Jackie Bradley Jr. is coming up on 10 years of playing baseball in the majors.
But when he’s done playing baseball, he says he doesn’t want anything to do with the sport. That’s right, in an interview with the Boston Globe Today, Bradley stated “I have other things I want to do with my life.”
His longevity in the game alone is a significant accomplishment, and he still remains one of the best defenders in the outfield. When it’s all said and done, the 33-year-old will walk away from the game as a World Series champ, an all-star, and a Gold Glove winner. Not too many players will get to accomplish what Bradley has done.
But when asked what baseball memories he’ll tell his grandchildren one day,” Bradley’s answer would be shocking to some.
“Nothing,” he said. “I won’t talk about baseball once I’m done with it. I’m not bitter; I just have other interests. Baseball was fun but I liked it for what it was at the time.”
Jackie Bradley Jr. Giving MLB One Last Dance
Bradley did not know what the future would look like going into the 2023 season, but he is making the most of his time playing with the Kansas City Royals.
After he finishes helping to move along the KC rebuild, Bradley will most likely hang up his cleats to focus on his loved ones and possibly spending some time in another country.
“I want to enjoy my family, travel, play golf, and just relax,” Bradley said. “I have plenty of things I enjoy outside of this game.”
“Spain intrigues me,” he said. “I’d love to see my kids get that opportunity. I think living in a place where they learn a new language would be great. I wish I could have done that at their age.”
Bradley seems to already have one field off the diamond and into his golf shoes. And you can see that he and his family intend to join every minute of it. During his career, Bradley has played for four different teams, spending most of his career with the Boston Red Sox. That is where he won a World Series and was named the MVP of the ALCS. It was the peak of his career.
“Good times and some bad times. It’s all part of it,” Bradley said. “Everyone’s life is like that in whatever business you’re in. How it ended in Boston, that’s not something I think about.”
Bradley has had some rollercoaster moments in his career, dealing with injuries and also struggling at the plate at times. But he continues to go out there and play his heart out.
Now that he’s with Kansas City, Bradley wants to add value to a team that’s rebuilding.
“Helping out anyway I possibly can,” Bradley said. “I’m definitely enjoying it. Talking about my experiences and ultimately just being around the guys. It’s fun.
Through 36 games this season, Bradley has six RBI and has appeared in every position in the outfield with the Royals this season, seeing the most action in centerfield. Unsurprisingly, he has not committed an error and has three outfield assists. One thing that Bradley will always be known for is his defensive abilities.
And when his career is over, he will have no regrets from playing.
“Baseball doesn’t owe me anything,” Bradley said. “I had a great time and I still am. But when it’s over, I’ll have a lot of life to live.”
Willie Wilson was a baseball star in the 80s, most notably for the Kansas City Royals, leading them to a World Series title in 1985. The MLBbro was a speed demon; a switch-hitting technician and his web gems are legendary. In 1979 he set a club record with 83 steals and in 1980 he became the second MLB player with 100 hits from each side of the plate and also won the 1982 batting title (.332).
MLBbro Michael A. Taylor has been a top acquisition for the Minnesota Twins, who are battling for first place in the AL Central division. Taylor, a centerfielder, has a six-game hitting streak, batting .429 with three Bro bombs.
Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton has dealt with numerous injuries the past few seasons, causing him to miss significant time.
Buxton Hits 100th Career Homer In 595th Career Game
Buxton comes into this season healthy and ready to lead his team to success.
And so far, he has been one of the Twins’ top hitters. The big question is, can Buxton stay healthy as the season progresses?
Buxton’s batting .308 after going 1-for-4 on Tuesday night in a 4-3 extra innings win over Tim Anderson’s Chicago White Sox, and has reached base in 10 of the first 11 games he’s played this season.
The win was just the icing on the cake as the talented MLBbro hit his 100th career Bro bomb in his 595th career game.
Seeing their star player have success at the start of the season is a great sign for the Twins who are 6-4 and battling it out with the Guardians for first place in the AL Central division.
One Of The Best In The Game
The outfielder made his first All-Star appearance last season and belted a home run to help the American League defeat the National League 3-2.
While the 29-year-old played in his first All-Star Game, he also had to get season-ending knee surgery, limiting him to 92 games. The year before that he only played in 61 games. Hopefully that won’t be the case for him this year.
Those 92 games, however, were the most games he’s played in since 2017. So that’s a noteworthy positive for Buxton, who has not let the injuries have a negative impact on his career. He’s always remained optimistic when dealing with injuries. Minnesota invested over $100M in him, so they believe as well.
Buxton understands that injuries are a part of the game and unfortunately for him, the injuries have followed him around consistently. But despite the setbacks, he is the definition of a true leader. Even when he was sidelined last season due to injuries, he still had an impactful presence in the clubhouse.
The Twins were an early pick to make the postseason last year after getting off to a hot start, while Buxton was in the lineup. As the season progressed, things started to cool off for Minnesota and the injuries didn’t help at all.
A healthy Buxton in 2023 will be a sight to see
Minnesota finished the 2022 season with a 78-84 record. This season, the team is looking to turn that around and get back to its winning ways, especially with Buxton healthy.
If the Twins want to continue to be in the race throughout the season, there’s no question that Buxton will have to stay healthy.
When he’s healthy, he’s a beast on the field and at the plate.
With Buxton in the leadoff spot for the Twins, he provides that spark and can set the tone during the beginning of games. And you better believe that he can come up clutch in crucial situations. Whether you need a home run or a single, Buxton is the guy you want up to bat with the game on the line.
This will be a big season for Buxton and Minnesota. If he can limit the number of games missed this season, then the Twins will have a good chance to make some noise come September. They already had a close call with a rough slide into second, but it wasn’t serious.
Malik Wright is ‘Live On Tape At the Ball Park’ again with veteran #MLBbro and super web master Jackie Bradley Jr. about his latest MLB stint as a member of the upstart Kansas City Royals
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