Thanks reddevil for your comments. You did not ramble in the least bit.
I certainly don't think any ballplayer getting hit is funny, especially a player for whom I am rooting like Bradley.
Unfortunately for Bradley, his reputation precedes him. No matter what kind of fresh start he has made here, he has a reputation of being a pain in the butt toward umpires, and umpires (much like elephants) don't forget.
Just as we can say that Meachem has no reason to lie (besides the fact that he is a rodent and can't help it
), Mike Winters is not the kind of guy who goes around acting this way. I know Mike and he is a very nice man. I've watched him umpire for years, attended classes that he has taught and have had several conversations with him. I would never believe him to act the way it has been reported.
There must be something more to this than just this one incident. I would venture to say there is a history between Winters and Bradley that goes back to before the Padres acquired him.