this is so sad. he has been my favorite dodger the past 2 years. sigh.

Milton, Milton, Milton

This guy has so much talent and potential.
It's a sad story, but his days as a Dodger are numbered.

The guy is his own worst enemy. He just doesn't get it. What a waste, if only this guy could stay healthy, just imagine the numbers he could put up.

Milton, you have the talent to be a special ballplayer, your mouth and poor decision making keep getting in your way.

Good luck Milton, I wish you the best, with whatever team takes a chance on you next year.

maybe they could use him in oakland?

You know, defending Milt is probably not the most popular pastime among Dodger fans right now, but I think a few things should be said. That article that Jon linked us to is hardly damning evidence that Bradley is a brute.

There were three reported incidents. On two of them there is no allegation Bradley physically molested his wife in any way. In fact, Bradley was the only reported victim in the first incident. The police did not make any arrest on either occasion. I have some experience in this area of criminal law, and believe me when I say that police take DV very seriously these days and arrest on any credible report of violence. So that they did not make an arrest is evidence that Bradley did not assault anyone.

Which leaves us with the second incident, an admittedly bad allegation by Bradley's wife. She says he choked her with his forearm--it does not say for how long, and there is no report of injury to her throat. She does have a cut lip--according to her own statement when Bradley hit her hand, which then flared back into her mouth. We have no statement from Bradley reported. So what to make of this?

Well, the police say they would have made an arrest--that is SOP when you have a visible injury and a battery report. The DA did not file a case, however. Perhaps they did some investigation and things were not as bad as they seemed from the initial report. We may never know.

So I am not defending domestic violence or downplaying it in any way, but there are two sides to every story. Milton Bradley is obviously an angry, troubled man. A close examination of his past, I am almost sure, leaves no documented incident (other than the above) where he actually assaulted another person. Milt blows up, he throws things near people and he makes ill-advised comments. But he has not, correct me if I am wrong, attacked anyone. So I just wanted to say that in defense of Milt before he leaves Dodgerville...

This is unfortunate. It is also interesting that we haven't heard about it sooner. It appears there is something else going on with MB that contributed to the Kent dispute.

One last thing, as some of us call for JT or Depo's firing or are sure we are right in whatever position we take, (me included) this is a reminder that as fans we rarely have all, even most, of the relevant information.

I don't understand. He's still black, so that makes everything ok? No?

Ah, sarcasm.

Understand where you're coming from, Charlie, but when you add the fact that the police have had to respond three times to the other known incidents involving Bradley, you get a picture of a man with a pathological tendency to fly out of control. Sure, counseling will help (lithium would help!), but this doesn't sound like a problem that's going to be solved overnight. It's gonna take years.

Like Vishal said, sad.

4 - So that they did not make an arrest is evidence that Bradley did not assault anyone.

Is it possible that he is shown some leeway/given latitude in these situations because he is a high profile personality? Maybe, maybe not, but if it looks like a duck...

It seems obvious that MB has some major anger problems... he has been my favorite for 2 years as well, but his actions indicate he needs some serious help. I hate to see him go, but if his personal life is spilling over into the clubhouse and onto the field then he needs to go.

A very sad day...

My wife has spent quite a lot of time working with DV victims... and while I understand we don't know all the facts, this is a harder blow against Bradley than him disrupting "team chemistry", as far as I'm concerned.

He is one of my favorite players to watch on the field... but if these reports have any basis in fact then I also have no problems with the Dodgers letting him go.

Truly a shame.

Well, let me play the devil's advocate. Is it possible that his wife, in the midst of a pregnancy, is totally paranoid and irrational? I mean, the thrown cellphone sounds bad, but objects thrown has happened in my relationship (not by me, and not AT me). I had a friend who was married (not anymore) to a hysterical woman who could not have a reasonable discussion, and was given to fit of rage. I realize that MB is not the calmest person, but pair him with hellcat, and the combination cannot be good.

9 - The article has the responding officer stating he would have arrested Bradley at that time if he had been present when the officer arrived.

As far as the high profile personality bit, no way. They have to make an arrest, as the department would be liable for any more abuse occurring after they left.

This all looks very bad for Bradley.

Watching the Phillies the other night, it appears they have a need in the OF. Old Man Lofton currently patrols CF for them. They have Jason Michaels, who could be packaged with a pitcher for Milton if the Dodgers were so inclined.

They're also interested in moving Ryan Howard along, so maybe the trade could be expanded.

11 - Doesn't really matter how the wife was behaving, Kayaker...if it gets physical, the offending party is subject to arrest.

Sorry. No amount of irrationality on anyone's part is an excuse to abuse a wife, much less a pregnant one. I can't stand wife beaters and don't want to see Milton again. I was willing to cut him a lot of slack, but this is crossing the line.

14 You can't make the blanket claim that the wife's actions don't matter at all. There are cases of DV where it is wife inflicts violence on the husband. The best course of action would be to fend off the blows and leave at the first opportunity. Only if we would do the optimal action 100% of the time.

Anytime a domestic dispute turns physical, the man has everything to lose and nothing to gain.

One more thing. There is a double standard that all men are supposed to accept chivalrously. Women can hit, but men cannot. I say neither should hit. One time, a girlfriend got mad and threw a 5 punch combination. I did not hit her back, nor did I have any desire to. But I was very upset at her for using that "trump" card. I lost a lot of respect for her. If women want equality, they should behave like they deserve it.

6 Welcome back Steve. It seemed like you were gone forever. The A's actually managed to re-take first in your absense. Should be a good series starting tonight.

I work with people alot and marriages continually. I've noticed that a good assumption, that almost always proves true, is that people act better in public than they do in private. If you see someone who is obnoxious in public, they will be even worse with their family. If you see someone who is violent in public, it is even worse with their family. There are exceptions to the rule, but unfortunately I do not see them often. My first reaction to the bottle throwing incident was that I felt horrible for MB's wife because I had a feeling what she was probably facing.

17. You bet there is a double standard. And it's a good one. Men 99.9 percent of the time are the stronger of the two. So you HAVE to err on the side of ther female in these cases. Sounds like you did exactly the right thing. This is just one of those things that men have to live with. And if you can't, then you go down the path that Bradley has.

With all due respect, kayaker, I'm not sure that's the relevant issue here. Milton is a man with a history of violent behavior and emotional outbursts.

This report states 3 seperate incidents of DV over the course of a couple of months, and it seems that you are trying to grant him the benefit of the doubt on one. Given the other two incidents, along with his history, I'm certain he has not earned it.

16 - Reread my post, Kayaker, and you'll see I said nothing of the sort. It doesn't matter what sex the person inflicting the blows is.

And pushing a phone into anothers mouth, as well as putting a forearm across another's throat, is abuse.

I didn't even know Milton Bradley was married. But I will say that the Daily Breeze reports are a thousand times more damning than any argument with Jeff Kent.

But the record of pro sports is such that men who engage in domestic abuse will still find work. Robert Parish was one of the subjects of a lengthy Sports Illustrated report about the topic. Parish denied all the allegations, said he was a model citizen and he's still something of a folk hero in Boston.

The Astros did cut loose Julio Lugo after he was involved in a domestic abuse incident. But the Devil Rays signed him up right away.

I would not want to see Bradley go down the path of Lawrence Phillips.

As a big Milton Bradley supporter, there is no reason to think that this isn't true. The pattern of his behaivor is obvious.

He just dosen't like anyone telling him what to do.

Sad.

I'm just going to lay it out the way I see it and I'm not putting in any pathetic "what a sad case" lines. This @%@#%^@# has been a problem for two seasons now, but any "man" that can lay a finger on his wife, let alone a PREGNANT one, is trash in my book and deserves to rot in a wasteland. See you later Milton and I'm sorry I ever got a picture of you with my kid.

The over/under on the time it takes Milton to appear on Real Sports is 6 weeks.

I'd be very interested in the origins of his anger. I'm guessing something horrible happened, or continually happened in his childhood to bring out that kind of rage.

So we already know this about MB: He's an angry person with an explosive temper, by his own admission. He has had ugly outbursts at many points in his career. He has drawn the attention of the police three times for domestic incidents, including once when there was physical evidence of abuse (the bloody lip).

And is it fair to assume that, for every incident bad enough to warrant calling the police, there are others that didn't rise to that level?

I'm with you, Jon. I've been ambivalent about Milton because of his outbursts, but this will make it hard to stomach him ever wearing Blue again. Even given mitigating circumstances, I can't have any warm feelings for someone who would hit his pregnant wife.

Not to make light of Bradley's off field family situation, but what kind of trade value is he going to have after the recent blowup with Kent and now the DV allegations. Who in their right mind would give up good value for a player carrying as much baggage as Bradley. There is no Al Davis in baseball! On a sidenote, I have to question the timing of the DV story. Why is it that the DV story came out at this time? Leaked? Or just timely reporting? vr, Xei

Here's a vote for the Dodgers taking the Jose Guillen approach and cutting him today. He's done for the season anyway, and along with being a disruptive influence on the team, maybe he's also a wife beater.

The Angels didn't cut Jose Guillen. They suspsended him and then traded him.

The timing couldn't be more normal. Bradley is in the news. It could have been a leak, but more likely, the Breeze knew Bradley lived in their coverage area, knew he is already a story and decided to check polce records to see if there was anything else out there. That's how reporting is done.

in other news: I wonder who they might have in mind for specific roles?

CHICAGO - The Dodgers don't figure to make more than a handful of minor-league call-ups for this year's September roster expansion, a concession that they don't want to crowd the clubhouse with players who won't play significant roles and the fact several current players are due off the disabled list in the near future.

"That's a lot of guys here already, even though we only have 25 active," general manager Paul DePodesta said. "There probably won't be that many guys (called up), and the ones who do get called up will be guys who have specific roles to play. We're not going to bring guys up just to let them experience the major-league lifestyle."

29 - Obviously the Dodgers could just not offer him arbitration, but that would be giving him up for nothing.

