Former Dodgers Outfielder Found Dead at 68

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jan 6, 2025

Apr 28, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A hat and glove of an Los Angeles Dodgers player durng a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Mark Bradley, a former MLB player who appeared in 90 games over parts of three seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, has passed away at the age of 68.

The News-Enterprise of Elizabethtown, Ky., reported that Bradley was found deceased in his Louisville apartment on Monday by a family member after missing a scheduled doctor’s appointment. The report also noted that Bradley had undergone chemotherapy for colon cancer in his later years.

Bradley, a standout three-sport All-State athlete at EHS, was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a first-round draft pick in 1975, originally as a shortstop.

“When he was drafted, it was a big deal,” said Richard Thomas, one of his closest friends. “It was a really big deal not only here, but in the state. To go in the first round to the Los Angeles Dodgers, that’s a big thing. It still is a big deal.”

Bradley made his MLB debut with the Dodgers late in the 1981 season, going 1-for-6 with a double. Though his time on the field was brief, he earned a World Series ring as the Dodgers defeated the Yankees in six games.

In 1982, Bradley spent most of the year with Triple-A Albuquerque but had a short stint in the majors, going 1-for-3 during his brief call-up.

During spring training in 1983, Bradley was traded to the New York Mets while batting .353. He started slowly with the Mets, going 0-for-8, but broke through on May 10 with a 3-for-5 performance that included a double and a stolen base in a loss to Houston. Later that month, he hit a memorable pinch-hit home run off Dodgers' left-hander Fernando Valenzuela. That season, his only full year in the majors, Bradley hit .202 with three home runs and five RBIs.

Bradley was a standout in baseball, football, and basketball at Elizabethtown, earning a scholarship to play quarterback at Western Kentucky University.

“Baseball was his love and that’s what he went with,” his former high school teammate Jim Philpott said. “Later in life, he said maybe he should have gone to WKU. He was from a small town and he ended up playing in two of the biggest cities in the world and didn’t know anyone. He knew a lot of people who went Western.”

Whether on the baseball diamond, football field, or basketball court, he was a dominant force. Those who knew him say he only sought attention through his athletic prowess. Though Bradley was reserved and kept to himself, those close to him knew they had a loyal and trusted friend.

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