Milton Bradley (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milton Bradley |
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Bradley at the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
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| Outfielder | ||||||||||||||
| Born: April 15, 1978 Harbor City, California, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| July 19, 2000, for the Montreal Expos | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| May 8, 2011, for the Seattle Mariners | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .271 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 125 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 481 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Milton Obelle Bradley, Jr. (born April 15, 1978) is a former American professional baseball outfielder. He stood about 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall and weighed around 215 pounds (97.5 kg). Bradley was a switch hitter, meaning he could bat from both sides of the plate. He threw right-handed.
During his 11-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), Bradley played for several teams. These included the Montreal Expos, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, and Seattle Mariners. He was known for his talent but also faced challenges, including some on-field incidents.
Born in Harbor City, California, Bradley went to Long Beach Polytechnic High School. He was drafted by the Expos in the 1996 Major League Baseball draft. After playing four seasons in the minor leagues, he made his major league debut on July 19, 2000. In 2008, he was chosen for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game while playing for the Texas Rangers. He also led the American League in on-base percentage that year.
Bradley finished his career with a batting average of .271. He hit 125 home runs and had 481 runs batted in (RBIs) in 1,042 games. Many people saw him as a player with "power, speed, a strong arm and star qualities."
Contents
- Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
- Milton Bradley's Major League Baseball Career
- Playing for the Montreal Expos (1996–2001)
- Time with the Cleveland Indians (2001–2003)
- Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2004–2005)
- With the Oakland Athletics (2006–2007)
- Time with the San Diego Padres (2007)
- Playing for the Texas Rangers (2008)
- With the Chicago Cubs (2009)
- Time with the Seattle Mariners (2010–2011)
- Community Involvement
- Images for kids
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Milton Bradley was born on April 15, 1978, in Harbor City, California. He played baseball at Long Beach Polytechnic High School. There, he was teammates with another future MLB player, Chase Utley.
After high school, Bradley planned to go to California State University, Long Beach. However, the Montreal Expos drafted him in the second round of the 1996 MLB draft. He decided to sign with the Expos on July 1, 1996, starting his professional baseball journey.
Milton Bradley's Major League Baseball Career
Playing for the Montreal Expos (1996–2001)
Bradley began his professional career in 1996 with the GCL Expos. He played 32 games and had a .241 batting average. The next year, he played for the Vermont Expos. He was even named to the postseason New York–Penn League All-Star team.
In 1998, he played for the Cape Fear Crocs and the Jupiter Hammerheads. He tied for the team lead in doubles with the Crocs. In 1999, while playing for the Harrisburg Senators, he was suspended for a fight after being hit by a pitch. He also won a silver medal with the United States team at the 1999 Pan American Games.
In 1999, the Senators played for the Eastern League championship. In the final game, Bradley hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning. This amazing hit gave the Senators a 12–11 win.
He was promoted to the major league team in 2000. He made his MLB debut on July 19, 2000. In his first game, he hit three straight singles against the New York Mets. For the season, he batted .221 with 15 RBIs in 42 games.
In 2001, Bradley played 67 games for the Expos. On July 31, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians. The Expos received pitcher Zach Day in return.
Time with the Cleveland Indians (2001–2003)
After the trade, Bradley joined the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He played 30 games for the Bisons and 10 games for the major league Indians.
In 2002, he had to go on the disabled list (DL) twice. First, for an appendectomy. Later, he broke a bone near his eye after a ball hit him. He returned in June and finished the season with a .249 batting average, 38 RBIs, and nine home runs.
Bradley spent the 2003 season with the Indians. He led the team in stolen bases with 17. However, he missed the last six weeks of the season due to a back injury.
On April 3, 2004, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Indians received Franklin Gutiérrez and Andrew Brown in the trade.
Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2004–2005)
In his first game with the Dodgers, Bradley played center field. He had two singles and two walks. On June 1, he was ejected from a game for arguing with the umpire. He was suspended for four games after throwing a ball bag onto the field.
On September 19, he hit a very long home run (479 feet) against the Colorado Rockies. Later that month, he threw a bottle into the stands after a fan threw one at him. He was ejected and suspended for the rest of the season. Despite this, he finished the 2004 season batting .267 with 19 home runs and 67 RBIs.
During the offseason, Bradley worked on managing his anger. In 2005, he helped the Dodgers win a game against the San Francisco Giants with a key single. On August 25, he was placed on the DL with a knee injury. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season. On December 13, 2005, the Dodgers traded him to the Oakland Athletics.
With the Oakland Athletics (2006–2007)
In his first season with the Oakland Athletics, Bradley batted .276. He hit 14 home runs and had 52 RBIs. He was on the DL in May 2006 for a strained muscle and a sprained knee.
On July 30, he hit a three-run walk-off home run to beat the Toronto Blue Jays. In the 2006 American League Championship Series, Bradley made history. He became the third player ever to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in a postseason game.
On June 21, 2007, the Athletics decided to trade him. He was traded to the San Diego Padres on June 29.
Time with the San Diego Padres (2007)
Bradley started his time with the Padres on the DL. He returned on July 7 and had a strong month, batting .364 with four home runs.
On September 23, 2007, he injured his knee during an argument with an umpire. He fell to the ground while being held back by his manager, Bud Black. He missed the last week of the regular season due to this injury. The umpire involved was suspended for using bad language. Bradley was not suspended.
Playing for the Texas Rangers (2008)
After the 2007 season, Bradley signed a one-year contract with the Texas Rangers. He played as the team's designated hitter. He led the American League in on-base percentage (.436) and was third in batting average (.321).
He was selected for his first All-Star Game in 2008. He became the starting designated hitter due to an injury to another player. Bradley was very happy to be chosen for the All-Star team.
With the Chicago Cubs (2009)
On January 8, 2009, Bradley signed a three-year deal with the Chicago Cubs. He received a one-game suspension for touching an umpire during an argument.
On June 12, he made a mistake during a game against the Minnesota Twins. He caught a fly ball but thought it was the third out. He threw the ball into the stands, allowing a runner to score.
Later that month, Cubs manager Lou Piniella sent Bradley home after he got angry and hit a Gatorade cooler. Bradley later apologized. On September 20, 2009, the Cubs suspended Bradley for the rest of the season. This happened after he made comments in an interview about the team's environment. Bradley later apologized for his remarks. He batted .257 with 12 home runs for the Cubs. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners on December 18, 2009.
Time with the Seattle Mariners (2010–2011)
Bradley joined the Seattle Mariners in 2010. On May 4, 2010, he left a game without permission after an argument with his manager. The Mariners placed him on the restricted list. He returned to play later that month.
He ended the 2010 season on the DL after knee surgery. He finished the year batting .205 with eight home runs. On May 9, 2011, the Mariners released Bradley. This happened after a series of games where his performance and actions caused concern. He batted .218 with two home runs in 28 games in 2011.
Community Involvement
Milton Bradley was recognized for his community work. In 2005, he was nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award. This award honors players who give back to their communities. He worked with the Dodgers Dream Foundation, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and the Long Beach Boys & Girls Clubs.
Bradley also opened two baseball academies. One is in Long Beach and the other in Baldwin Hills. These academies help young players develop their skills.
Images for kids
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Bradley at the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
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Bradley as a Cleveland Indian
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Milton Bradley before
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Milton Bradley after
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Bradley speaking to umpire Joe West