30 - Guillen wasn't cut, he was suspended then traded in the offseason.

If Guillen had trade value, I don't see why Bradley wouldn't.

Probably leaked, but I think police actions of this sort are a matter of public record, so it could very well be a case of a very enterprising reporter.

We're not going to bring guys up just to let them experience the major-league lifestyle

read: 'We won't be starting anyone's clock's early just for the hell of it.'

I'm sure that made Fearing's day.

Be patient, Jon; we'll get around to discussing the rest of your post eventually :)

34 I stand corrected, thanks. But I was arguing more generally for a "get rid of him without delay" approach.

As for trade value, Guillen was healthy, for one. And domestic abuse is a little worse than arguing with your manager.

Rebranding alert:

db1022 is now known as blue22. I hated that screenname.

I agree that Houlton pitched the way you should with a big lead. Make them hit it.

39 - dbcooper would have been cool...

36 - 40-man roster expansion does not count toward ML service time. Service time can only be accrued on the 25-man roster.

The 40-man expansion was created specifically to give teams the chance to test out their young players without starting their service clocks.

42 - Wow, I had no idea. Thanks.

32 - Seconded.

42 - That is the first I've heard of that. Being on the 40-man alone doesn't count toward service time, but as I've always understood it, active MLB duty in September did count. I could be wrong - I've just never heard your statement before.

DLowe's G/F ratio of 3.04 is 2nd only to super-sinker Brandon Webb.

Does that mean Lowe only gives up 400 foot flyballs?

I've always been a big Milton supporter, but he really has crossed the line here. Yes, I know we should give him the benefit of the doubt, but that article was truly damning when placed together with all his on-field incidents. And IIRC, Milton has punched an empire in the minors before.

I feel terrible for his wife, but I can't say I really feel sorry for him anymore. Good riddance.

WWSH

Say it ain't so, Milton. Say it ain't so.

From the Times this morning: The only top prospect likely to join the Dodgers in the next week is infielder Delwyn Young, who was promoted to triple A at midseason. When the Suns finish the playoffs, reliever Jonathan Broxton and catcher Russell Martin probably will be called up because they are on the 40-man roster.

Otherwise, DePodesta will pick a name or two from a list of midlevel farmhands that includes Cody Ross, Mike Rose, Jason Grabowski, Chin-Feng Chen, Jose Flores, Norihiro Nakamura, Henri Stanley and Joel Hanrahan.

Last season the roster expanded to 33 players. There could be fewer this time around.

So is Valentin considering hanging it up for the season?

The Dodgers will keep Bradley on the DL instead of cutting him because if they did make the playoffs, they could replace him on the active roster with someone from the minors.

No, really, that could be part of the reasoning!

And no trade value. Thanks a lot Milton. What a waste.

51 - Well, what are the options?

Offer him arbitration, and hope to trade him?

Decline arbitration, and become a FA with nothing in return?

Someone will give him a 2nd chance. That's the way things are.

52 - Sorry, I guess this will be a 3rd chance for Milton.

43, 44 - Whoops, I was wrong. It DOES start the service clock. I feel bad for not checking my facts before posting.

If there's anything we've learned from following professional sports, short of turning into Rae Carruth or Pete Rose, there's always a second chance.

48. I heard it mentioned here before that Kuo would get called up to do some loogying. Seems like a specific enough of a role.
vr, Xei

56 - I think they are worried about a Wunsch-like workload as the only lefty in the pen.

Better to not even give Tracy the temptation.

52 - unfortunately those are the options. And if I count all the incidents right (including Cleveland) I think we're on to the 6th chance or so.

I mean, if you're a GM, do you take him? No way. In a span of a month, he's successfully:

1) alienated a clubhouse
2) tore up his knee
3) domestic violence

That coupled with the anger issues that are no doubt still prevalent?

NO WAY I'm taking that flyer. Come on man, would you?

58 - If Kenny Lofton was my starting centerfielder...

56. I agree that Kuo would be a great addition to the bullpen. Unfortunately, he is not on the 40 Man Roster, and Jacksonville will be in the AA Playoffs for a few more weeks - both of those hurt Kuo's chances of being called up.

Steve Howe kept getting jobs. Darryl Strawberry did.

Milton Bradley still has a ways to go.

Well, he won't change, and neither did those you mentioned. If someone wants him that's great! Just get him outta here.

The things that we all liked about Milton (intensity, talent, youth, admission of anger problems, desire to improve) will be enough to sway another team into taking a chance on him.

Look at Ron Artest in the NBA.

Not that anyone here is advocating keeping Milton, but could you imagine the problems. You have a guy who can't control himself who will now be exposed to fans who know his past. What happens when he is patrolling center field in SBC or Wrigly. The fans will be yelling things and maybe throwing things just to try and provoke that short fuse. If he stays in the national league, will the pavilion folks at DS ride him next year when he is a visitor? I would suggest that he should go to some AL Central team where his actions probably have not received so much attention but been there done that.

As far as his depreciated trade value, let's not forget the guy has an 80% tear of his ACL. His value was already depressed.

I recognize it would be a marginal waste, but I agree with whoever said just cut him. From a PR standpoint it would make McCourt look good. Sitrick where are you?

63 - Artest signed a contract before all that stuff went down. Artest, Tyson, Rider ... Bradley's doing a great job if he's interested in joining that list. And if you thought the media jumped on the Kent situation, wait until they start up with this. ESPN hates the Dodgers already.

Some team will sign Milton once he can pass a physical; he'll just have to do some sort of penance as usual - reduced salary, behavior clauses, more anger management, more scrutiny, that sort of thing.

64 - "The fans will be yelling things and maybe throwing things just to try and provoke that short fuse."

This risk is nothing new - it was true ever since the technicolor bottle incident.

Would this be a good time to update the career progress of Andrew Brown and Franklin Gutierrez?

Update up top featuring none other than ... Ron Coomer.

Howe, Straberry, and others: that was pre-political correctness. Its a diffrent world. JFK was allowed to bang all kinds of women. Clinton, not so lucky.

Yeah, in light of all the recent "character" lip service from McCourt and DePo, how do they justify keeping him? The club could very well be targeted for organized protests if they don't react strongly to the domestic abuse allegations. That happened to the likes of Lugo and Barajas, if memory serves.

65 - Artest signed the contract before he started the riot in Detroit, yes, but everyone knew he was a nut before that.

Even still, there would be a line a dozen long of NBA GMs who would trade for him right now.

Leonard Little killed an elderly lady drunk driving, spent 3 months in jail, came back to play in the Super Bowl that year.

Earlier this year, he was hit with another DUI, but still remains gainfully employed with the Rams who originally drafted him.

Not saying its right, Rick, just that it is.

Not sure I'm right here, but is trading Milton even realistic? To do that you'd either have to trade him in the next two days while he's injured and under a dark cloud, or you'd have to offer him arbitration. I can't see them doing the latter, because that might be the best deal he'll get, in light of the circumstances, and they might find no one willing to take him off our hands next season.

61. There's no doubt that Bradley will still have a job in MLB, the selfish question for us Dodger fans is can we get anything of value for him at this point?
vr, Xei

73 - You're correct. Milton's trade value was lost with the knee injury, not with any subsequent news.

Thank god for the US Open tennis coverage to get me through another day of TV watching and pain pills, and glad to see DT doesn't have a movie/tv show thread this week. :) vr, Xei

76
You could watch CNN or FNC or MSNBC and realize how nature is something that is far more powerful than us. Quite humbling.

Looks like the Braves are going to have to play a lot of makeup games at end of the year as the remnants of Katrina are hitting Georgia today.

75 - Mostly correct, but I think his behaviorial history also has a deleterious effect on his trade value.

Geez, Xeifrank's stoned to the eyeballs, and he's still trying to dictate the thread ;)

78 - it did, but it didn't eliminate his trade value for 2005. He could have been seen as, "get him away from Kent and we've got a bona fide CF."

The knee injury did eliminate that trade value, such as it was.

77. I have officially overdosed on hurricane coverage yesterday. Watching reporters stand in the midst of the hurricane then see how close pieces of sheet metal and roofing could come to hitting them got old after a while. But your heart definitely goes out to those living in the region. vr, Xei

I don't ever want to see him in a Dodger uniform again, but the best thing for Bradley may be to lay low in Japan for a couple years. Then try to latch on with another club after some of this has blown over.

There is one HUGE difference between Bradley & Artest: Artest has NEVER been in trouble off the court and is a great family man. He has 3 kids and a wife and is a wonderful father and role model (off the Court).

Artest had cooled his jets before the Debacle in the Palace and had few problems the year before.

While not condoning his behavior, I too, would have also went into the stands on that night!

I have the solution - Milton Bradley for... Steve Finley. Straight up.

It might at least shut Plaschke up? :)

King Kaufman writes about the Dodgers situation in his Salon.com column today.

Warning, there's a really long ad you have to sit through.

80 - Yeah, you're right there.

80. Jon is right. Some team would surely overlook his eratic behavior, conclude that they could make him productive at a discounted salary. Oh wait, that was the Dodgers two years ago.

81. Careful Frank, you are getting close to one of those TV threads. :-)

82 - While fully suscribing to the idea that a little Zen Buddhism would do MB a world of good, not sure the Japanese would have much admiration for his personality traits.

So how much would MB likely get in arbitration? With no MB and a hole to fill in left field what become our outfield options for 2006? Does Werth get to keep his starting job? Does signing Giles become even more important? Or moving one of the youngins to the OF? Things could be ugly again next year. vr, Xei

Until about two weeks ago, Bradley stood to make somewhere on either side of $4 million in 2006 from the Dodgers. You can throw that into their 2006 outfield budget.

83 - Well, instead of Artest, how about AI? He threw his wife out of their home, naked, after an argument. He brandished a pistol and threatened teenagers with it, breaking his way into his cousin's home. And is one of the highest-paid athletes in the NBA.

And of course there's the Kobe question...

