Former Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley ordered to begin jail sentence.

Milton BradleyFormer Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley (right) has been ordered to serve a 32-month jail sentence for abusing his deceased wife, according to a report that detailed Bradley’s hearing Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Sports Illustrated had the scoop on its website today:

After two days of deliberation, a jury convicted Milton Bradley of charges including inflicting corporal injury on a spouse, assault with a deadly weapon (a baseball bat), and criminal threats. A gifted switch-hitter who had played for eight teams during a tumultuous, 12-year career marked by altercations with umpires, teammates, managers, fans and reporters, Bradley had vigorously contested each charge at trial, claiming that the case was a scheme perpetrated by his wife in order to win custody of their two children and squeeze a larger divorce settlement from him. Despite the array of photos and police reports, and in defiance of phone records that listed hundreds of profane, physically threatening text messages the 220-pound athlete had sent to his 115-pound wife over the years, the outfielder and his counsel claimed that his wife had been the abuser in their relationship, not him.

Given the opportunity to address the court, Bradley claimed that Monique’s drinking had been at the root of their troubles even though he and the nanny had testified at trial that Monique was not a heavy drinker. He added: “Ray Rice slaps the hell out of a woman, you know. I didn’t do that. I’m not Ray Rice. Greg Hardy beats up a woman. I didn’t do that. You know what I’m saying? It’s obvious to everyone this is a complete farce. This woman is an alcoholic. She drank every single day.”

Rubinson, who called Bradley’s final written request for leniency “breathtaking, frankly, in how callous [it was],” responded to Bradley’s outburst in court: “Well, Mr. Bradley, the fact that you’re saying things like that is, to me, not a good sign.”

At the close of the hearing, Bradley was handcuffed and taken into police custody.

This entry was posted in In the community, JP on the Dodgers and tagged by J.P. Hoornstra. Bookmark the permalink.

About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.