Bradley leaves ballpark early after tirade

BY foxsports • June 27, 2009

Chicago Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley was taken out of Friday's 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox following a dugout tirade in the sixth inning.

Bradley then left the ballpark altogether, during the game, at manager Lou Piniella's urging.

"I told him to take his uniform off and go home," Piniella said after the game. "I don't like those things to happen, but I'm tired of watching all that."

Bradley flew out in the sixth inning, sending him to 0-for-3 on the day. He promptly threw his helmet and took out his remaining frustrations on the team's Gatorade cooler in a meltdown similar to Carlos Zambrano's earlier this season. He and Piniella were then seen exchanging words in the tunnel to the clubhouse.

"This has been a common occurrence and I've looked the other way a lot, and I'm done with it," Piniella said. "I'm not happy this thing happened, but at the same time, it was time."

He was replaced in the game by Ryan Freel. Piniella said Bradley would be in the lineup on Saturday (FOX, 1 p.m. ET).

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