That's an awful lot of questions for the Vicodin impaired, XF :)

89 - Well, I'd have to think that the pitching will be better. Broxton might make the team as well as Kuo, perhaps even Billingsley (although my guess is 2007 is more likely for him).

A full season from Navarro could also be nice.

But, yeah, the outfield needs an upgrade. I'm content to stick with Werth in a corner spot. I'm willing to write off some of his struggles this season on the timing and severity of his wrist injury.

I'm a big Matsui fan. Giles would be OK, too.

85 - That Salon article is a good one. Personally, I feel like it seconds (unawares) much of what I've been writing.

There is a whole book about successful felons in the NFL called, PROS & CONS, by Benedict and Yaeger

Low battery! You guys lucked out. :)
vr, Xei

94 Yes, I liked it too, though I don't remember Lasorda being quoted in the Plaschke column. I know we talked yesterday about Lasorda possibly undermining Depo, but that was from unnamed sources I thought.

95 The Ravens have a linebacker that may have played a part in a murder and he's still out there.

Lets say for some reason Mccourt wants to splurge and picks up matsui and giles who then plays center? Also isnt Dunn gonna be FA also? Oh yeh Damon can play CF so theres the OF covered, Matsui,Damon, Giles. In yo face.

King Kaufman frequents Baseball Primer and other blogs, so he's pretty tuned in.

Before this mess I would have liked to see Giles signed and Werth demoted to 4th OF. Now I think the best we can hope for is Drew in CF, Giles in RF, and Werth/Ledee in LF. I wouldn't be opposed to Matsui either, but I prefer Giles and think he is a more likely target anyway.

I think that would be a healthy upgrade over this year's OF-- barring health.

sorry about my punctuation,

JD is a great center fielder

In 99 i forgot about DREW silly me sorry I wont post again for 2 fortnights.

From today's Wash Post chat with the Os beat writer, Jorge Arangure, Jr.:

Olney, MD: Now that the Os are in the middle of their annual late season swoon, I don't think it is to early to think about what they are going to do in the offseason to add to the team, especially since they appear to have a lot of cash to play with for that purpose. What does the market look like and are there any players that you think they should make a serious run at? This assumes of course that our wonderful owner won't blow it again this year.

Jorge Arangure Jr.: There are some interesting players out there this winter, but none that are what you'd call franchise players. Brian Giles, Paul Konerko, A.J. Burnett are all available and would be fine additions, but at what price? Here's an interesting scenario: What if the Dodgers non-tender Milton Bradley, making him a free agent? Would you o's fans take a chance on him? I've heard mixed answers.

A couple of these posts have raised interesting points. 95 makes me think; is off the field aggressive behavior more accepted because football is an aggressive game? Or basketball because (gulp) the majority of players are black (believe me, I feel uncomfortable as hell typing that last question). Are we all just a little smug because baseball is a genteel sport?

I'm just advancing these thoughts; not saying I believe or agree with them.

Link for 105: http://tinyurl.com/7tqyr

Jon,
Since my occasional comments are usually tag-ended a day or so after a thread is fresh, don't know if you saw my demurral the other day when you wrote, "The Dodgers have to make a baseball decision with regard to Bradley, not a therapeutic one." In short, an artificial construct, impossible of execution in the real world, like so many of the abstract spidey-webs a good many folks here get caught in. Witness the almost (not quite entirely) inapplicable gas about Kent's first-pitch predilections. There are dozens, possibly hundreds, of contextual questions to be asked about each of those at-bats before any meaningful truths can begin their delicate and complex emergence from the apparent form or apparent chaos, depending upon any individual's a priori comfort zone.
I was a skeptic about Milton's "transformation" in the off-season - there were too many clues for continuing struggles even between the lines of artful and disingenuous press releases. I've also never been as impressed at the level of his native ball-playing skills as a lot of posters here - I think Milt looked relatively good because the organization can't/won't surround him with genuinely talented guys just now.
But of all the things I would have liked to be wrong about this year, his becoming a genuine contributing citizen woulda been at the top of my list. So I share your sadness, and only hope the transformation takes sooner rather than later, especially with a wee one on the way.

Please see new update above on Dodger draftee Jayson Whitehouse.

#101: This year's OF would be a healthy upgrade over this year's OF--barring health :).

I agree that Giles should be the primary target and I wouldn't mind Cruz Jr. signed as a 5th outfielder considering the health issues we've dealt with this year. An outfield as follows would be fine by me, even considering all 5 of them have significant injury risks:

RF: Brian Giles ($9.00 million)
CF: J.D. Drew ($11.00 million)
LF: Jayson Werth ($0.40 million)
Bench: Ricky Ledee ($1.50 million)
Bench: Jose Cruz Jr. ($1.75 million)

TOTAL: $23.65 million

Without Bradley, that would still leave $13 million for a starting pitcher and potentially a stop-gap third baseman.

110-Drew,Werth and Ledee are paid for, why would you factor their prices into whats left over for a pitcher and/or thirdBaseman?

111 - Budgets are usually calculated on an annual basis.

Chris H.,

With a playful smile on my face: "Barring injury..." Was that the unmagical mantra chanted in Dodger offices before-during-after every misbegotten twenty and thirty and fifty-
million dollar deal this winter past?
Good news! Gotta go....be well, Blue Gals and Blue Guys...

Why doesn't Valentin just take off the brace? he has plans to retire anyway.he only brings power to the table (along with better than avg defense) if he can't drive the ball he is a defensive replacement at best.

Is that brace just an extra level of protection/stability or does he have to wear it? from football experience I know a lot of players wear it because of the extra level of protection but did not need it in order to play. I get the feeling that is the case with Valentin. Take it off Jose.

When do Kent's and Drew's contracts expire? They will be tough to replace, but will atleast free up some money. Atleast Kent will be tough to replace, Drew has to actually play before he becomes tough to replace. vr, Xei

114 - I'd rather he left it on and they used Perez.

Kent has one more year. Drew has 4 but he can opt out after next year.

re 105 and 107 and general "who would want Milton Bradley now" sentiment (although in fairness, the latest news is not well-known outside (or even inside) LA at this point.

From the same chat:

Burke: Bradley might just be good for the Orioles. First, he plays hard, gets emotional, and plays harder. Second, with Tejada as a real leader, Bradley wouldn't have to be appointed to lead like the Dodgers tried. Third, ummm, he's alive and plays the outfield.

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Yes. Yes. And YES!!!

106- I'm sorry, but just for advancing such thoughts in this day & age, I'm afraid you'll have to burn in hell. sorry.

I should add, if Drew has a year like this one, he would not opt out. Only if he produces big next year would he give up his current contract.

116

agreed, I didn't know that was an option in tracy's mind.

But why not take it off while batting especially if it you are a PH?

It could make Drew more likely to not opt out of the contract if he gets to play CF everyday.

It's never been clear to me. Does he get the chance to opt out each year after next, or does he either leave after next year or be locked in for the last three?

I believe it was two years and then he has the one time option.

116-I was asking why would you include Drew,Werth and Ledee's contracts when your talking about available money to spend, considering the 100mil promised cap. They dont factor into whats left over and from the different numbers I've seen there's gonna be around 30 mil to spend.

122- The way the papers described it, he has one escape clause at the end of year two.

derrrrr 112.

118 and the spin/denial for other teams begins...Yes, it was all that leadership pressure that drove Bradly to crack his wife in the mouth.

123, 125 - I'm hoping that's the case because it would be really annoying having to wonder if he's leaving or not for three straight years.

#110 - I think it will take more than $9 million per to sign Giles. I expect it will take somewhere between $10.5 - 12 and at least 3 years to lock him down.

#113 - My comment was slightly tongue in cheek, but Giles has a good track record of health. As we all know, Werth and Drew do not.

127 Don't argue with it, LAT. We want something in return.

I'm still processing Jon's inital post, let alone all the comments, but a few half-baked thoughts:

There seem to be a few different threads running through this discussion of Bradley, though the end conclusion reached by nearly everyone is the same (i.e. dump Bradley). I have to say I'm not quite there yet. But maybe I'm just being contrarian. So what are the rationales for getting rid of Bradley? It's hard to cleanly separate them, but here's first shot:

1) "NIMBY"-- This is sort of what I take Jon's post to be. The reaching of a certain frustration level such that it's just not worth the aggravation. Get 'em out of here so I can stop thinking about this guy, worrying when the other shoe will drop.

2) "Character Counts"-- Some seem to suggest that the recent bad acts committed by Bradley are so contrary to our moral norms that we must cast Bradley out, to send a message to him or to the public at large, that such actions can't be tolerated.

3) "Between the Lines"--The notion that Bradley is damaged goods has also taken root. Well, he's clearly damaged. And no, knee injuries aren't good. But the list of players who have come back from knee injuries is a long one. I suspect that, absent the other troubles, peope would not be that quick to send Milton to the scrap heap for a partially torn patellar tendon.

4) "Outside the Lines"--Bradley qua clubhouse cancer. The notion that he's a distraction, deterimental to team chemistry, etc.

Like I said, this is likely (perhaps definitely) an imperfect taxonomy. But I think it might be a starting point. Do people think these are all equally legitimate grounds for jettisoning Bradley? Thoughts?

118
It's no fun to have other teams salivating over our most talented players. Are we Royals fans now? And exactly one year from now we'll be reading the same stuff in chats about Drew.

127 - I'm guessing the haven't read the Daily Breeze report yet. Most people in Southern California won't have read it yet, let alone the East Coast.

106 - It bothers me because he's on the Dodgers, and that he's a low-life scumbag pregnant wifebeater. Not to mention all the rest of the junk we (I) have had to endure from him. I've actually been waiting for a good excuse to get rid of him, as odd as that sounds.

A good column by Eric Neel:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=neel/050830

In light of the Daily Breeze article, I'd like to retract my desire to have 9 Milton Bradleys on the field. I'd actually like 0.

This team is falling apart.

