Is Milton Bradley the REAL difference maker?

by Steve in Napa on Aug 25, 2006 3:35 PM PDT Comment 14 comments

From ESPN today:

The A's, however, are 38-24 when Bradley starts games and 34-31 when he doesn't, a difference of 84 percentage points. Last year, the Dodgers were 36-37 when Bradley started, and 35-54 when he didn't, a difference of 100 percentage points. Coincidence?

Pretty amazing stat. A switch hitting presence in the middle of the lineup certainly has an effect.

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Bradley is this year's...

..."Bobby Crosby Effect". For some obvious offensive reasons, the lineup looks like how it should. As long as he remains healthy and motivated we are in for good times.

All we need now is for Crosby to be "Crosby" and this team would be dangerous.

Quietly, Bradley's CF sklls in RF is a boost we had to wait and see. The next 6 weeks should be pretty fun. The playoffs ...

"I've been accused of using too many words...I suppose that's like accusing Mozart of using too many notes." Bill King

by Gerard on Aug 25, 2006 3:40 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

All we need now is for Crosby to be "Crosby"

Unfortunately, some might say that Crosby is being "Crosby"... that is: injured.

by calgbear on Aug 25, 2006 3:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I've never been

"grey boxed" with a quote before. Thanks

I figure if the Red Sox have to contend with Manny being Manny, then we'll have to deal our Crosby. Frankly, in this instance I'd maybe opt for the former, if he could play short, that is.

"I've been accused of using too many words...I suppose that's like accusing Mozart of using too many notes." Bill King

by Gerard on Aug 25, 2006 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

how do you

makes those grey boxes anyhow?

by flipper33 on Aug 25, 2006 10:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Grey boxes

<$div class$="blockquote"$>your quote here<$/div$>

Remove the $$$$

"The first night, we were right there," Bradley said. "All we needed was a couple of touchdowns, and we would have had them."

by jeepers on Aug 26, 2006 8:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sad but true

Why yes. I am a ray of warm and fuzzy sunshine.

by grover on Aug 25, 2006 10:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

These percentage points

are really deceptive.

100 percentage points appears to mean 0.100, or actually 10%. I don't get the 84 percentage points; it's actually 0.090 higher with Milton (0.613 - 0.523).

Or I'm missing something..

Day to day

by oblique on Aug 25, 2006 4:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

when healthy Bradley is a fine

offensive and defensive player, who also has the type of personality that can fire up a club.

Happily, the Oakland clubhouse seems to be a good fit for him.

by OaklandSi on Aug 25, 2006 4:29 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I think he can be.

Although Mentos undeniably remains the Fresh Maker.

"The first night, we were right there," Bradley said. "All we needed was a couple of touchdowns, and we would have had them."

by jeepers on Aug 25, 2006 4:30 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I think Bradley absolutely

HAS made the difference. Case in point: recently, 2nd and 3rd, two out, Bradley up with Thomas on deck. I felt the Blue Jays had no good way out. The A's haven't had a lot of that lately, either because Chavy wasn't up to being "the man" or wasn't healthy, Dye wasn't fully recovered, Thomas was in his "extended spring training" and/or Bradley was out, etc. We finally have a "pick your poison" part of the order we really haven't had since Giambi left.

This is a team that has, recently, batted Kotsay, Hatteberg, Crosby, and even (once) Kendall in the #3-hole. You won't scare too many teams that way--or score very many runs.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 25, 2006 5:22 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

correlation ain't exactly causation

I remember peter gammons and others using similar logic when predicting Bobby Crosby as the 2006 MVP. Bradley's made a difference, but that difference hasn't been eight or nine games.

by Nick86 on Aug 25, 2006 5:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I guess I think that

"win shares" is a somewhat bogus concept. No, Bradley hasn't "made 8-9 games difference," but he has made the lineup significantly better, making those around him better, e.g., giving Thomas more RBI chances, taking pressure off of Chavy, allowing Macha to bat Swisher and Payton lower in the order and make the bottom of the order better, allowing Macha to leverage Kielty's ABs better by playing him mostly against LHP, and so on. It's not all statistically measurable but it's all very real, IMO.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 25, 2006 6:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree.

When I was in school, I played soccer in my school's 2nd team. I was okay - not great, but passable, but one thing I most definitely was, was loud.

I'd yell from the opening whistle 'til the final kick - at my teammates, at the other team, at the ref - I was a loudmouth of the highest order, but it wasn't just blather, it was support, tactical calls, encouragement, intimidation... whatever the situation needed. And the team, usually, responded.

About halfway through the season, I got the call-up to the 1st team, and it shocked everyone (myself included) when I replaced the 1st team captain. But the team was struggling, and they were far from motivated, and the coach needed someone who'd kick his players' asses in the right way, and so I became the new team captain.

And the team began to win. And win. And win.

I sucked, to be sure. The guy I replaced would, statistically, have beaten me across the board. But I was the piece of the puzzle that the coach (and team) needed. I had, much as I hate to say it, intangibles.

Milton Bradley is that same piece of the puzzle. He's only a .280 or so player, and he won't light things up powerwise to the level of a Manny, but he brings those non-stat things that casual observers miss - leadership by example, guts by the truckload, a kick up the ass if someone takes their foot off the pedal.

The A's don't want Milton angry, and so they play like the bejesus when he's alongside them. Maybe that's only good for an extra few hits a game, a little more hustle in the outfield, and a few less cases of daydreaming, but it IS good.

"I smell like a meadow." - Yuniesky Betancourt

by Ozzz on Aug 25, 2006 8:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

bradley = the new crosby

it's not that bradley actually is the new crosby, because bradley is better.

but this particular line of reasoning is the same:

http://www.athleticsnation.com/comments/2006/4/2/0439/21461/4#4

let's see...
the a's are 18-5 in august, it must be bradley!
and this rock keeps away bears.

bradley in august:
.228 avg .330 obp .418 slg

it must be bradley, we'll just ignore all the other players who are doing much better in august, such as kendall and loaiza.

but expect to see a lot more diaries like this, and the sportswriters won't be far behind...

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Aug 26, 2006 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs