NORTH SIDE SHENANIGANS

So Milton Bradley went ahead and finally did it.

A puzzling personality that seasons ago crossed over to the dark side, Bradley committed the ultimate sin by verbally observing what die-hard Cub fans have know for a long time.  There is a reason this team hasn't won a World Series in years.  The message just happened to come from a guy viewed as a bum.

None of Bradley's teammates protested when VP/GM Jim Hendry informed them of his decision.  He never really fit in and trying to replace the popular and versatile Mark DeRosa was a tall order ill suited for Bradley's fragile makeup.  But to say Hendry shouldn't have expected bumps along Bradley road is akin to being shocked when a chain smoker gets diagnosed with cancer.  Look at the resume:  10 injury plagued seasons in the majors, seven different teams.  Not exactly the definition of stability.

So now the Cubs will pray there's truth to the adage of "There's a sucker born every minute" and Bradley will find his way onto another major league roster next season, lessening the blow of the 21 million dollars still owed to him.

A common problem in sports seduced the Cubs in signing Bradley in the first place. 

Potential.

The Cubs were drawn to Bradley's problem free 2008 season with the Texas Rangers in which he batted .321, hit 22 homeruns and knocked in 77 runs.  Add those numbers to a lineup of Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez and on paper, the Cubs, with a strong starting pitching rotation, were penciled in to make a World Series appearance for 2009.

Maybe there is a curse.

Or maybe, just maybe, crap happens (feel free to insert the word I really wanted to use).  Soriano's bat reflected the economy, Ramirez got hurt and missed a vital chunk of the season and the pitching staff got rocked.  And oh yeah, Bradley started off cold and stayed cold, which meant his temperment heated up with each production-less at bat, forcing manager Lou Piniella to seek alternatives at times in the lineup.  When Bradley did find his stroke, it was too late.  Too late to win over Cub fans and too late to impress his teammates who had grown tired of all the antics and excuses.

To lay all of the Cubs troubles this season on Bradley would be kicking a man while he's down.  Tempting, I know.  But there are other factors.  Piniella's opening day decision to give the closer job to Kevin Gregg and not Carlos Marmol resulted in numerous blown saves.  And when Soriano's bat went and pretty much stayed south, not finding a spot for a hot hitting Jake Fox had fans shaking their heads as well.  Perhaps Piniella should have taken a cue from Detroit Tigers' skipper Jim Leyland who sat outfielder Magglio Ordonez when he couldn't buy a hit with the 14 million dollars being paid to him.

As for Hendry, clearly what was he thinking?  There were other options available besides Bradley.  Raul Ibanez was there for the taking before the Phillies scooped him up.  And how could the Cubs allow division rival St. Louis to pluck Matt Holliday away from the Oakland A's without recognizing what a solidifying force he could have been?  A consumate professional, there are no skeletons in Holliday's closet.

One thing die hard Cub fans have gotten used to is this expression:  "Wait 'til next year".

Hopefully the only shenanigans the Cubs will have in their future is when someone feels nostalgic and decides to break out the Milton Bradley board game.