131- How about this reason, Kent & Bradley simply won't co-exist anymore & Kent is not the one I'd wish to see go.

131 He's proven he cannot deal with his anger at work. He's now shown that he takes the anger home and practices on his wife.

For me there's no amount of production on the field that would make me want him after that, but he's not put up numbers in his two years here to even have an argument.

they don't need to be all equally legitimate for some people to them add up to the conclusion that he should be gone.

pesonally, i'm not totally firm in the conviction that he needs to leave, but my support for him has eroded considerably.

What if?

1. DePo said "I made a big mistake with Adrian Beltre;" and

2. Adrian Beltre said "I made a big mistake;" and

3. The Mariners were willing to "eat" about 6 mil of his contract; and

4. We traded A. Perez, Aybar and Choi for Adrian;

5. Could he again become the player he was in 2004?

Could it happen?

140- What if the yankees trade us a-rod & jeter for those same guys?

140 I'm guessing you mean eat 6 million PER YEAR. Which is about 24 million total. I doubt they would do that.

I don't want Jeter. I'll keep Choi and send them Perez and Aybar for A-Rod.

I'll even throw in Izturis if they want him. A-Rod should be at SS.

131 - I wouldn't say your #1 summarizes my post altogether accuarately. It's not about Bradley not being worth the aggravation or worrying about his other shoe.

It boils down to this: in about three months or so, the Dodgers have to decide whether to offer a player with a health and behavior issues salary arbitration, which would guarantee him $x million for 2006. I can't see doing that anymore, unless the Daily Breeze report somehow grossly mischaracterizes Bradley's behavior. (Of course, I'm willing to hear Bradley's side of it - as the Daily Breeze was. I'm speculating that he doesn't have enough to change my mind.)

A new team will have more latitude in the terms it will set for Bradley - lower salary, non-guaranteed salary, behavior clauses, mental and physical "rehab," that sort of thing - in addition to whatever suspension he might receive. Bradley will work again somewhere. But because of the way the system is set up, it doesn't make sense for the Dodgers to offer arbitration.

I suppose the Dodgers could preempt arbitration by signing him to such a contract now, but with so many questions unanswered, how can they?

I think that's what I think. I'm not sure if I'm being clear. But it's beyond the emotional issue of frustration. It's an objective reaction to the latest red flag with Bradley.

Icaros, brilliant! Let's have a Guiness 8^)

#126: Our total salary this season, including benefits, insurance receipts, and cash payouts is about $97.5 million. Next year, with that projected outfield our total salary would be about $84 million (I bumped Giles up to $10 million). Assuming $97 million as a preseason cap, it would leave about $13 million remaining. Here's the detailed breakdown:

#1: Aybar, Willy (2B/3B $0.32 million)
#2: Brazoban, Yhency (RP $0.35 million)
#3: Broxton, Jonathan (RP $0.32 million)
#4: Choi, Hee-Seop (1B $1.25 million)
#5: Cruz Jr., Jose (OF $1.75 million)
#6: Dessens, Elmer (RP $1.30 million)
#7: Drew, J.D. (RF $11.00 million)
#8: Gagne, Eric (RP $10.00 million)
#9: Giles, Brian (RF $10.00 million)
#10: Houlton, Dennis (SP $0.33 million)
#11: Izturis, Cesar (SS $3.10 million)
#12: Kent, Jeff (2B $9.00 million)
#13: Ledee, Ricky (OF $1.50 million)
#14: Lowe, Derek (SP $9.00 million)
#15: Navarro, Dioner (C $0.32 million)
#16: Penny, Brad (SP $5.50 million)
#17: Perez, Antonio (2B/3B $0.34 million)
#18: Perez, Odalis (SP $8.00 million)
#19: Phillips, Jason (C $1.15 million)
#20: Robles, Oscar (2B/SS $0.34 million)
#21: Sanchez, Duaner (RP $0.40 million)
#22: Schmoll, Steve (RP $0.34 million)
#23: Werth, Jayson (OF $0.40 million)
#24: X: Starting Pitcher (SP $?? million)
#25: X: Third Baseman (3B $?? million)

Benefits: $7.55 million (from Hardball Times)

Total: $83.41 million

Is anyone else nervous about signing Giles? I've gotta think he'll get 4 years, and he's already showing signs of decline. (Even when you factor in park effects, it seems to me he's fallen off some from his peak. And that slide could only be expected to continue.)

His .300/.400/.500 season is very nice at age 34, but are we confident he'll get anywhere near that when he's 35-38?

He's been one of my favorite players for years, and that alone would make it sweet to see him in blue. But if he commands a premium contract, it would be risky.

Kaufman made a good point. Drew, (and, by extension, Werth) can hardly be considered "injury-prone" when discussing the current year's injuries. HBP resulting in a broken wrist is not normal wear and tear.

Yes, we know Drew has gotten hurt in the past in more conventional ways, but unless he's suddenly decided to go after Biggio's record we can assume he's not gonna break a wrist again that way in the future.

Oh, for those 'Ewa beach fans, down at the bottom of the previous thread I posted a link to the celebration plans for the kids' arrival at the airport last night. If you look at today's Honolulu Advertiser (http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com) you'll see photos and links to stories about that arrival as it happened.

Anyone notice that we're 4.5 back again?

Of course Peavy and Prior stand in our way today...but let's see what happens!

Did anyone catch the interview with Tracy on the SCSR? if you did then was I the only one that noticed that they tried a new camera angle on him, instead of the camera shooting straight on or down on him, the camera was at his feet looking straight up kind of giving him this aura of a man with a vision.

147 - I agree. I don't think Giles is the right fit due to age and salary. We'll face stiff competition from Houston, SD, and Atlanta.

Matsui would be nice, but I think Wilkerson could be had from Washington.

152 - I think Cruz, Jr. could be as good as Wilkerson next year. Brad's had a lot of nagging injuries that hurt his production.

dangit. I mean 151.

145 I love Guiness.

154- Me too, all those cool world records.

155 Remember the guy covered with bees?

I think I would go after whichever young outfielder Cincy wants to give up. Dunn, Kearns or Pena would all be a significant upgrade with plenty of upside. And they say they aren't trading Griffey, so they've gotta get rid of one of these guys.

The good news for Milton is that players with baggage that include spousal abuse issues manage to find jobs in MLB, just ask Wil Cordero;

The better news for Dodger fans is that he won't be our problem anymore after this offseason.

In my experience, the fact that the DA's office chose not to file charges and prosecute the most serious (July 11) incident doesn't mean it didn't happen, just that under the high standard of beyond a reasonable doubt, they may not be able to make the case to a jury.

In domestic violence situations where the victim is the only witness, a lot of times in the absence of overwhelming evidence there are problems prosecuting the matter, if the victim decides for whatever reason (fear, hopes for reconcilation) not to cooperate.

Why Giles?

I'd rather sign Johnny Damon. We need a leadoff hitter.

Or Matsui, who is also a free agent.

135
That column is the Plaschke Antidote.

"We want to live in a world where people are rewarded for being good to one another."

I've always pictured a quote like this pinned up in Plaschke's cluttered cubicle downtown under a signed photo of Alex Cora.

"Bill you can be my dance partner any day.- Best, Alex #13"

157 Damon (who should play LF - he can't throw), Drew is CF and Pena (lower $alary) in RF. That would be nice.

Jon (and others):

Like I said, a first shot (and a quick one...I'm supposed to be doing some real work!). Comments on my 131 are all germane. Jon, it seems to be your response is, uh, non-responsive as far as the underlying rationale that is motivating you. I guess, what is it that's your tipping point? If instead of the DV allegations there were three new reports of clubhouse antics, how does that change things. If the pateller tendon was strained instead of torn, how does that change things. Is it a baseball decision, or a mora decision? A little bit of both? If Bradley was under a long-term deal, how would you evaluate the situation? Yeah, lots of questions.

137 I don't buy that. Until there's proof that Bradley or Kent have egos the size of Shaq or Kobe (a long way from happening in my book) I don't think there's a reason to think they can't coexist. Even if they hated each other's guts.

138 I'm guessing this is sort of the "character counts" argument, that good play doesn't balance out bad acts. I agree with this. But my question is: how is dumping Bradley a solution? If we accept that he'll end up somewhere, is it likely that getting shipped to anothe team will actually help him confront his underlying issues? Maybe yes, in part for cntract-related reasons detailed by Jon, or just as a slap in the face. But I tend to think more than just a "shake up" is needed for Milton to turn things around.

162. As far as helping Bradley? I don't have the answer, though I think only he can help himself. Maybe he should leave baseball altogether.

But the only way for the Dodgers to solve their problem is to get rid of him. They've given him many chances and have publicly supported him in the past. He's blown all those chance. There comes a time when the organization has to seperate themselves from him.

159, 161 - Damon just isn't that good. DePo and Beane let him walk when he was in his prime.

I seriously doubt he'd sign him to a big deal five years later.

I can't speak for Jon, but as for me, the tipping point is the report of domestic abuse. That makes Milton Bradley more than just cranky.

Bradley's injury is fortunate for both he and the Dodgers in a way in that he is out of the media spotlight. The big problems can be avoided until the knee injury is resolved. Isn't it true that all big problems can be avoided if you ignore them?

162 - in the interests of getting my own work done and my sanity, I'm not going to get into hypotheticals. The situation is too nuancy as it is.

I don't think my response was non-responsive - I just can't give you a single, inflexible rationale, which is what you seem to want, for a very complicated situation

#159: Johnny Damon is not a bad option.

Giles 2005: 53.6 VORP, 34 years old
Damon 2005: 44.9 VORP, 31 years old

But, I imagine Damon will get a much longer and lucrative deal, because A) he's younger and B) he plays center field. Damon has less value to the Dodgers since J.D. Drew can play center field.

The Dodgers would probably be looking at 4 years / $44 million for Damon vs. 2-3 years at $10 million per year for Giles. Considering the state of our farm system, I'd rather sign Giles to a more lucrative 2 year deal. Perhaps 2 years / $22.5 million. Additionally, there would be the added benefit of stealing him from San Diego :).

