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Milton Bradley says issues with wife are behind him
Dodger center fielder says story of domestic violence in his Redondo Beach home is overblown and the problems have been taken care of.
Controversial Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley said Tuesday that three police responses to domestic violence incidents at his Redondo Beach home were "very regrettable" and that he and his pregnant wife have resolved their problems.
The outfielder, embroiled in a series of on- and off-the-field conflicts that prompted the team last year to order him to take anger management classes, issued a short statement Tuesday in response to a Daily Breeze article that detailed three physical confrontations with his wife.
No charges were filed against Bradley.
"The events written about are very regrettable," Bradley said in the statement issued by the Dodgers public relations office. "Any problems reported have been exaggerated but nonetheless my wife and I have resolved all issues."
The Daily Breeze reported Tuesday that Redondo Beach officers responded to Bradley's Maria Avenue home on June 28, July 11 and July 30. On June 28 and July 30, police counseled the couple. But police said they would have arrested Bradley on July 11 if he had been home when they arrived.
That day, Bradley's wife accused him of slamming her hand into her face and cutting her lip, choking her against a wall with his forearm pressed against her throat, throwing a cellular telephone at a wall, and removing all the phones from the house and fleeing.
Dodgers General Manager Paul DePodesta issued a statement Tuesday saying the domestic violence reports were Bradley's personal matters. He said the team was not distracted by them and "remains fully focused on winning the National League West Division."
"Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and I have made it crystal clear that character is an essential attribute for everyone within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization," DePodesta said. "As we have already stated, Milton Bradley has health issues that we expect he will address. We are disappointed that he is facing challenges away from the ballpark, but we are confident he will confront these issues as well."
In Chicago on Tuesday, where the Dodgers played the Cubs, Manager Jim Tracy said "There are things emotionally that Milton has to get a real firm grasp on."
News of the incidents of domestic violence added to the center fielder's already troubled career. In the past week, he ignited a racially tinged dispute, criticizing second baseman Jeff Kent as a poor team leader and a man unable to deal with black people. Bradley is black and Kent is white.
In Bradley's career, he previously had troubles with the Montreal Expos and Cleveland Indians. He came to the Dodgers last season following a beef with Cleveland manager Eric Wedge.
Since then, he served a three-day jail sentence for driving away from a police officer issuing him a ticket in Ohio, tossed a bucket full of balls onto the playing field during a tantrum, charged a fan who had thrown a bottle at him and was suspended, and engaged in a heated argument with a sportswriter.
He was facing possible team discipline last week for his statements about Kent when he was diagnosed with a serious knee injury that requires surgery and was placed on the disabled list.
Bradley, whose alleged spousal problems were the buzz of sports talk radio Tuesday, said the "incidents reported will remain private and personal."
"At this time, I am choosing to handle this matter and all future matters directly and confidentially with the Dodgers," he said. "While I continue to work on my off-the-field issues, my energy is also directed towards preparing for season-ending knee surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation."
Redondo Beach police said Bradley received no special treatment.
Detectives took their reports and photographs of the bloody lip of Bradley's wife to the District Attorney's Office for review, but prosecutors on July 14 opted not to file charges against him, police Sgt. Phil Keenan said.
On Tuesday, the District Attorney's Office released its "charge evaluation worksheet," which said prosecutors declined to prosecute Bradley because of insufficient evidence. Deputy District Attorney Mary Suzukawa wrote that the decision hinged on the wife's story of what happened, specifically that she changed her account during a second interview with police.
The prosecutor determined that, as a result, the case against Bradley could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, the document said.
Bradley and his wife of six months are expecting a child in December.
Source: dailybreeze.com
Controversial Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley said Tuesday that three police responses to domestic violence incidents at his Redondo Beach home were "very regrettable" and that he and his pregnant wife have resolved their problems.
The outfielder, embroiled in a series of on- and off-the-field conflicts that prompted the team last year to order him to take anger management classes, issued a short statement Tuesday in response to a Daily Breeze article that detailed three physical confrontations with his wife.
No charges were filed against Bradley.
"The events written about are very regrettable," Bradley said in the statement issued by the Dodgers public relations office. "Any problems reported have been exaggerated but nonetheless my wife and I have resolved all issues."
The Daily Breeze reported Tuesday that Redondo Beach officers responded to Bradley's Maria Avenue home on June 28, July 11 and July 30. On June 28 and July 30, police counseled the couple. But police said they would have arrested Bradley on July 11 if he had been home when they arrived.
That day, Bradley's wife accused him of slamming her hand into her face and cutting her lip, choking her against a wall with his forearm pressed against her throat, throwing a cellular telephone at a wall, and removing all the phones from the house and fleeing.
Dodgers General Manager Paul DePodesta issued a statement Tuesday saying the domestic violence reports were Bradley's personal matters. He said the team was not distracted by them and "remains fully focused on winning the National League West Division."
"Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and I have made it crystal clear that character is an essential attribute for everyone within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization," DePodesta said. "As we have already stated, Milton Bradley has health issues that we expect he will address. We are disappointed that he is facing challenges away from the ballpark, but we are confident he will confront these issues as well."
In Chicago on Tuesday, where the Dodgers played the Cubs, Manager Jim Tracy said "There are things emotionally that Milton has to get a real firm grasp on."
News of the incidents of domestic violence added to the center fielder's already troubled career. In the past week, he ignited a racially tinged dispute, criticizing second baseman Jeff Kent as a poor team leader and a man unable to deal with black people. Bradley is black and Kent is white.
In Bradley's career, he previously had troubles with the Montreal Expos and Cleveland Indians. He came to the Dodgers last season following a beef with Cleveland manager Eric Wedge.
Since then, he served a three-day jail sentence for driving away from a police officer issuing him a ticket in Ohio, tossed a bucket full of balls onto the playing field during a tantrum, charged a fan who had thrown a bottle at him and was suspended, and engaged in a heated argument with a sportswriter.
He was facing possible team discipline last week for his statements about Kent when he was diagnosed with a serious knee injury that requires surgery and was placed on the disabled list.
Bradley, whose alleged spousal problems were the buzz of sports talk radio Tuesday, said the "incidents reported will remain private and personal."
"At this time, I am choosing to handle this matter and all future matters directly and confidentially with the Dodgers," he said. "While I continue to work on my off-the-field issues, my energy is also directed towards preparing for season-ending knee surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation."
Redondo Beach police said Bradley received no special treatment.
Detectives took their reports and photographs of the bloody lip of Bradley's wife to the District Attorney's Office for review, but prosecutors on July 14 opted not to file charges against him, police Sgt. Phil Keenan said.
On Tuesday, the District Attorney's Office released its "charge evaluation worksheet," which said prosecutors declined to prosecute Bradley because of insufficient evidence. Deputy District Attorney Mary Suzukawa wrote that the decision hinged on the wife's story of what happened, specifically that she changed her account during a second interview with police.
The prosecutor determined that, as a result, the case against Bradley could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, the document said.
Bradley and his wife of six months are expecting a child in December.
Source: dailybreeze.com