Who didn't see this coming? Not even halfway through the first year of a 3-year, $30-million contract with the Cubs, the beleaguered Milton Bradley finally came face-to-face with Sweet Lou.

"Words were exchanged" in the purely verbal altercation that followed Bradley's latest temper trantrum in the dugout. Sweet Lou sent Bradley home for the day.

"It's something I promise won't be happening again," Cubs GM Jim Hendry said of Bradley's tantrum to MLB.com. Without recounting Bradley's extensive history of outbursts, tantrums, ejections, mysterious injuries, et al, suffice to say that this will be happening again.

Bradley's teammates are also at the ends of their respective ropes with Bradley. Alfonso Soriano on Bradley: "We don't need him. We have 25 players, we have to be on the same page. If he's not 100 percent to help the team to win, we don't need him. If he's 100 percent and he comes and wants to play, he's more than welcome."

Milton Bradley has never been 100 percent anything in his big league career. The only question now is if there is how much of Bradley's contract the Cubs will have to eat when they cut ties with him for good.

...during the WBC. While this doesn't impact his MLB playing time, he will be barred from international play for two years.

I hope this puts to rest the talk of his "slow start" being due to the WBC (or should that be the "Wake-and-Bake Classic?).

Some Cubs fans think that some of the guest conductors for the 7th Inning Stretch - most recently actress Denise Richards - are ruining a sacred Cubs tradition and that it is about time that real Chicagoans take back the 7th inning stretch before it is too late.

William Kelly, of "Sportsaholic," on Comcast Sportsnet has officially thrown his hat into the ring to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and is taking singing lessons to show his true commitment.  He will be recruiting other Chicagoans to step up and show these guest conductor "outsiders" how it is done.

"Sportsaholic" will be tracking Kelly's unruly 7th Inning Stretch campaign and his Chicago sports fan recruitment successes and failures at www.sportsaholictv.com. Interested Chicago Cubs fans interested in showing what it takes to sing the 7th inning stretch and making Harry Caray proud can email Kelly at sportsaholictv@gmail.com.

Video of Conan O'Brien running through Wrigley Field in a taped segment from his "Tonight Show" debut:

ESPN needs to begin airing this one on ESPN Classic ASAP--this is Cubs baseball. The Cubs' 11th loss in their past 15 games is an early contender for "game of the year" for a team that's slipping from first (in '08) to worst (in '09) in the NL Central.

Injured Milton Bradley?

Check.

Soriano homers...and then goes cold for his remaining five at-bats?

Check.

Marmol enters in a key spot and walks two?

Check.

A no-hitter through seven turns into a loss?

Check.

Kevin Gregg turns in his best LaTroy Hawkins impression?

Check.

Pitching to the reigning NL Batting Champion with first base open?

Check.

In a post-game interview, Wells said, "It stinks not getting the win. But stuff happens. That's baseball." No, Wells, that's not baseball--that's Cubs' baseball.