Milton Bradley Released By Seattle Mariners
SEATTLE (CBS) -- The notorious Milton Bradley officially has been released from the Seattle Mariners.
The final move comes about a week after Bradley was designated for assignment. That left the Mariners with three options – releasing Bradley, trading him within 10 days, or sending him to the minors. The team chose option 1.
Bradley played for the Cubs for one season in 2009, during which his performance was disappointing –with only a .257 batting average, 12 home runs and 40 RBI. He also quickly developed a reputation as a head case and a troublemaker both on and off the field.
He angered fans with repeated lapses in right field and comments critical of the fans and the team.
He was suspended on Sept. 20, 2009, for the remainder of the season after criticizing the team in an interview with the media. A day earlier, Bradley had said in a newspaper interview that he saw why the Cubs' organization hadn't won in 100 years and that the team didn't have a "positive environment."
In August 2009, Bradley called out Cubs fans, suggesting they are racially abusive and that he faced hatred on a daily basis. Bradley never cited any specific taunts, nor did he come outright and call Cubs fans racist.
Bradley apologized for his behavior three days after he was suspended, but it proved too little too late. Although signing Bradley was a top priority for the Cubs in the 2008-2009 offseason, trading him to another team was a top priority less than a year later.
In December 2009, they did just that. The Cubs acquired right-handed pitcher Carlos Silva, and off to Seattle Bradley went.
Bradley's wife also filed for divorce against him earlier this year. RadarOnline.com reported in March that Monique Bradley said she filed a restraining order against her husband, after he hurled a glass that shattered on her head while they were in New York for New Year's Eve.
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