Padreshome.com | San Diego Padres News, padres Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Milton Bradley has been described as temperamental, immature, moody and angry. But when he arrived in town last week, Bradley declared that he just wants to be loved. He'll get that chance at Wrigley Field, where the world's most loyal Baseball fans will welcome him with hopeful hearts. If Bradley behaves himself, his history of run-ins with teammates, managers, fans and umpires will gradually cease to be an issue. But until then, his behavior will be scrutinized as closely as his batting average. </div>- Despite his past problems, Baseball's bad boy has earned many admirers, including one of his former managers, Ron Washington of the Texas Rangers. - ''He's a class act,'' Washington said Friday by phone. ''A winner. The Chicago Cubs really made a very good move in bringing him in. He will make their team better.'' Yet there can be no denying that the Cubs' new outfielder has a long public history of behavioral issues. For instance, as a minor-leaguer in the Montreal Expos' system, he once was suspended for spitting gum at an umpire. When he was with the Cleveland Indians, he had a dugout confrontation with manager Eric Wedge. He also ran afoul of the police during his years in Ohio, spending time in jail for traffic-related incidents. But it was as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004 and 2005 that Bradley's behavior caused outrage. His transgressions during that time included throwing a bag of baseballs onto the field after an ejection and slamming a plastic bottle at the feet of a fan. (The latter incident resulted in a five-game suspension and a mandate to undergo anger management counseling.) Off the field, police were called to his home on three occasions in 2005, responding to complaints of domestic violence. (No arrests were made.) ''The one constant during Bradley's time with the Dodgers was that everyone in the clubhouse had to walk on eggshells, not knowing what might ignite him, and when or if he might explode,'' said a member of the Dodgers' organization by phone, speaking on the condition of anonymity. ''I can't say if he's changed from then to now. I can only speak to what happened in Los Angeles. The funny thing was, throughout everything that happened in Los Angeles, there wasn't a person there who wasn't rooting for him. He can be utterly charming, and he is very bright. But he also has a hairpin [temper].'' When teammate Jeff Kent, then in his 14th big-league season, accused Bradley of failing to hustle during a game, Bradley accused Kent of having issues with black players. Given Kent's publicized troubles with Barry Bonds in San Francisco, Bradley's accusations raised eyebrows. Attention was directed, perhaps unfairly, at Kent. ''I've known Kent [a long time],'' said the Dodgers' insider. ''He was really wounded by what Bradley said. That incident was not a racial thing. It was a generational thing. All Kent had done was tell Bradley he needed to step up his game.'' - ? ? Washington was a member of the A's coaching staff during Bradley's sometimes rocky stint in Oakland (2006-07), when he feuded publicly with A's general manager Billy Beane. But Washington welcomed Bradley's arrival in Texas last year. ''I had no doubts about him,'' Washington said. ''I knew what he was capable of doing [offensively], and I understand that all he wants to do is win. I don't know about any of that other stuff. I just know what kind of man he is. He gave me respect as a manager, and I gave him respect as a player. I let Milton be how Milton was. If we had any differences, we talked them out.'' Washington believes that Bradley's competitiveness gets the best of him at times. ''When you're out there in a battle against the best there is, and the smallest thing doesn't go in your favor, your deep desire to win comes out,'' Washington said. ''It has nothing to do with an attitude problem or anything else. Just a deep, deep desire to win.'' Bradley spent one relatively peaceful season in Texas. His attempt to confront Royals announcer Ryan Lefebvre, whom Bradley felt had made derogatory remarks about him during a broadcast, were thwarted by Washington and Rangers general manager Jon Daniels. Crisis averted. Bradley made most of his noise last year at the plate and was rewarded with a spot on the All-Star team for the first time in his nine-year career. ''It made him feel more appreciated,'' Washington said. ''To be selected by his peers made it more special. That's what you play the game for: respect.'' Many have compared Bradley to the outspoken and temperamental Carl Everett, who had run-ins with umpires and teammates during his career. But Bradley reminds Washington of another player. ''He reminds me of [Hall of Famer] Kirby Puckett,'' he said. ''Because of his desire to win.'' - ? ? San Diego Padres manager Bud Black coached Bradley for only 42 games in 2007, and wish he'd had him the entire season. ''I love him,'' Black said by phone. ''He was great for us. After we acquired him from Oakland [in June] he was an integral part of our club during the second half of the season. He was well received by the guys and the coaching staff.'' Bradley suffered a season-ending knee injury that September when Black tried to restrain him during an argument with umpire Mike Winters. Major League Baseball determined that Winters was at fault, and suspended him for using profane language during the exchange. But few remember Winter's role in the argument. They only remember that Bradley was involved in yet another incident. ''The injury was an unfortunate accident,'' Black said. ''I was trying to play peacemaker. The situation escalated, but not by [Bradley's] own doing. It was an especially tough situation for us because he was playing so well for us. You ask any Padres people, and they will tell you he was great for the two months we had him. He came to play, and he cared about the team. All the way through the winter meetings we thought we were going to re-sign him, but he ended up [signing as a free agent] with Texas.'' In the past year-and-a-half, Bradley, who turns 31 in April, appears to have matured. But given his history of histrionics, the past continues to be relevant. ''From the Dodgers' perspective, when he hurt his knee in San Diego that was 2007's Milton Meltdown,'' the Dodgers' insider said. Bradley says he's put the past behind him. But it's the future that fans are concerned about. Will 2009 be meltdown-free? ''You never know,'' the Rangers' Josh Hamilton told ESPN 1000's Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman last week. ''That's really what I can say about that. ... He did well last year. He did real well. He had a couple of instances with balls and strikes, but other than that I believe he's changed for the good and wants to do better and wants to be a better player, not only for the team, but for the city he is playing in.'' Comment at suntimes.com.

