Ladies and Gentlemen, Milton Bradley

Well, Milton Bradley gave the Cubs what they wanted. Sort of.

Bradley, pinch hitting, was ejected in the sixth inning after arguing balls and strikes during his Wrigley Field debut. Going up in the count 3-0 with the bases loaded, Bradley saw the count shift in Adam Wainwright's favor. Wainwright's 3-2 pitch was low, called a strike, and Bradley didn't hesitate letting home plate umpire Larry Vanover know how he felt. Bradley was immediately tossed.

Fantastic.

Last year's team was outstanding. Great starting rotation. Great offense. Solid bullpen. Still, outside of Carlos Zambrano, where was the intensity? Quick hint: it wasn't there.

Now, I'm not questioning the passion of these players. Derrek Lee is one hell of a competitor. Center field walls have come to fear Reed Johnson. And Kerry Wood can strike out some batters with a stare. But to win at a championship level, you need that Dennis Rodman. You need that Ozzie Guillen [did I really just say that?]. They put up great numbers, but also bring that intangible, always-on-display demeanor that enchants fans and makes opponents question themselves.

Piss and vinegar. Vim and vigor. It's not an exact science, but there are proven results. You need that visible, outspoken tenacity. Bradley brings that, and we saw it today. Is it just a distraction though? No, not at this point. Bradley hasn't been hitting this season in limited time, but he's getting on base. That's what he was brought in for. And as far as ejections go, one here or there, especially if it comes in a pinch-hitting situation, isn't going to kill a team.

Sure, the 2008 Cubs displayed a great sense of camaraderie, and the last thing we need is another dugout boxing ring match, but there wasn't a "win now at any cost" mentality, and Bradley brings that to the team. Thus, his Wrigley Field debut had the sold-out crowd on its feet.

However, I'm sure both Bradley and the Cubs wanted a different outcome.

Bradley's strike out had lasting effects on the game. With the score tied 4-4, Alfonso Soriano followed up Bradley with a pop out to left field. Scoring opportunity wasted, St. Louis battered the Cubs bullpen some more, surging ahead for a 7-4 win.

Sean Marshall, making his first start of the season, gave us what we expect from a back of the rotation starter: five innings of three-run ball. That isn't Cy Young stuff, but it should be good enough to get the win. Given the misadventures of the bullpen though, it's hard to imagine Jeff Samardzija sitting around in the minors for too long. Whether that means he starts and Marshall is shifted to the bullpen, or vice versa, I don't know. Stay tuned.

Kosuke Fukudome bailed Marhsll out and put the Cubs in position to win with a three-run homer in the fifth inning, erasing an early 3-1 deficit. Aaron Heilman promptly gave that lead away, courtesy of a Khalil Greene home run in the sixth inning. The Cubs never recovered in the opening game of a crucial, four game early season series. David Patton added to the damage, issuing two walks and giving up two runs in his first poor outing of the season. Angel Guzman wasn't too sharp either.

Things weren't much better on the other side of the ball. Micah Hoffpauir got the start in right field, but wasn't able to do much at the plate, finishing 0-for-4. Outside of Fukudome, Aramis Ramirez was the only player with two hits.

But at the end of the day, you have to walk away knowing that the best thing that could've happened in a loss was learning about the character of this year's Cubs. While Bradley may be suspended, that's a tenacity that we want, as long as it doesn't hurt us too much in the long run. That's a fine line, but one that I'm sure Bradley and Lou can walk at this stage of their careers.