I guess his outstanding stats merit a doubling of salary???

Luis Valbuena, Chicago Cubs agree to $930,000 deal



CHICAGO (AP) -- Infielder Luis Valbuena has agreed to a $930,000, one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, nearly double the $495,200 he made last year.

Valbuena , who avoided arbitration with Thursday's deal, has a .224 average in five big league seasons, including three with Cleveland. He played in 90 games for the Cubs last season, batting .219 with 28 RBIs, 36 walks and 26 runs in 265 at-bats.

Three Cubs remain eligible for arbitration: right-handers Matt Garza and Jeff Samardzija, and left-hander James Russell.

That is really strange.

I know. I mean, how much do you think an arbitrator would have awarded him for those numbers?

Worst thing to happen to MLB is arbitration.

Milton Bradley facing 13 years in prison after spousal abuse charges are filed

By David Brown | Big League Stew – 3 hours ago


Given a choice, Milton Bradley probably would prefer the days when we wrote stories about him raging at umpires or reporters. Bradley's alleged rage at his wife might have much more serious implications on his life.

Bradleyfaces serious prison time — up to 13 years — after city prosecutors in Los Angeles charged him with 13 misdemeanor counts Friday, including assault with a deadly weapon. All of the charges relate to his wife's accusations of spousal abuse.

From the Associated Press:

Bradley's attorney, Harland Braun, says his client denies the charges and contends that his wife made up the allegations.

The couple, who have two children, are separated and in the middle of a contentious divorce.

So that's Milton's side. TMZ has a few more details on the accusations. If they're true, Bradley has acted despicably to say the least:

The charges break down like this: 4 counts of spousal battery, 4 counts of criminal threats, 2 counts of assault with a deadly weapon, 2 counts of vandalism and 1 count of dissuading a witness from making a report.

As TMZ first reported, Milton's wife Monique filed a domestic violence report with the LAPD back in November 2012 ... claiming he tried to choke her, with two hands, when she asked him to stop smoking marijuana in front of their kids.

Bradley was arrested in August 2011 for allegedly attacking Monique with a bat, and in March 2012 he allegedly threatened her with a knife and said, "You’ll be dead b-tch before you divorce me."

Bradley, 34, hasn't played baseball since the Seattle Mariners let him go in 2011, but his skills clearly have been eroding since 2008. This story, no matter how it plays out, probably seals his career fate (if it wasn't already sealed before).

Bradley often behaves as if the world has been out to get him. But a lot of people could say the same thing, yet they haven't acted out with such antisocial behavior. It all can't be someone else's fault. That just won't fly, no matter how wronged you have been. If Bradley ever tried to get the mental and psychological help he apparently needed, it didn't seem to stick. It's an unfortunate situation, all the way around.

TDU wrote:Milton Bradley facing 13 years in prison after spousal abuse charges are filed

By David Brown | Big League Stew – 3 hours ago


Given a choice, Milton Bradley probably would prefer the days when we wrote stories about him raging at umpires or reporters. Bradley's alleged rage at his wife might have much more serious implications on his life.

Bradleyfaces serious prison time — up to 13 years — after city prosecutors in Los Angeles charged him with 13 misdemeanor counts Friday, including assault with a deadly weapon. All of the charges relate to his wife's accusations of spousal abuse.

From the Associated Press:

Bradley's attorney, Harland Braun, says his client denies the charges and contends that his wife made up the allegations.

The couple, who have two children, are separated and in the middle of a contentious divorce.

So that's Milton's side. TMZ has a few more details on the accusations. If they're true, Bradley has acted despicably to say the least:

The charges break down like this: 4 counts of spousal battery, 4 counts of criminal threats, 2 counts of assault with a deadly weapon, 2 counts of vandalism and 1 count of dissuading a witness from making a report.

As TMZ first reported, Milton's wife Monique filed a domestic violence report with the LAPD back in November 2012 ... claiming he tried to choke her, with two hands, when she asked him to stop smoking marijuana in front of their kids.

Bradley was arrested in August 2011 for allegedly attacking Monique with a bat, and in March 2012 he allegedly threatened her with a knife and said, "You’ll be dead b-tch before you divorce me."

Bradley, 34, hasn't played baseball since the Seattle Mariners let him go in 2011, but his skills clearly have been eroding since 2008. This story, no matter how it plays out, probably seals his career fate (if it wasn't already sealed before).

Bradley often behaves as if the world has been out to get him. But a lot of people could say the same thing, yet they haven't acted out with such antisocial behavior. It all can't be someone else's fault. That just won't fly, no matter how wronged you have been. If Bradley ever tried to get the mental and psychological help he apparently needed, it didn't seem to stick. It's an unfortunate situation, all the way around.

Wedgie looks so happy in this situation, kinda like déjà VUE!

If the Cleveland Indians had gifted ownership and management (not Mark Shapiro) brains, Milton Bradley might have been a good citizen with good production numbers for his career.

Milton Bradley scared the crap out of Wedge and Shapiro and they dealt him like a hot potato with the label of "bad news."

Smart people could have fixed him.

