now? Frankly, if it takes an umpire or announcer to "bait him", then he's not really fixed what ails him, right?

And yeah, Lefebvre sounds like a pompous ass. Good luck finding one in the broadcast booth or the print media that isn't.

How would you react if the first-base umpire suddenly started an argument with you, fully-knowing you have a short temper....or an announcer is challenging what kind of father or role model you are on national/regional television? There is a reason why MLB suspended this umpire and prohibited him from working playoff games. All Bradley was doing was leading off first base at the time. It's not like he was arguing a called third strike or an out/safe call.

Milton has every right to defend himself on these last two instances.

[DEAD!]

"It was a conversation about how Josh Hamilton has turned his life around and has been accountable for his mistakes," Lefebvre told The Associated Press. "Right now, it seems like the baseball world and fans are rooting for him. ... It doesn't seem like Milton Bradley has done the same thing in his life."

......

"We weren't singling out Milton Bradley," Lefebvre said. "We also spent a lot of time complimenting Milton Bradley, but that's not what he heard when he was in the clubhouse.

For all the trouble that Milton Bradley has caused, at least those things that he has done happened has been baseball related, as far as I know. So really, can anyone blame Milton for at least being upset?

I'm siding with Milton on this one. Aside from last year's incident, Milton's been on his better behavior the last couple few years, and it took an umpire that was baiting him on to get him to snap last year. I'm sure Milton would be the first to admit that he's got a short fuse, but to his credit, he's been improving on that the past few seasons.

So basically Milton's been on the up and up until now? Frankly, if it takes an umpire or announcer to "bait him", then he's not really fixed what ails him, right?

And yeah, Lefebvre sounds like a pompous ass. Good luck finding one in the broadcast booth or the print media that isn't.

Personally, I don't know if Milton's been on the up and up in his personal life. That's what I had trouble with that statement. Had Lefebvre said something about his attitude on the field then I wouldn't have an issue with it. Did we know anything about Milton Bradley getting into trouble OFF the field? Yeah, we know what he's done on the field, but does translate into what he does off the field? Not that I know of.

[mania]

Man, I'm glad to see that Milton's alone in this kind of behavior in baseball.

.....or is it different when it's one of your own announcers?

[NJTank]

Man, I'm glad to see that Milton's alone in this kind of behavior in baseball.

.....or is it different when it's one of your own announcers?

Typical NY Times trying to exploit a non story.

So what they got in an argument on the plane, it happens dont try to make it sound like WWIII

[TFoA]

The lollercoaster that is the Mets off-the-field antics continues to amuse me.

The only way this could be better was if the Braves weren't terrible.

[infrared41]

Man, I'm glad to see that Milton's alone in this kind of behavior in baseball.

.....or is it different when it's one of your own announcers?

Typical NY Times trying to exploit a non story.

So what they got in an argument on the plane, it happens dont try to make it sound like WWIII

It was the New York Post but otherwise, yeah it's a non-story.