Bradley

[vitaminB]

<!--quoteo(post=49805:date=Jul 14 2009, 01:20 PM:name=ruby23)-->QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jul 14 2009, 01:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Soriano's bat isn't slow, his legs are. Watch his front foot, that's been the problem. The rest of his body is getting ahead of his stride and his timing is off, his upper and lower body are not in sync (same thing was happening to Bradley until recently). His knee is causing this, not is bat speed.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Not to mention his inability to lay off of breaking balls in the dirt.

[ruby23]

<!--quoteo(post=49806:date=Jul 14 2009, 12:21 PM:name=vitaminB)-->QUOTE (vitaminB @ Jul 14 2009, 12:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=49805:date=Jul 14 2009, 01:20 PM:name=ruby23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ruby23 @ Jul 14 2009, 01:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Soriano's bat isn't slow, his legs are. Watch his front foot, that's been the problem. The rest of his body is getting ahead of his stride and his timing is off, his upper and lower body are not in sync (same thing was happening to Bradley until recently). His knee is causing this, not is bat speed.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Not to mention his inability to lay off of breaking balls in the dirt.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's not something new though, he's always done that. He'll have multiple HR games and look foolish in his other 2-3 ABs by chasing bad balls. That's something that probably will never change.

[savant]

Fan graphs had an interesting look at Soriano a few weeks ago. They noted that he is seeing significantly fewer fastballs this year than he ever has since moving to the National League.

In my mind the bad wheels combined with fewer fastballs makes Jobu look silly.

[savant]

fan graphs Soriano Doesn't Like Slow Stuff


Here is the link. This is the first time in his career he has seen less than 50% fastballs.

[Runnys]

<!--quoteo(post=50242:date=Jul 16 2009, 04:34 PM:name=savant)-->QUOTE (savant @ Jul 16 2009, 04:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->fan graphs Soriano Doesn't Like Slow Stuff


Here is the link. This is the first time in his career he has seen less than 50% fastballs.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Realistically, he should see less than 25% fastballs...he can't hit anything else!

[rok]

So Bradley still sucks.

[Baron]

<!--quoteo(post=50313:date=Jul 16 2009, 08:37 PM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Jul 16 2009, 08:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->So Bradley still sucks.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Meh. He leads the team in OBP and has started to hit.

[Coach]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec--><!--sizeo:4--><!--/sizeo-->The main culprit speaks
<!--sizec--><!--/sizec-->
By Paul Sullivan

Milton Bradley had perhaps his biggest hit of the season in Tuesday night's 12-inning loss to Philadelphia, driving in the game-tying run in the ninth inning.

Bradley is now hitting .400 in the month of August, with a .514 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage. He's also hitting .476 in the No. 2 hole, with a .542 OBP.

Since he's not a big run-producer, at least not this year, Bradley seems to be a perfect fit near the top of the order, where he can take his walks and not have to put up the kind of power numbers expected from the No. 5 or No. 6 hitter.

During his post-game interview session, Bradley referred to himself as the "main culprit" during the Cubs lackluster series in Colorado, and also admitted he was has been part of the team's inconsistent offense this year.

"I had a lousy first four months," he said. "But hopefully the last two months I can play the way I'm capable of."

Koyie Hill's recent plea that Cubs players need to be "accountable" seems to have found an audience, unless Bradley was just in a good mood in a near empty clubhouse after one of his better days as a Cub.

Bradley came to Chicago with great expectations, but obviously has not lived up to the hype, much less the $30 million contract. The fans have booed him, his manager called him a "piece of (expletive)" during a highly-publicized confrontation, and his teammates have sometimes made him feel, in his own words, "like an island."

No matter how much money you make, it still has to hurt.

"Coming home from Colorado, it was the first time all year I was glad to be coming back to Chicago," he said Tuesday.

It's a shame when a player feels more comfortable on the road than in his own ballpark. But that's apparently what has happened with Bradley in his first year on the North Side. Much of it was his own fault, and Bradley still needs to understand the whole world isn't against him.

As badly as things have gone for him, however, Bradley still has time to redeem himself. All he needs is to continue to hit, get on base, bring energy to the top of the lineup, make a few more shoestring catches and help lead the Cubs into the posteason.

Instead of being the main culprit, Bradley can transform himself into being the main man.

Is it in him?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Destined]

That sounds like a bitter high school essay. How is this douche writing for a living?

[kbwsb]

<!--quoteo(post=57377:date=Aug 12 2009, 01:49 PM:name=Destined)-->QUOTE (Destined @ Aug 12 2009, 01:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->That sounds like a bitter high school essay. How is this douche writing for a living?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I was thinking a similar thought. What a poorly-written piece.

[rok]

<!--quoteo(post=57381:date=Aug 12 2009, 01:55 PM:name=KBwsb)-->QUOTE (KBwsb @ Aug 12 2009, 01:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=57377:date=Aug 12 2009, 01:49 PM:name=Destined)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Destined @ Aug 12 2009, 01:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->That sounds like a bitter high school essay. How is this douche writing for a living?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I was thinking a similar thought. What a poor little piece of shit.
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Bingo.

[jstraw]

"But for now...only time will tell."

[rok]

Milton's OBP by month:
April .333
May .348
June .377
July .457
August .514

SLG by month:
April .294
May .439
June .348
July .420
August .500

I hope this is a sign that the power will come and soon. Milton hasn't hit more than 3 HR in a month all season, and he has 0 so far in August.

[Prometheus]

<!--quoteo(post=57447:date=Aug 12 2009, 04:10 PM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Aug 12 2009, 04:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Milton's OBP by month:
April .333
May .348
June .377
July .457
August .514

SLG by month:
April .294
May .439
June .348
July .420
August .500

I hope this is a sign that the power will come and soon. Milton hasn't hit more than 3 HR in a month all season, and he has 0 so far in August.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Using SLG is a bit misleading. Bradley's SLG this month is lifted by a very high AVG. His ISO in August is actually lower than his season average and lower than his ISO in all but 1 month of the season (June).

So yes - he's hitting the ball with more consistency. But he's still not hitting for a lot of power - he's not getting that many XBH.

Bradley is a valuable player to have in the lineup if for his knowledge of the strike zone alone. He definitely knows how to get himself on base.

[Clapp]

He's been driving the ball much more lately. His one last night should've left the park and he drilled two off the wall in Coors to both sides of the field.