COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Goose bumps don’t come easily in 85-degree heat and humidity. But as I drove by the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time Friday, chills bubbled my skin.
My love affair with the game began in T-ball when — trusting my parents’ memories here — I recorded an unassisted triple play. It ended with a tag on an unsuspecting kid who was already comfortably seated in the dugout.
Journeying into this hallowed ground flooded me with memories of my father, my brother, my sons. That, in essence, is baseball’s connection. People who can’t say two words over dinner can become friends over catch. The “Field of Dreams” moment, which seems a corny script, plays out beautifully across the country every day.
It brought to mind the Texas Rangers’ Milton Bradley.
I interviewed probably 30 all-stars last week in New York. None stuck with me as much as Bradley. He was playing in his first Midsummer Classic, starting as designated hitter.
The last time I saw Bradley was at Petco Park. The Rockies were sprinkling magic dust on their season, sweeping the Padres on Sept. 23. Bradley was a fountainhead of emotion, spilling angry tears after he tore his ACL in one of the most bizarre incidents in baseball history. Umpire Mike Winters baited him, Bradley argued, well-intentioned manager Bud Black arrived on the scene and in breaking up the confrontation, Bradley landed awkwardly. It was his last moment as a Padre.
It fit neatly into sports stories about Bradley: volatile temper, unreliable, brooding troublemaker. The perception, however, doesn’t necessarily intersect with reality.
“I’m not really interested in changing how I’m perceived,” Bradley said. “If people are going to hate, they’re going to hate. But you’ve got to keep being who you are.”
Bradley has issues. Who among us doesn’t? He signed with the Rangers this winter in a deal that drew collective shrugged shoulders.
But in Texas, Bradley has found a home, blooming under the support of manager Ron Washington. Which brings me back to Cooperstown.
Bradley told me that Washington has been a “father figure” for him. He’s never had a close relationship with his own dad. Former business advisers have ripped him off. That bred a lack of trust in people, the media. In Washington, Bradley has found a rudder.
Former teammates have always raved to me about Bradley’s intensity, a desire so strong they could feed off it. Washington has helped channel that passion, cultivating his talent.
As I looked over Lake Otsego — Glimmerglass to those in the know — Jack O’Connell, the man who informs players they have been inducted, recalled a favorite Cooperstown moment.
Minnesota Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew told the audience how he remembered playing catch in the front yard with his brother and father in Idaho. Mom would come out and shake her head about them killing the lawn.
Replied Dad: “We aren’t raising grass, we are raising sons.”
Even if for only this year, Bradley has discovered this bond with Washington.
Footnotes.
According to multiple National League executives, the Rockies have a lot of oars in the water regarding trade discussions. They are prepared to buy or sell. The Yankees’ acquisition of left-hander Damaso Marte should help clarify and narrow the market for Brian Fuentes. Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd is not operating with urgency, saying he’s prepared to keep Fuentes. But if a team overpays, which means a premium young starting pitcher, the left-hander is likely gone. Given the impact pitchers can make on a pennant race, it will be a surprise if one of the suitors — Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Boston or the Mets — doesn’t blink. . . . A good stretch in Cincinnati makes it more likely the Rockies will acquire a fifth starter, someone like Josh Fogg or Washington’s Tim Redding, whom the team nearly acquired from Houston years ago. . . . The Angels are prepared to stand pat this week. They would be a good fit for Matt Holliday, but a blockbuster deal doesn’t make a lot of sense at this point. As pointed out to me by ESPN’s Buster Olney, they would be acquiring him for roughly five critical playoff at-bats since the division race is all but over. They aren’t going to give up a young pitcher for those few moments. . . . Teams not willing to pay the Rockies’ price for Fuentes are closely monitoring Baltimore’s George Sherrill. . . . Another trading chip for Colorado? Try Clint Barmes. The Orioles have long liked him, and they might overpay with a pitcher, though nothing is close right now. . . . Pittsburgh’s Doug Mientkiewicz is working as a consultant for a movie about the 2000 U.S. Olympic gold medal team that included Brewers ace Ben Sheets. . . . If you’re looking for a good baseball book, check out “Dugout Wisdom,” by Dan Migala.