Well, fixed him at least until he ended his major league usefulness.

That's what pro sports is all about.

As I note that Jody Gerut was touched, picked up and let go by Mark Shapiro's regime, without any realization of what role he might have been able to play on the bench or in the dugout.

Or in Mark Shapiro's mind...."we'll always have Dubois."

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:If the Cleveland Indians had gifted ownership and management (not Mark Shapiro) brains, Milton Bradley might have been a good citizen with good production numbers for his career.

Milton Bradley scared the crap out of Wedge and Shapiro and they dealt him like a hot potato with the label of "bad news."

Smart people could have fixed him.

Well, fixed him at least until he ended his major league usefulness.

That's what pro sports is all about.

You make it sound like Milton Bradley only ever played under Shapiro and Wedge. He had a reputation in Montreal before the Indians acquired him and still had one of his career best seasons in an Indians uniform (in spite of Shapiro and Wedge I guess?)

He then had stints in LA, Oakland, San Diego, Texas and Chicago. I guess there were no "smart people" in any of those places to fix him before he was reunited with Wedge at Seattle?

I get that you don't like Shapiro, but this post is a stretch.

MANNY RAMIREZ HOMERED FIRST AT BAT IN HIS DEBUT EARLIER THIS SEASON

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZupcF_EOrKI

Manny hasn't stopped hitting since. Last night Manny clubbed his fourth homer of the round robin tournament. He's batting .345 for the tournament and .300 for the regular season phase of the Dominican Winter League. With that homer, Manny has now reached base in 30 consecutive ballgames. He's batting .345 for the round robin and his hit streak now stands at 15 games. The swing is still there. The fans much anticipated debut was not a disappointment.

I still think Manny would be a nice alternative for that DH spot that's still open. Nothng to lose! He'll be cheap considering. A considerable upgrade over 2012 and that's what it's all about. Upgrades! My opinion of course.

joez wrote:MANNY RAMIREZ HOMERED FIRST AT BAT IN HIS DEBUT EARLIER THIS SEASON

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZupcF_EOrKI

Manny hasn't stopped hitting since. Last night Manny clubbed his fourth homer of the round robin tournament. He's batting .345 for the tournament and .300 for the regular season phase of the Dominican Winter League. With that homer, Manny has now reached base in 30 consecutive ballgames. He's batting .345 for the round robin and his hit streak now stands at 15 games. The swing is still there. The fans much anticipated debut was not a disappointment.

I still think Manny would be a nice alternative for that DH spot that's still open. Nothng to lose! He'll be cheap considering. A considerable upgrade over 2012 and that's what it's all about. Upgrades! My opinion of course.

I would take Manny over Pronk easily.

When does the new HGH testing begin for MLB? Maybe Manny can get grand-fathered in.

MORE AGUILAS, MORE MANNY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_v8JHT03d4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzTdyQmqQLw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcIBUVtZat0

http://telly.com/95ZE9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7stAtdClAuM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZWd6HgjC38

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5Y-dqmh2ao

YOU BE THE JUDGE !?!?!

TDU wrote:

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:If the Cleveland Indians had gifted ownership and management (not Mark Shapiro) brains, Milton Bradley might have been a good citizen with good production numbers for his career.

Milton Bradley scared the crap out of Wedge and Shapiro and they dealt him like a hot potato with the label of "bad news."

Smart people could have fixed him.

Well, fixed him at least until he ended his major league usefulness.

That's what pro sports is all about.

You make it sound like Milton Bradley only ever played under Shapiro and Wedge. He had a reputation in Montreal before the Indians acquired him and still had one of his career best seasons in an Indians uniform (in spite of Shapiro and Wedge I guess?)

He then had stints in LA, Oakland, San Diego, Texas and Chicago. I guess there were no "smart people" in any of those places to fix him before he was reunited with Wedge at Seattle?

I get that you don't like Shapiro, but this post is a stretch.

Not really a stretch.

Shapiro made the decision to acquire Milton Bradley after Montreal knowing the facts. Shapiro and Wedge then made sure through circumstances the label of "problem child" was linked to Bradley for ever after.

A lovely burden to bestow upon Bradley as he marched on with his scarlet lettering from Cleveland.

Shapiro and Wedge made no good attempt...apparently.... to "fix him" when they had the best opportunity of all in MLB with the timing they had.

They cast him to the wind....with the label they attached.

My first wife worked and works with turning around juveniles incarcerated. I helped her on some projects with them along the way.

It is possible to "fix" at least some people.

Shapiro and Wedge were like "Larry and Curly" for Milton Bradley.

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote: It is possible to "fix" at least some people.

Of course it is possible to fix some people, but I think people can only fix themselves if they are open to making the effort to do so, something that Bradley never did. He pretty much blamed anyone other than himself.

You seem to have completely avoided why nobody at any of the other teams Bradley played for was able to fix him, and instead took another opportunity to take a potshot at Shapiro and Wedge.

I'll let this go, because your dislike here really seems to be clouding your judgment.

For TFISC to even try to justify his childish attacks against Shapiro is comical.

Pour another one.