Bradley suspended for rest of season
Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley was suspended Wednesday for the rest of the regular season by Major League Baseball, a day after a bottle-throwing tantrum during a win over Colorado.
A contrite Bradley said he will seek help to deal with his anger and wouldn’t appeal the suspension.
“From the bottom of my heart, I apologize for my outburst,” the 26-year-old Bradley said shortly after learning of the suspension. “Getting upset has caused me to hurt family, hurt friends, hurt my team, hurt fans.
“I need to talk to somebody about anger, get treated, find a way to correct that situation. It’s not even about baseball. This is about what I need to do for my life. I let anger get the best of me.”
Bradley also was fined an undisclosed amount by Bob Watson, baseball’s vice president of on-field operations. Earlier this season, Bradley was suspended for four games after throwing a bag of balls onto the field following an ejection. He has been ejected from four games this year.
Mets hire Minaya to take over baseball operations
The New York Mets are revamping their front office for the second consecutive offseason, hiring Omar Minaya from the Montreal Expos to become the head of baseball operations.
Minaya, the Expos general manager for the past three seasons, was contacted earlier this week and told the Mets on Tuesday that he would leave the Expos to return to New York, a baseball official said on the condition he not be identified.
He is expected to be introduced today.
Cox wins 2,000th game
Bobby Cox became the ninth manager in baseball history to win 2,000 games when the Atlanta Braves scored four runs in the seventh inning and beat the New York Mets 6-3.
“I’ve had a lot of luck,” Cox said with typical modesty. “I’ve been in the right place at the right time. We’ve had a lot of great talent here. You’ve got to have that to win on a consistent basis.”
His players know better. At age 63, Cox has done one of the his best managing jobs, guiding a team that lost four key players to its 13th consecutive division title.
Of the eight managers who previously reached 2,000 wins, seven are in the Hall of Fame.
The lone exception is Tony La Russa, still managing the St. Louis Cardinals.
Kent hits 300th career homer
Astros second baseman Jeff Kent hit his 300th career home run in the second inning, becoming the seventh player this season to reach that mark.
Kent is the 105th player to hit 300 homers.
Kent, a four-time All-Star, is one home run behind Spokane native Ryne Sandberg for most homers by a second baseman.