162- Speaking pragmatically, for a sports team (and their fans) I think you can get away with practically anything as long as you perform superbly on the field. Sad, but true. If you're helping your team win (and win championships) fans will put up with almost anything.

Bradley's major problem is that his on-field performance isn't nearly where it needs to be in order to overcome these off-field issues. Ray Lewis gave Baltimore a Super Bowl; he wasn't merely a contributor, he was the single factor -- the driving force, the face of the team. If Bradley was playing like Derrick Lee and the Dodgers were in first, it wouldn't be an issue -- for many fans, anyway.

Part of my support of Bradley came from his sincere efforts to change... and until a couple of weeks ago, it really looked like he had turned the corner. But a team is supposed to represent a community, and despite Bradley's work promoting inner city baseball and various charities (all of which he should be commended for), at this point he is a significant negative to the Dodgers in every respect.

Look at Damon's numbers during his one season in Oakland.

.256/.324/.363=.687 OPS

His best season ever was last year in Boston.

.304/.380/.477=.857 OPS

With park effects and age taken into account (I believe Dodger Stadium plays a lot closer to Oakland than to Fenway), you're looking at a guy who will probably OPS in the mid-to-high .700s as a Dodger. Why would you give J.D. Drew money to a guy who will never put up Drew's numbers?

I also think Damon may command an even higher salary because he is worshipped in Boston and they can outspend anyone (except NY).

167 I would be very surprised if an outfielder of Giles' stature settles for 2 years. Some team will give him 4, then Plaschke et al will rip DePo (IF he's still the Dodger GM) for not matching a contract that could well end up being a loser.

Call it the Beltre syndrome.

A case for Damon ...

I think considering his "character!", his marketability & celebrity-ness in a town of celebrities, and the Red Sox worship factor (McCourt's other favorite team?), Damon seems a better Dodgers signing for reasons outside the lines. That Beane/DePo gave him up before seems a moot point -- money was a factor then and, of course, now DePo says money is not a factor.

Agree that someone (Baltimore?) will overpay greatly for Giles. Giles doesn't really help market a team. Damon brings something more to the fan base, I think. That's my greater point, really.

What does Damon bring? Long Hair? Poor acting skills?

I don't see the argument, sounds too similar to the reasons for keeping Alex Cora over Jeff Kent.

Damon (.786 career OPS) will be marginally better than Jayson Werth (.769 career OPS) and make over ten times the money.

Could be spent better elsewhere, IMO.

Anyone wish to experience the Curse of Jason Ellison in person?

I have come into three extra seats for the Saturday afternoon 9/10 game between the Padres and Dodgers.

Field Level, Section 42, Row D.

Bring sunscreen. Industrial strength.

5-0 Cubs are falling apart. Steve Lyons has said some pretty dumb things so far this inning. No way Nomar could've cut off that ball hit up the middle. Holy cow, Nomar throws the ball into right field. APerez can't be any worse than Nomar at 3b. vr, Xei

172. Local LA sports radio host said Damon is the most valuable player in baseball before the season began. haha! vr, Xei

175

Ooh, one of those Xeifrank has fallen through one of those Star Trek like time wormholes.

176 A mix of vicodin and FSW game replay will do that everytime ;)

Ok, DJ has his 6 run cushion, he just needs to throw strikes from hear on out.

176. Star Trek? Sorry, I'm more of a 3rd Rock person, but let's not turn this into a TV/movie thread. :)
vr, Xei

Xeifrank, drink two beers with that stuff and you'll return to the womb.

I predict that Jeromy Burnitz hits one really far this ining.

Room is spinning... It's deja vu all over again. :) Replay games while doped up on pain pills is a bad mix. I will go take a nap now.................vr, Xei

Room is spinning... It's deja vu all over again. :) Replay games while doped up on pain pills is a bad mix. I will go take a nap now.................vr, Xei

i promise not to triple post. Ciao! vr, Xei

Johnny Damon left his wife for a gold-digging bimbo and wrote about it in his book. He will never pass the Plaschke Character Test.

Did he really call her a "gold-digging bimbo"?

If so, bonus points for honesty.

No, those are my words. But I'll have to see how he describes her in the book (I haven't read it). It was a big deal on Boston talk radio when it came out, though. Not unlike the Lowe thing.

I believe Damon's wife and Schilling's wife don't like each other. Something about not wearing a particular scarf during the playoffs. It was a big thing in Boston.

I wonder if any of the spouses of the Dodgers hang out together. Or did they all hire private detectives to follow around the other women who report for FSN?

That's my understanding as well. Supposedly Schilling's wife came up with some sort of rally scarf during the ALCS to support the team, and Damon's wife didn't want to participate, and words were exchanged, and I think they had to be separated (The Globe won't let me search their archives). The speculation is that this incident also prompted Johnny Damon to pop off in the media when Schilling was made the closer.

I'd rather just see the wives duke it out.

Boston has supposedly made Damon their #1 priority this offseason.

I'd be willing to bet he ends up back in Boston next year.

He will absolutely end up back in Boston, unless some team like the Yankees makes some terribly ridiculous offer. He's a cult figure in Boston, but anywhere else he'd probably be just a guy. He'll get a contract similar to Varitek's, so he'll be vastly overpaid, but it's not like the Red Sox can't afford it, and he's arguably the most popular athlete in Boston, after Tom Brady.

Of course, after observing how Boston fans and the Red Sox operate, he'll get a big contract, get hurt, get booed by the fans, say something to the media, and then get run out of town on a rail.

The last time I went on a vacation out of Internet range, J.D. Drew got injured and the season was destroyed.

This time, the Dodgers go on a three-game win streak, Weaver beats Clemens, and Bradley is learned to be a possible spouse batterer. Never a dull moment.

Here's what I would do if I was DePodesta and didn't have a PR agency counseling me at $600/hour. I would offer Bradley arbitration this year, and cut his salary 20 percent. I'd tell him, we're putting you on the 60-day DL, during which time you will receive a thorough psychiatric evaluation and recommendations for treatment. This would go far beyond 'anger management counseling,' which seems kind of like a workers comp scam anyway, and go deeply into the roots of his overall behavior and tendency toward conflict. If the evaluation says Bradley needs to take anti-anxiety or anti-depressent meds, he will be responsible for doing so. Leave him on the DL until the Dodgers are convinced that his treatment will allow him to function in the high-stress environment of a major league baseball clubhouse.

If this treatment starts now, before Bradley's knee surgery, and is woven into the physical recuperation, he could emerge as a sensational player, one whom I would rather see in a Dodger uniform than a Padre uniform. If the treatment fails and he remains a (alleged) wife-beating malcontent, then we've only lost $2 million, which the Dodgers can afford to risk.

The Dodgers owe Milton Bradley nothing. But I think this compassionate approach could also wind up as beneficial to the team's goals, so why not consider it?

(Because if you pay a PR agency $600/hr. to regurgitate the conventional wisdom, it's hard to tell them 'thank you, here's your check, but you're wrong,' that's why.)

Things are looking very bad in New Orleans. Have a thought for the people stuck there.

192 - Definitely. I have been, all day.

Giles, Damon? What makes some of you think the Dodgers will spring for any marquee players?

191 I just think that with him on the roster, you end up not looking for alternatives. Then, if (when?) he blows up again during the season, or if we find out MORE bad news about his personal life, it's too late to address the issue through free agency. If we think we have a chance to win next year, then let's put a team on the field that gives us a reasonable chance. Between MB's personal issues and his growing record of health problems, I'm not sure he's the guy we need.

Plus, maybe he's a wifebeater, in which case I don't ever want to find myself tempted to applaud him for ANYTHING.

My parents honeymooned in New Orleans and Biloxi back in 1956. I should look through their memorabilia to see where they stayed.

It's a part of the country I've never been to, but I've always wanted to see. It's very sobering to watch it on TV.

What makes you think the Dodgers will be gunshy?

194 Because they spent a boatload on Drew, Kent, Lowe, and Perez last season.

Are you really stuck on the "McCourt is Cheap" rail?

I think "gunshy" needs a hyphen or a space.

I pronounced it as all one word.

But checking the dictionary it doesn't. It's just me.

I've been to New Orleans three times. I love that city.

199 - That's what I meant - gunshy as in "gunshee". :-)

DePo likes young players with a big upside, baseball-diamonds in the rough, so to speak. I look for him to try to prove how shrewd he is by finding less obvious choices (as he did in signing Valentin over Randa).

Things I learnt on Dodger Thoughts, today.

1. Vicodin, beer, and the Dodger re-play makes for a fun afternoon.
2. Fortnight=4.5 minutes.
3. There's more to Ron Coomer than his waistline.

Or signing Valentin over Beltre

A lot of Bradley's value is tied up in his ability to play a good CF. With his knee problem, that ability is likely to decline, if not disappear completely. I'm not convinced he's got the bat to provide much value at a corner OF position, plus b/t the injuries and the off-field crap I think he's a poor bet to give you anywhere near the 140-150 games you want out of a starter. Add in J.D. Drew's injury history (and I say that even though I'm in the "broken wrist was a fluke" crowd) and I just can't see the case for bringing Milton back and paying him 3-4 million.

I'd like to see us move Drew to CF (makes him even more valuable and he's good in CF). I'd also like to see us trade some of our young pitching (personally, I'd be open to dealing anyone but Billingsley for the right return) for an impact corner OF bat. In a perfect world, we'd get Adam Dunn, who is a perfect fit for Dodgers Stadium - value tied up in walks and HRs, not 2Bs and 3Bs. I guess I'd be content to pick up Willy Mo Pena or Austin Kearns instead, if the Reds are more inclined to deal one of them. But the Dodgers really need a big bat in one of the corner OF positiions.

young players with a big upside

You say that and then use Valentin as an example?

198- I didn't say he was cheap, but remember that all the players you mention are still under contract, why do you assume he'll go for more big $ guys on top of those?