Milton Bradley has been described as temperamental, immature, moody and angry. But when he arrived in town last week, Bradley declared that he just wants to be loved. He'll get that chance at Wrigley Field, where the world's most loyal Baseball fans will welcome him with hopeful hearts. If Bradley behaves himself, his history of run-ins with teammates, managers, fans and umpires will gradually cease to be an issue. But until then, his behavior will be scrutinized as closely as his batting average.

- Despite his past problems, Baseball's bad boy has earned many admirers, including one of his former managers, Ron Washington of the Texas Rangers. - ''He's a class act,'' Washington said Friday by phone. ''A winner. The Chicago Cubs really made a very good move in bringing him in. He will make their team better.'' Yet there can be no denying that the Cubs' new outfielder has a long public history of behavioral issues. For instance, as a minor-leaguer in the Montreal Expos' system, he once was suspended for spitting gum at an umpire. When he was with the Cleveland Indians, he had a dugout confrontation with manager Eric Wedge. He also ran afoul of the police during his years in Ohio, spending time in jail for traffic-related incidents. But it was as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004 and 2005 that Bradley's behavior caused outrage. His transgressions during that time included throwing a bag of baseballs onto the field after an ejection and slamming a plastic bottle at the feet of a fan. (The latter incident resulted in a five-game suspension and a mandate to undergo anger management counseling.) Off the field, police were called to his home on three occasions in 2005, responding to complaints of domestic violence. (No arrests were made.) ''The one constant during Bradley's time with the Dodgers was that everyone in the clubhouse had to walk on eggshells, not knowing what might ignite him, and when or if he might explode,'' said a member of the Dodgers' organization by phone, speaking on the condition of anonymity. ''I can't say if he's changed from then to now. I can only speak to what happened in Los Angeles. The funny thing was, throughout everything that happened in Los Angeles, there wasn't a person there who wasn't rooting for him. He can be utterly charming, and he is very bright. But he also has a hairpin [temper].'' When teammate Jeff Kent, then in his 14th big-league season, accused Bradley of failing to hustle during a game, Bradley accused Kent of having issues with black players. Given Kent's publicized troubles with Barry Bonds in San Francisco, Bradley's accusations raised eyebrows. Attention was directed, perhaps unfairly, at Kent.

''I've known Kent [a long time],'' said the Dodgers' insider. ''He was really wounded by what Bradley said. That incident was not a racial thing. It was a generational thing. All Kent had done was tell Bradley he needed to step up his game.'' - ? ? Washington was a member of the A's coaching staff during Bradley's sometimes rocky stint in Oakland (2006-07), when he feuded publicly with A's general manager Billy Beane. But Washington welcomed Bradley's arrival in Texas last year.

''I had no doubts about him,'' Washington said. ''I knew what he was capable of doing [offensively], and I understand that all he wants to do is win. I don't know about any of that other stuff. I just know what kind of man he is. He gave me respect as a manager, and I gave him respect as a player. I let Milton be how Milton was. If we had any differences, we talked them out.'' Washington believes that Bradley's competitiveness gets the best of him at times.

''When you're out there in a battle against the best there is, and the smallest thing doesn't go in your favor, your deep desire to win comes out,'' Washington said. ''It has nothing to do with an attitude problem or anything else. Just a deep, deep desire to win.'' Bradley spent one relatively peaceful season in Texas. His attempt to confront Royals announcer Ryan Lefebvre, whom Bradley felt had made derogatory remarks about him during a broadcast, were thwarted by Washington and Rangers general manager Jon Daniels. Crisis averted. Bradley made most of his noise last year at the plate and was rewarded with a spot on the All-Star team for the first time in his nine-year career.

''It made him feel more appreciated,'' Washington said. ''To be selected by his peers made it more special. That's what you play the game for: respect.'' Many have compared Bradley to the outspoken and temperamental Carl Everett, who had run-ins with umpires and teammates during his career. But Bradley reminds Washington of another player.

''He reminds me of [Hall of Famer] Kirby Puckett,'' he said. ''Because of his desire to win.'' - ? ? San Diego Padres manager Bud Black coached Bradley for only 42 games in 2007, and wish he'd had him the entire season.

''I love him,'' Black said by phone. ''He was great for us. After we acquired him from Oakland [in June] he was an integral part of our club during the second half of the season. He was well received by the guys and the coaching staff.'' Bradley suffered a season-ending knee injury that September when Black tried to restrain him during an argument with umpire Mike Winters. Major League Baseball determined that Winters was at fault, and suspended him for using profane language during the exchange. But few remember Winter's role in the argument. They only remember that Bradley was involved in yet another incident.

''The injury was an unfortunate accident,'' Black said. ''I was trying to play peacemaker. The situation escalated, but not by [Bradley's] own doing. It was an especially tough situation for us because he was playing so well for us. You ask any Padres people, and they will tell you he was great for the two months we had him. He came to play, and he cared about the team. All the way through the winter meetings we thought we were going to re-sign him, but he ended up [signing as a free agent] with Texas.'' In the past year-and-a-half, Bradley, who turns 31 in April, appears to have matured. But given his history of histrionics, the past continues to be relevant.

''From the Dodgers' perspective, when he hurt his knee in San Diego that was 2007's Milton Meltdown,'' the Dodgers' insider said.

Bradley says he's put the past behind him. But it's the future that fans are concerned about. Will 2009 be meltdown-free? ''You never know,'' the Rangers' Josh Hamilton told ESPN 1000's Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman last week. ''That's really what I can say about that. ... He did well last year. He did real well. He had a couple of instances with balls and strikes, but other than that I believe he's changed for the good and wants to do better and wants to be a better player, not only for the team, but for the city he is playing in.'' Comment at suntimes.com.