Seattle Mariners Tickets – Bradley Gets another Big Opportunity with M's
Milton Bradley's off-the-field problems have been well publicized, making it somewhat difficult to take him seriously when he is actually on the field. On most teams, Bradley would have probably been shown the door a while ago, though the Seattle Mariners are not most teams. With a very strong starting rotation, the Mariners should be in position to take down the AL West. The problem is that they mightily struggle putting up runs, making Bradley a necessity for the middle of their lineup. After a brief hiatus from the team, in which Bradley sought counseling for personal issues, Bradley is now back in the Mariners' lineup and will be relied upon to produce. If the Mariners have any shot at challenging for the division, he'll have to.
Through May 19th, the Mariners were the worst scoring team in the American League and the second worst in the entire majors, barely edging out the lackluster Houston Astros. But the Mariners also boast one of the top pitching staffs in the league, which has to be frustrating for Mariners fans. With Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee and Doug Fister, who has come out of nowhere to post one of the top ERAs in the league, the Mariners have as strong a starting rotation as anyone else in the league outside of the San Francisco Giants. Even fourth starter Jason Vargas has an ERA well below 3.00, which should give the Mariners a chance to win nearly every single night.
Getting the Mariners back on track could all start with Milton Bradley. Without Bradley, the Mariners have a gaping hole in the middle of their lineup and a complete lack of power. Ken Griffey Jr. was expected to provide some power but has been getting more publicity about his sleeping habits than his actual play on the field. Franklin Gutierrez is a nice player but has cooled off following a torrid start to the season because he has no protection behind him. Bradley still has plenty of talent and doesn't have to put up Albert Pujols type numbers to be effective and help the Mariners score runs.
If he doesn't, it could be a long season for the Mariners. Their best overall player, Ichiro Suzuki, is off to another fine start and is doing a great job setting the table at the top of the order; through May 19th, Ichiro was batting .347, which is one of the top averages in the league. As always, Ichiro is helping to sell boatloads of <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/2487519']);" href="http://www.stubhub.com/seattle-mariners-tickets/">Seattle Mariners tickets</a>.With Ichiro getting on base and Chone Figgins finally starting to emerge from an atrocious start to the season, the opportunities will be there for Bradley to make a difference and get the Mariners out of the cellar in the AL West.
For Bradley, this is could be the last time a team turns to him and gives him a big opportunity in the heart of the order, and it's an opportunity that he needs to seize. With a sweet left-handed swing, Bradley remains a troublesome player with talent in spades. Three times in his career he has hit .300 or better and he's always been a guy with a high on-base percentage as well due to his patience at the plate. The Mariners simply boast too strong a pitching staff to let the season go to waste, though that's exactly what will happen if someone doesn't start stepping up and carrying the offensive load. Bradley could very well be that guy, but he's running out of chances.
Questions and Answers
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