On Sunday morning, Fox News ran a crawl graphic that said:

100,000 Lack the Means to Leave New Orleans

I thought it was tasteless. My wife didn't connect it to the famous song, so she didn't have the same reaction. But I thought it was bad.

Next earthquake, they'll say, "100,000 Take Heart but Leave Life Savings in San Francisco"

How many men who beat their wives do it while sober?

I've never been to the South other than Dallas and I don't think that really counts. New Orleans was always one of the places I wanted to get to. I think I'll wait awhile longer. A friend of mine is supposed to go there for a vacation in two weeks. I think he's changing plans. He showed me a picture of his hotel with no windows in it.

203-lol.

Who doesn't like young players with big upside? Other than Dusty Baker.

207 Because with Shawn Green, Darren Dreifort, and Jose Valentin coming off the books they'll have about $18-25 million to spend.

212 - Brian Sabean.

209 very interesting question. I imagine some people don't need to be drunk to be violent, but a lot do.

212- Steinbrenner

212 Bowden

212 Piniella

And every one of those people mentioned has killed a puppy in the last 24 hours.

213- does that include weaver? raises to current players like sanchez or werth?

212 - Those listed only try to distance themselves from young upsides.

But only Baker actively tries to ruin their careers. You have to admire that kind of dedication.

Ninety-two percent of the domestic abuse assailants reported use of alcohol or other drugs on the day of the assault, according to a recent JAMA report.

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/abuse/a/aa990331.htm

220-Why would werth get a raise? I think we should sign weaver and jettison Old peanut.

220 If Weaver isn't resigned, that's another $8 million to spend.

Sanchez and Werth will get raises, but they're making the league minimum right now and will probably both be under a million each for the season.

223 - So 3 yrs./$30M for Weaver. And pay someone $10M to take the next 2 years of Odalis (er...Peanut) of our hands. And find another starter.

That's about $20M for next year alone for Weaver and another league average starter.

I've been away, so forgive, but has it been determined that Sanchez can only pitch in save situations yet?

222 Pretty sobering statistic

223- OP has two yrs left on his back-loaded contract at 10 mil per. Given his proclivity for the DL, how do you unload that?

I was really hoping we were going to deal Odalis at the trade deadline this year to some pitching-desperate team.

Odalis Perez's contract takes a jump from $3 million this year to about $10 million next year, I believe.

226 I think that is correct, only "save" situations. Now we get to see Brazoban for multiple innings, so it may be a good thing if he works out his problems.

223 Remember your promise on the peanut nickname. :)

226 - What a depressing thought. Yet you're right - it's exactly the preposterous line of thought that Brazoban was rammed into.

If $100 million is McCourt's absolute ceiling, and they're about $10 million below that right now, combined with roughly $20-25 million coming off the books with Green, Dreifort, Valentin, and Weaver (and taking into account Perez's salary hike), there's going to be a lot of money for free agents or trades for higher-priced players.

This doesn't mean they should blow all of that cash just to blow it, though (unless they find some really good blow).

Trade Pearez to the Angels for jared Weaver.

233 -- Don't forget the likelihood that Milton Bradley will have to take his board games somewhere else.

If we had both Weavers, we could rename them Cheech and Chong.

Trade Pearez to the Angels for jared Weaver.

Yak, that's a much better nickname, he's kinda shaped like a pear.

233-What better thing to do when your depressed than to splurge? Frankie is gonna be sad, PDP is gonna be skating on thin ice and Tracy has shown that he wont play any play PDP type players unless hell is freezing over, so hey why not spend mad amounts of cash on tried and true superstars the likes of Burnett and Matsui.

235 I'm so bummed about Milton. It was always a secret fantasy of mine to one day see Bradley in center with super-slugging identical twins John and Joseph Parker in left and right.

234- Better still, trade Perez to San Diego for Jake Peavy, because that's just about as likely.

238 Good players for sure, but I'd stop short of labeling Matsui and especially Burnett as "tried and true superstars."

Tracy has shown that he wont play any play PDP type players unless hell is freezing over

If this is really the case, then how stupid is it to keep both of them in the same organization?

Why doesnt' depo just do what he did with dave and just give him to Boston.

242-in reference to Peanochio.

241-kinda stupid?

242 I assume you're talking about Perez, and if Boston agreed to eat all of his contract, I bet he'd do it in a second. Who wouldn't?

Bob,
I hate to disagree with you. (I rarely do.)

IF your not hiding some facts here, what then do you actually know as fact? The rest of its just heresay and I can't believe that some of you who rely on stats and numbers for the facts, could imply that Milton Bradley was guilty just because of past performance and character because to me that's what you are doing without 100% factual proof. IF YOUR NOT HIDING IT....

Domestic Violence is a terrible thing. I know this because I've been on the receiving end of the accusations. I was tried by family members,(from both sides) friends and aquaintences and pronounced guilty by mock trial and jury. I didn't even get to defend myself.

My conviction and sentence was twenty years of blaming myself, feeling sorry for myself, hating myself to the point that I took it out on myself and added it to the myriad of issues I already had in the form of a compulsive habit and disease.

I've since learned through the help of a 12-step program that I can forgive myself for something that wasn't entirely my fault. I've also learned that I'm not a victim and most certainly, she wasn't either. That she too as just as much at fault and just as abusive and violent.

She was a coddled, spoiled individual that had a lot of growing up to do--just like me. The ultimate rejection I got from that incident, even though we were to continue on with the relationship for 2 more long abusive years was constant arguing, betrayal and rejection on her part, and I took it simply because I was of course guilty--everybody had pronounced that.

So just like Milton, we have our moments--all of us. Some of us have had to deal with issues in our rearing that form a foundation of the way we handle things--it's not right, and certainly it isn't right to pass judgement when none of us know the facts unless we are hiding details which are in reality, none of our business. Most of all when we assume what is fact and turn the blind eye to what isn't.

I can only hope it isn't happening here.

234- Unfortunately, I don't think the Angels are that stupid. :)

246-Maybe Bradley needs to learn that when she pushes your buttons doesnt mean you get to push her but he can learn that somewhere else.

The thread has sort of passed this by, but I believe Valentin that his problems are brace-related. I've been through the same injury, surgery, and rehab, at about teh same age as JV. I couldn't believe he came back as fast as he did, and I'm not surprised to see that he's limited. Moving him to the OF made sense - it's much easier to run straight foward than to pivot and lunge for balls at 3b. I'm also not suprised it has affected his swing, which was always big and (Bob forgive me) "torguey." And yes, he HAS TO wear the brace, at least for this season.

So then the question becomes whether he should be out there at all. I don't think so. I think he should have shut it down for the year. He can't hit right now, and this team, especially in Tracy-world, has too many no-stick, "defense-first" guys in the lineup.

Play AP at 3rd, or Saenz when Lowe pitches, Cruz/Werth/Ledee in the OF until/unless Drew returns, and try to generate some offense. If Ledee can't go, then find a fill-in.

I'm holding out for Choi to announce that everything is OK as long as he's Asian.

249. Ugh. Just re-read my post. Best not to misspell words you're inventing. "Torquey." Aw, never mind.....

signing valentin was depo's biggest mistake, and routinely starting him is tracy's.

I have in-laws in the New Orleans area, they are all right but it doesn't look very pretty, most of their houses were spared thank God, but they are without power and no clue when it will be back.

What would constitute 100% certain proof? Assuming there isn't video of the altercation, nothing could fit that bill. A bloody lip when the cops showed up is strong enough for me. If that isn't what the police report says, if the Daily Breeze made that up, I'll be right behind you stringing up the editor. But I don't bet it is made up. Is it possible the woman bloodied her own lip, then called the cops to blame it on Bradley? Yes, I suppose. I don't believe that that's what happened.

I don't think anybody here believes they know exactly what happened. I think those who've opined on the matter beleive they know well enough what happened. I think they're right.

249 Play AP at 3rd, or Saenz when Lowe pitches

What does that accomplish? But you have a point, Tracy would love that. Personally, I'd like Aybar there (how many times have I said this? sorry...) as a defensive Lowe 3B. He's a very good defender, and he can hit at least as well as Edwards

But Valentin clearly needs to think about giving it a rest. Unfortunately, Tracy will use him if he's on the roster, and there's no need to DL him, unless it's the 60-day

253- sorry about your in-laws, but if they're really without power, perhaps they could play outfield for the dodgers.

249 The way the Koreans feel about the Japanese, I don't think "Asian" will cut it.

254 - The fact that we're even talking about the APPEARANCE of a problem, to me, is indicative of a problem.

If there was no problems, there would never have been police visits. The fact that no legal action has been taken shouldn't obscure the idea that everything is not OK with MB.

255. Oops, yeah, I forgot that Aybar was up (probably because we haven't seen him yet).

It's not factual evidence. There's a police report, yet the Daily News only reports of what was in it and that no arrests were made.

The National Enquirer says that Paris and Paris are already secretly married, yet she's now living with her music producer....Does that make them right?

signing valentin was depo's biggest mistake

How could signing a guy to a one-year, relatively cheap ($3.5 million) contract be a bigger mistake than what we are stuck with in Odalis Perez?

and routinely starting him is tracy's.

I'm going to go with the Phillips at first fiasco and the having J.D. Drew bunt as being worse.

In light of the Gulf Coast devastation and the gravity of Jon's morning post, we have forgotten the ongoing Hochevar saga. The Whittier-something-or-other newspaper is reporting that Luke hasn't been returning Logan White's phone calls.

http://www2.whittierdailynews.com/sports/ci_2980047

I'm just going to sit out the rest of this....

260 - Right. The Enquirer made stuff up about a celebrity, so we can't trust anything we read in print, anywhere.

