Mind games confuse issue for Bradley

Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley is one of those athletes whose head you don't really want to get into.

You know, like Dennis Rodman and John Daly.

It's tough enough to analyze their thoughts from the outside looking in, much less from the inside looking around.

But I already play a doctor, lawyer, economist, ethicist, social scientist, political scientist and rocket scientist in the newspaper.

So why not play a sports psychologist, too?

Bradley left himself open to analysis by becoming involved in a dust-up with Lou Piniella on Friday. Included was the Cubs' manager calling him a "piece of (bleep)" and sending him home in midgame.

All was quiet on that front Saturday. Bradley and Piniella were all right with each other - at least on the record.

"I apologized to him for the last comment I made," Piniella said.

He added that the altercation with Bradley made it tough to enjoy that day's victory. Nobody had the heart to ask whether it was worse or better than losing 8-7 Saturday without any fuss.

Those are the type of dilemmas that arise while managing someone as emotionally erratic as Milton Bradley.

This is as complex a person as you'll find in sports, which spills into him being as complex a player as you'll find in baseball.

Many believe Bradley does what he does because he's empty-headed, but from here it looks like just the opposite is true.

Bradley has so much going on up in his attic that if anything he's bogged down by too much broken furniture up there, too many old toys and, yes, too many handles missing from the luggage.

Better known as baggage, of course.

Bradley thinks so much about everything, is so aware of what's going on around him and is so sensitive to so much of it.

"I either care all the time or not at all," was Bradley's assessment of himself. "Sometimes I care too much and it gets me in trouble. But I'd rather care too much than not enough."

See what I mean? Bradley analyzes everything - including himself, the good and the bad - and sends it through his personal filtration system.

The problem is that instead of eventually flushing it, Bradley files it along with myriad previous controversies swirling around.

There is so much history to consider before deciding to make any move - is this the umpire to argue with, is this the reporter to feud with, is this the manager to accept criticism from, is this the teammate to interact with, are these the fans to respond to?

Then there's the impression that like with most complex people, it's tough to tell the spontaneous from the calculated.

"I want to give you the heart, not clichés," Bradley said after Saturday's game. "I don't want to rub anybody the wrong way, but I want to be honest."

Thinking too much is dangerous for an athlete. Instead of just playing, Bradley's head is cluttered by fans, umpires, reporters and the slump he's in.

This isn't a bad guy or a dumb guy, just a guy playing so many mind games with himself that sometimes it's difficult for him to play the game of baseball.

Now back to your regularly scheduled therapist.

mimrem@dailyherald.com