And on the 35th game he rested.

Which, if you’re Milton Bradley of the Chicago Cubs, isn’t much different than the 34th game of the 2009 season.  Or for that matter, the better part of the 33 games that preceded it.

With one exception.  This time, it’s Major League Baseball ordering Bradley to sit one out.

The Cub outfielder is merely choosing Friday for his day of rest, the result of a one-game suspension for making contact with head umpire Larry Vanover in an April 16th game at Wrigley Field.

Whether Bradley deserves the one-game suspension is disputable.  His reaction to the penalty, however, is inexcusable.   And Chicago GM Jim Hendry’s role as enabler is simply incomprehensible.

It’s understandable for a player to come to a teammate’s defense, as in the case of Ryan Dempster.  But it’s quite another for the general manager to step in and take a swing for his player - especially given Bradley’s past.

A rose is a rose as the saying goes.  In Bradley’s case his career certainly hasn’t been without its thorns.  He’s been labeled as everything from volatile to passionate and there’s even been a dash of anger management accusations thrown in for taste.

However Milton Bradley prefers to see himself is up to Milton Bradley.   But his two prior suspensions for arguing with umpires (both in 2004) speak as much about Bradley’s professional career as does his career .278 batting average or his 107 home runs.

Or should it be as Hendry would like his high-dollar free agent to be seen: As someone who’s just misunderstood?

“That’s unfair, if it is,” Hendry said, responding to whether Bradley’s past may have influenced his latest suspension. “People are entitled to fresh starts. People are entitled to move on. I know the guy talking right now, ‘I’m guilty of many mistakes in my life and I’ve gotten a chance to move on and progress.”

Hendry’s statement probably holds true not only for Bradley and him, but for all of us in Cubdom.  It does demand a follow-up question, however.  And that would be, “Jim, did you learn from those mistakes or did you merely keep repeating them?”

Throughout Hendry’s tenure as the Chicago Cubs  GM, Hendry has a history of defending his players - especially those he’s signed to long-term lucrative contracts.  And it’s unlikely Cub fans will see a change in Hendry’s ways anytime in the near or distant future.

In the meantime, Bradley can go to bed tonight knowing he has the day off with his boss’s blessing.