Jackie Bradley Jr. Remembers His Time With Red Sox After Officially Joining Brewers
BOSTON (CBS) -- Jackie Bradley Jr. is now officially a former member of the Boston Red Sox, with the Milwaukee Brewers announcing a two-year pact with the outfielder on Monday. Bradley Jr. was in his new uniform and at Brewers Spring Training later in the afternoon, which looks so strange after he spent his entire eight-year career with the Red Sox.
Bradley Jr. was drafted by Boston in 2011 and made his big league debut just two years later. He spent eight seasons making dazzling catches in the Boston outfield, winning a Gold Glove in 2018. He was part of the Boston outfield that danced its way to a World Series title that season, earning MVP honors in Boston's ALCS win over the Houston Astros.
"Some great memories. I developed a lot of great relationships that I will never forget," Bradley Jr. said of his time in Boston during his introductory Zoom press conference with Milwaukee. "When you've been with an organization for so long, those bonds don't go away. You know personnel, upper management, players, their families. It's deep. You start to develop relationships with the community and people who have been around, people who have supported you through the goods and the bads. You develop that understanding and that respect for one another, and I'm thankful for it. It has helped me be the person that I am today."
Bradley Jr. said that there was some contact with the Boston brass about a potential reunion this offseason, but he feels that he's now in the best spot for himself and his family. He's confident that he'll thrive in his new setting.
But he won't forget what Boston meant to him since 2011, and is working on a formal farewell to Red Sox fans that he plans to release at some point in the near future.
"I'm working on it. I don't want it to just be some short thing," he told WBZ-TV's Dan Roche. "I feel like with the years that you invest and put in, I don't think it would do it justice to just do a tidbit over this. I will gather all of my thoughts and emotions and be able to put them into worlds."
Thank you, Jackie. You were a true champion by every definition.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) March 8, 2021
From making impossible catches to the incredible impact that you and Erin have made on our community, you will forever be a part of Red Sox history. pic.twitter.com/Svm2aY5Gm7
As for his fresh start, Bradley Jr. said he was excited to don a Brewers uniform for the first time on Monday.
"It was great. It was a breath of fresh air," he said. "To finally be out here and moving around, I'm glad to be here. I'm really excited for the opportunity and I'm going to have a lot of fun with these guys."