New Scoop

Scoop Jackson defends Milton Bradley on ESPN Chicago (editor's note: this story originally posted on August 28th but seriously, who the hell reads ESPN Chicago anyway).

Now, if we are being honest -- really, really honest -- we know Bradley has been singled out more than any other Cub for the failure of the team. In the papers, on the radio, on blogs, on television, on sports Web sites, in bars, in barbershops, in arguments in and around the city, Bradley easily has been the go-to guy when assigning blame. More than any other player.

But is that justified? Really? Is Milton Bradley a reason (let alone the main reason) the Cubs are nine games out of first in a division they ran away with last year?

Is he the reason Alfonso Soriano is batting .238 with only 19 homers and 52 RBIs? Is he the reason Geovany Soto is hitting only .218? Is he the reason Kosuke Fukudome's numbers are so disappointing? Is he the reason only one player (Aramis Ramirez) is hitting better than .300?

That's all fine and dandy Scoop, but if we are being honest--really, really honest--we also know that Bradley has not done one thing to make his move to Chicago go smoothly. While I do find it admirable that Bradley has not made any excuses for his poor play, he does take every opportunity to stick his finger in the fan's or media's eyes, an act that is getting rather old. Since he is providing more highlights in interviews rather than on the field, I would imagine that is why he is being talked about.

To address your other concerns, yes, he is a reason why the Cubs are not performing as well as expectations. He may not be the main reason, but he is definitely a reason.

Also:

Fukudome in 2008: 25 2B, 3 3B, 10 HR, 58 RBI, .359 OBP, .379 SLG, .738 OPS
Fukudome in 2009: 30 2B, 5 3B, 11 HR, 48 RBI, .378 OBP, .442 SLG, .819 OPS

I'm open to the argument that Bradley isn't the biggest disappointment on the Cubs, but it should probably come from someone who actually follows the Cubs and knows what they're talking about.