There is some good news, yesterday Bob reported BP's post season odds for the Dodgers at 3.4%, and we're now up to 9.3%

Arizona's odds: 6.8%

San Francisco's odds: 1.2%

San Diego's odds: 92.6%

258,
Thank god there was a police to make sur

But I have a question: Have you ever been around a pregnant female before? Do you now how their emotions can run amuck? What's to say that isn't the case here, that it isn't just simply a case of PHS? (Prego Housewife Syndrome)

Suppose there are 1000 reports of spousal abuse where the cops show up and the wife is bleeding. How many of those bloody lips will have been caused by the husband? 940? More? The likelihood that it's all just a big mistake is very small.

If the Enquirer had the marriage certificate, signed by the officiant, it probably would.

265 The Padres are at 82.6%

I take Tommy's point to heart. I've seen too many people falsely accused of things that are hard to prove one way or the other. With some crimes (and they ARE serious crimes, if true) such as child abuse or domestic abuse or even sexual harrassment, the presumption is that the accused is guilty until (and often even despite being) proved innocent. And, given the seriousness of the crime, cops usually act that way, even if DAs don't push unless they think they can win. I don't know whether MB is guilty or not. As some have said, the fact that he was never even detained suggests that the cops on the scene didn't see enough evidence or a sense of threat to do anything. Sadly, it's easy to make false accusations.

I also think that Tommy (and a couple others have said or implied this) is right that we are certainly missing a lot of the facts, both about Bradley's personal life, and about his interaction within the team. We know very little. Reporters know a little more that we do, but are still reading between the lines half the time.

Unless Bradley is convicted of something (or at least arrested) I think this has to be a baseball/business decision. And, frankly, despite his obvious athleticism and POTENTIAL, I don't think he's a star. He's a good player, in large part for his defense. And if his reputation and public image make him bad for business, then that has to matter too. The thing is, the Dodgers have to make a contract decision on him after this season. They can't wait to see where this all goes. And thus, I think they should let him go.

Tommy, thanks for your post. For my part, I qualified my post with "unless this Daily Breeze report is completely misleading."

I'm obviously not literally in charge of the Dodgers; if I were, I'd of course use more than a Daily Breeze news story to guide my decision making.

From my vantage point, I will admit to being skeptical that Bradley is somehow a 100-percent victim in the domestic incidents. And if he does hold responsibility, however much his upbringing may have contributed, again, the cummulative weight of red flags, both physical and psychological/sociological, have left me uninvested in Bradley remaning a Dodger right now. That's all. I'm not trying to convict Bradley without a trial. And I'm certainly rooting for him to come through this. I just don't think he's going to come through it by November, and I'm not sure I'd want the Dodgers to give him seven figures of salary while we wait.

I apologize for the last paragraph sounding as wordy as a Jim Tracy interview.

264--Well, I would call the Daily News investigative journalism, speculative at this point. Surely it's tabloid speculation to me to even report on it at this point, prematurely without giving the full details.

We haven't seen the facts and certainly now that Bob has bowed out of the conversation regarding them as maybe he has the inside details and isn't sharing them. OR.....Maybe he doesn't..

What would constitute 100% certain proof?

Anything Plaschke says on Around the Horn. Duh.

266 Woah - my post showed up after this one. My reference to "Tommy's point" was to his earlier one, in 246. I don't want any part of the latter point.

Like Bob, I'm done. Let me know when we start talking about baseball again.

I think just to clarify that the report is in the Daily Breeze (South Bay) and not the Daily News (San Fernando Valley) and the two papers aren't related.

The difference is important because the Daily News is part of a big chain and you will see stories from lots of other papers on its website (Press-Telegram, SB Sun, SGV Tribune most notably) while the Daily Breeze is sort of on its own.

266 - Tommy, I'd quit while you were ahead, or at least in the ballpark. There are many ways to deal with what you're somewhat insultingly describing that would avoid three police incident reports.

Jon,
I just think-with apologies to the Daily News-- that the Daily Breeze is speculating guilt, or at least perpretrating it before the facts. (If that is indeed what they are doing)

At least that's the way its going to be speculated in this world today. If they were simply reporting the incident, they should have had the common sense to investigate it further before taking it press. I'm just calling for some journalistic integrity on their part, and would never really question yours, only the speculative nature that the person is guilty when he wasn't even arrested nor charged with such a deplorable crime, especially in the wake of the past weeks.

I also apologize to Bob if this embarassed him in anyway.

Add me to those that think that we are not Bradley's judge and jury and would be making a huge mistake to "convict" him based on media reports. It is simply unfair.

But I wonder: Should anyone guilty of dv automatically have to lose their job? Be demoted? What about anyone merely accused of dv? Are baseball players a special case? Why? Because they are role models and it's their job to be public figures? Is it because we think that their actions off the field will ultimately make for problems on the field? If Bradley had always been a model citizen but then we found out about dv accusations, would we still want him gone?

Whatever Bradley has done, he's still a human being, and it's not so easy to answer these questions.

SiGeg,
That's exactly my point.

Also, I would like to restate, My apolgies to Bob if this has embarassed him or INSULTED him in anyway. I would never do that intentionally, and I hope he already knows that.

276 - In direct contrast to what you're saying, the Daily Breeze didn't say Bradley was guilty. They reported facts and did not draw any conclusion. You are, defensively if understandably, but quite like many of the people you are debating, reading a conclusion into the article that isn't there.

Journalists are allowed to report facts without having every loose end tied. Sure, they could have held the story. But they got one side of the story, gave Bradley an opportunity to give the other side, and posted the facts.

The Breeze showed good journalistic integrity. It's a good story. They didn't draw any conclusions, just reported the facts.

There were three police incidents.

They reported what was in the police reports.

They reported that Bradley would not talk and angrily told them to go away.

They mentioned his past troubles with anger management.

The readers drew the conclusions. The Breeze reported the facts as a good newspaper should.

Tommy,
Since you are not named Russ Ortiz, Matt Herges, or Frank Robinson, I don't hold a grudge and I wasn't offended.

Jon said it better than me.

281

All three could be candidates for the next Dodgers manager.

277 (and others): I'm not in charge of the Dodgers, I'm simply speaking as a fan. A fan of the team (first) and a fan of Bradley (second). Most of the time, I wouldn't have to qualify between the two. But on a personal level, I'm finding it increasingly hard to root for him -- my wife (as I mentioned earlier) is a social worker, and in the past has seen quite a lot of DV-related cases (both for men and women... including various counselling programs for men who admitted having a problem). So for Bradley to be involved in a possible DV situation leaves a very sour taste in my mouth.

I wish him the very best working through his problems, and I hope that he and his wife can work through his (and possibly her) issues and have a meaningful, caring relationship without the threat of violence.

Hmmm...I see the tenor of this group regarding MB...and I don't really see that it will be changed. I just see circumstances where Bradley's actions, while perhaps not justified, would fall short of "wife beating." Now, imagine if his wife accused him of cheating, and started hammering him with her fists, and he retaliated by pushing against the wall, yelling, "Back off!" Sounds very plausible for the circumstances described.

Most of you guys have never seen a wife beater. I have, growing up in a little hick town. These guys really beat their wife, not just push back against provocation. To me, the fact that no charged were filed, given the evidence should not be ignored.

Overall, the reports are very troubling. But, I'm not ready to hang MB.

I have heard of players coming forward to defend Jeff Kent but I haven't heard of any coming forward to defend Milton Bradley. Honest question...have I missed those or do they not exist?

Jon,
Having not read the article until just now, I can fully say with that it smacks of a wife that is obviously in a delicate condition being 4 months pregnant and a Husband who is right now, showered in turmoil wth his professional life and it was an argument that got out of hand. The article says that he would have been arrested immediately, which is the normal proceedure in DV cases--GET THEM APART AND LET THEM COOL DOWN. The DA didn't press charges in what seems to be this latest event. How come the Daily BReeze didn't report these other events when they happened, or am I missing something here?

Yes, Milton Bradley is a intolerant individual with lots of credibility issues, but if you put yourself in his place, you have every media outlet looking for something on him and then to compound it, have a wife that is in a delicate condition attack him with accusations of improprieties and betrayal, I think it's a given that a guy like that is going to snap. THANK GOD it was taken out on a phone against the wall and the cussing out of a reporter, who was out of reach on a balcony!

Yes, his time as a Dodger is finished and he is responsible. I think Milton Bradley knows this, and hopefully he can get over it quickly and forgive himself for actions during these last weeks. They don't make a lifetime--hopefully.

From Plaschke's article on Don Newcombe:

"One of the things that angered the Dodgers about Milton Bradley's recent claims of racial problems is that they felt it trivialized the real struggles of players like Newcombe.

"If Milton had asked me, I would have said, 'Be careful what you say, you don't want to create something that's hard to deal with,' " Newcombe said. "To my experience, the Dodgers have no racial problems at all."

*But Newcombe said he understood the inspiration for Bradley's words.

"I want everyone to know, Milton Bradley is a fine guy; he reminds me of Jackie in so many ways.* He has a personality that wants to win," he said. "And, really, if you look on the field right now, nothing racial about it, but there's only two blacks, it's not the Dodgers' fault, but that's hard sometimes."

(bolded by me)

(curses; obviously I lack posting-fu brilliance)

Telemachos,
I too need to find out the posting codes for the site.

Also, thank you for bringing the Newcomb quote up. It's very apropos.

The Lousiana Superdome is being evacuated now as flood waters in New Orleans are reaching there and that's one of the highest points in the city.

261I have to agree that signing Valentin was Depo's biggest mistake. It has been speculated that he had to choose between Valentin and Randa. Given what Randa has done this year I think he might have been a difference maker if we had him for 162 games.
While OP is also a blunder I think for this year, picking Valentin over Randa may will cost us a worthless pennant.
It is not good that we can even mention two large blunders to decide which is worse. I'm even more upset that Valentin is playing after reading todays article. AP may not be a good fielding 3b but when your hitting 330 you would have to be Dick Stuart bad to warrant not playing 3b.
For the record I agreed with Depo when he signed Valentin and I remember disagreeing vehemently when he signed OP. The stench of the playoffs had not yet worn off for me.

