“The boiling point is when he called Milton Bradley a name” - When Padres’ Bobby Meacham opened up on outfielder’s fight with Mike Winters

Milton Bradley was unquestionably one of the polarizing players of his generation. Despite earning an All-Star selection in 2008, Bradley's temper and attitude hurt his reputation among fans and across MLB.

Bradley made headlines throughout his career for refusing to back down from anyone, including media members and umpires who criticized him. One such incident occurred in 2007 when he was a member of the San Diego Padres.

In what turned out to be one of the most bizarre player injuries, the 12-year MLB veteran's frustrations with first-base umpire Mike Winters resulted in a season-ending setback.

During a matchup between the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies, a simmering Bradley, who had already tossed his bat after a questionable strikeout, found himself in a heated argument with first base umpire Mike Winters. According to Padres first base coach Bobby Meacham, Winters crossed this line, cursing at the outfielder, leading to an outburst from the Harbor City, California, native.

“There’s no possible way a man is going to stand there and take what he said to Milton. The boiling point is when he called Milton a name. Milton did not say anything to him to get him to do that," Meacham said of the incident.

Unfortunately for Bradley, during the argument, the outfielder damaged his knee while being restrained by his manager, Bud Black. Amid the chaos, Bradley fell and began clutching his leg. An ACL tear ended his season.

“I’m taking some action. I’m not going to stand pat and accept this because I didn’t do nothing wrong," Bradley told reporters about suffering the injury after Winters's unnecessary verbal barrage.

After an MLB investigation, Winters was suspended for the rest of the year and prevented from calling postseason games. Bradley didn't receive punishment from the league.

Milton Bradley's troubles extended beyond the baseball diamond

Although Bradley was a talented player, he was undoubtedly a troubled person. Only two years after his final MLB season, Bradley ran afoul the law. In 2013, the former All-Star was charged with several crimes related to domestic violence incidents involving his first wife, Monique. She died later that year as the result of cirrhosis of the liver, hemorrhagic shock and cardiorespiratory arrest

Despite appealing the decision, Bradley was sentenced to 32 months in prison in 2013, which he began serving in 2015. A few years later, Milton Bradley received 36 months of probation for another domestic violence incident.