On the MB front Marty says it all for me. I expect the Times will now run the story. Jason Reid should write it.

"How come the Daily Breeze didn't report these other events when they happened, or am I missing something here?"

They didn't know about them. They weren't posting a 24-hour watch on Bradley's house all year - much to everyone's relief, I'm sure.

I think we've more or less aired this topic out. I'm gonna get a game thread up and get us talking about a Dodger game from August 30, xxxx.

If the choice is between Giles and Matsui to sign its a no brainer,Matsui in a landslide.The guy is arguably the best clutch hitter on the Yankees,a big time hitter.I would be shocked if George let him get away.Giles is okay,but really nothing special for the $$$ he would demand.Is Adam Dunn a free agent ?

Bob, I emailed The Grand Cosmo's friend, Cheese (He works at the Dome) and got a message from Earthlink that the message couldn't be delivered at this time. I hope he's alright and my prayers are with him and everyone else that's fighting that battle.

291
Damn-thanks for the update, heading over to my TV.

Jon, You mean to tell me that they (The Daily Breeze) didn't know? Especially after everything that has gone on in the past OR was it that it just wasn't newsworthy at the time? (I'm sure if you asked the players, they would agree with that conclusion, including Jeff Kent.)

I hate the fact your sweeping this under the carpet.

Valentin may be one of Depo's worst moves, but I think that many here probably agreed with it at the time (I know I did). Depo picked up Valentin for all the right reasons: good platoon guy with pop in his bat, a decent eye at the plate, and someone who could be a solid veteran presence in the clubhouse.

Valentin has failed (badly), but I don't think anyone could've imagined that his power numbers would drop so precipitously. Clearly, though, he has become Depo's Fred McGriff.

The frustrating thing about Odalis Perez is that if he mentally grew up a bit more (possible) and didn't get injured (possible) he'd be worth his contract.

I think a distinction needs to be made between wanting to "hang" MB and wanting to use one more disturbing piece of evidence regarding his (hate to use this word) character to speculate on what his team should do with him. I didn't see a lot of posts saying he's obviously guilty; I mostly saw people, myself included, saying that we were on the fence about whether to keep him until this report pushed us over.

I am in no position to judge his guilt. But even if he only pushed his pregnant wife after provocation, he has shown me enough by now to decide that I don't want to support him by buying Dodger tickets. If that is too harsh a reaction for someone who has, several times now, left me appalled or worse, then so be it.

And Tommy, I second Jon in thanking you for your post. That took balls, and it added some perspective.

I think it's fair to keep in mind that Valentin has been out nearly all season and clearly not 100% since coming back.

He was super hot to start the year, then went ice cold, then went on the DL. It's hard to fault the GM for signing a player with a good history injury-wise who tore up his knee sliding into home.

Odalis Perez, on the other hand, has been injured throughout his career, yet was given a three-year deal.

Count me in the camp that doesn't think Joe Randa would have saved the season. He put up some good numbers in hitter-friendly Cincinnatti (.289/.356/.491), but in 30 games with SD (121 ABs) he hasn't been much help (.240/.292/.372).

286- Kent is a veteran, therefore he has played with many more players. Those who are coming to his defense want to be named in Kent's HOF speech.

297 As a journalist (a former editor at the LAT; please don't throw rotten tomatoes) I am often frustrated by the public seeing an agenda in EVERYTHING a newspaper does. If the Breeze had known about this, I can't imagine them withholding it. Multiple reports of domestic abuse by a star athlete are ALWAYS newsworthy. Much more likely that they went digging after his latest blow-up, or that someone tipped them.

258- Tommie's right, Bradley's wife probably calls the cops at the drop of a hat. I'll bet Milton had good provocation for slapping her around and, until we know what that might have been, I think the Dodgers should send one of their flunkies over there to hold her arms for him.

BT&T,
Thank you for compliments and I'm sorry for taking a bit to respond. I was outside taking it all out on a neighbor's cat....He certainly is a very resilient kitty!

(Sorry for the tasteless joke, I just couldn't help it!)

And, since I've outed myself, I can also add that friends tell me Plaschke is a great guy.

He still makes me want to shriek nearly every time I read him, though.

297 - I don't understand what I'm sweeping under the carpet.

303 - Perhaps my sarcasm meter is broken, but I don't find that post enjoyable in any way.

I sure wish this had been swept under the carpet before 303. Unless that was a joke?

a former editor at the LAT

Can we throw fresh tomatoes?

Doesn't "former" count for something?

I didn't work on the Sports Desk, if that helps...

310- Unless you edited the weather page. . .

My all-time favorite practical joke was in Martin Amis's The Information. The protagonist sent his friend a copy of the Sunday L.A. Times, with a note on the order of: "Something in here I thought you'd enjoy."

308- I found 258 offensive so I was mocking it with what I thought was obvious hyperbole.

I'm a former Dodger fan, but tarred by my prior associations. We all have to answer for our histories. :)

I am often frustrated by the public seeing an agenda in EVERYTHING a newspaper does.

I'm just a reader, but thank you for stating that. It's pretty exasperating that the level of debate (particulary in political blogs) so often hinges on the `biased' argument.

313- The problem is that hyperbole doesn't work on the Internet, because people can't see you rolling your eyes, flinging your arms around wildly, and using the Homer Simpson tone of voice.

I just know that, for the most part, I worked with people who tried damn hard to get it right every day. I can't say that about most other jobs I've had.

I worked with people who tried damn hard to get it right every day. I can't say that about most other jobs I've had.

So, you've had a lot of government jobs then...

313- I think it would have been obvious in person, but since I don't know you, and it was in writing. . . There are people who think that women can provoke justified battery. I'm not one of them. I'm sorry I implied that you were. Won't happen again.

302,
I agree with you about the agenda driven accusations of this day and age. I'm completely for openess and honesty. But something that is appalling to me is the length or directions some people go to get the story--the actions that have been taken in doing it. I do think that the journalistic integrity that we were taught in school is somewhat dying, killed by a generation of electrons that made it physically possible for anyone to get anything published. Everyone is now a writer!

That being, I do think that it has bleed over into the modern mainstream. The panel in which Jon had particpated on earlier this year at the LA Press Club, with professionals from every dynamic of the sports media was a learning experience for me.

I saw an arrogance from Television, who clearly think they are the kings of journalism. (To me a large majority of them are nothing less then taking heads with little knowledge of the sports they cover.)

Newspaper was seen by me at that event as a descending media form, and I don't like to one bit.

Radio was the black sheep, an honest to goodness one at that, realizing the reach, but is now relying on the interaction of the listener to propel them.

Then it came to Jon. I detected a attitude from Jon that he was both thrilled to be there, yet not sure of his standing in all of this--given that he is a professional writer, but one that has transcended the boundries of journalism with this brave new frontier of being all if it at once: fan, writer, personality, mouthpiece--the modern day internet blogger who does his best to give all of the story all of the time, from the very best to the very worst, with only himsef as the editor of the content. It's his reputation that he's putting on the line. He lives and dies with it.

While this may seem like a change of pace from what I have been saying on this thread, I do think that all of the bases should always be touched to score the big run on the big hit.

And then you have the astute, well informed news anchors on CNN asking a wildlife expert how lethal a rat snake is...

321- I recognize a joke when I see one (usually): how lethal is it?

322 - Well, it could scare you to death...

Jim, This is true!

Even more hilarious, please check this out from yesterday on CNN. It's pretty funny but make sure you have the sound turned-up.

http://retrospection.net/videofiles/hurricanekat.php

323- It'd have to be a choking hazard, too, right? Especially if it were undercooked.

302, 317 - agreed.

325 - Mmmm, rat snake...

Tommy, does that clip play automatically? It's not working on my computer.

Jim, Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Try clicking on the little arrow at the bottom, on the left hand side, to the right of the speaker.

It's not loading properly, for some reason. I'm getting the header and the `Digg This', but no arrow. That's okay, I'll read the comments.

This is what was described on Radar:

"So there you are, standing in front of the blue screen on the biggest day of your life. The biggest storm you've ever seen is headed across the Gulf of Mexico and about to hit Louisiana. You're a meterologist, damn it, a card-carrying member of the American Meterological Society. There are wind speeds and storm surges to be addressed. So what happens when the chick sitting in the anchor chair won't let you finish your sentence? You throw a hissyfit and tell her to shut up, of course."

It's funny in the fact to see this newsgal, who is clearly pushing his buttons to get him upset and off mark. The weatherman completely loses it, throws down his notes and then catches himself from going even further.

dodgers and bradley's response to the daily breeze article.

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050830&content_id=1190055&vkey=news_la&fext=.jsp&c_id=la

I have changed my opinion of the Bradley-Kent Issue. I now am blaming Kent for his lack of ability to deal with a black, wife-beating, police-goading, reporter-assailing, jailbird, pompas, arrogant, racist.

Jeff,

You have been around long enough that you should have learned how to deal with that type of person.

It's all on you, Jeff.

Jon, thanks for the information about the fund raiser for the kid the Dodgers drafted who is battling cancer. A check will be going out in the mail on September 1st, with a note attached that I learned about the cause from your post on Dodger Thoughts.

Stan from Tacoma

What? No arrests?

I'm sorry to see a hard working, hard driven player like Milton go. I enjoyed his character on the field. (Well most of the time)

This is a personal, private issue and once again to think of the Daily Breeze not picking it up as newsworthy material when the events reportedly first happened in late June, reason enough to see that where there's smoke, there's fire--or at least a fervent bloodthirsty crowd of news-starved people wanting to put out a match that has been lit since June 28th.

I hope Milton and his wife have a happy and productive life till death do them part, as well as healthy and happy children.

Joekings, please see TinyUrl for your long links. It is your friend.

Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum!
I smell the blood of Bradley, Milton.
Be he 'live, or be he dead,
I'll grind his bones to make my bread.

[rabid drooling]

we need ths game more than anything right now. CMON RALLY LIKE 2004!

its over