Sports stars share support for Bradley's fire

August 10th, 2017

PHOENIX -- 's emotional reaction during the D-backs' 6-3 win Tuesday made big waves throughout the Arizona sports community.
Bradley emphatically pumped his fists and screamed "This is our house" as he walked off the field after retiring the side in the eighth against the Dodgers. After the game he elaborated on the reaction, saying, "This is our house, man. I don't care how many games back we are, I don't care if we're the worst team in baseball. I want to win at home, and I want to see Diamondback fans in the stands. I don't like seeing blue in the stands. It had nothing to do with standings, it had nothing to do with the playoff race; it had to do with our fans being better than theirs and us winning."
The reaction earned him a barrage of Twitter messages from Dodgers fans, but also words of support from Suns guard Devin Booker and former Major Leaguer Dontrelle Willis.
"I saw Dontrelle Willis tweet something about the video, and that kind of pumped me up," Bradley said. "Like I said, you can't fake that stuff. What came out last night was just who I am inside and I felt the moment and just kind of let it out."

The 24-year-old right-hander has endeared himself to D-backs fans this year with a burly beard and electric personality that has been on full display since he transitioned into Arizona's setup-man role. In a clubhouse full of laid-back personalities, Bradley provides a spark.
"I think it creates a little bit of excitement, and I'm all in favor of that," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "I think I said it last night -- I felt the same way. I felt that same rush that Archie had and I wanted to go jump on his back and do the same thing he was doing. If you didn't appreciate that moment and appreciate what he was doing, then you're not a really true sports fan. I think the fans felt that, the entire dugout felt that and Archie certainly displayed that the exact way that we all wanted to."
One of Bradley's postgame comments in particular grabbed the attention of a fellow Phoenix sports star. Bradley made reference to an NBA game he attended in April in which Booker squared off against Russell Westbrook.
"I was at the game when Devin Booker was talking about not letting Russell Westbrook get that triple-double," Bradley said. "It's the same thing. You look up and see the blue in the stands, and this is our house, man."
Booker tweeted "Respect" in response to a video of Bradley's comments.

"I feel like all the sports teams here in Phoenix are getting connected," Lovullo said. "We know one another, we are always constantly reaching out to one another and I like that. I like that we're all supporting one another. I know that Earl Watson and the Suns are going to be coming in here sometime next week, so I'm excited about that. The fact that we tied in the Phoenix Suns with the Diamondbacks last night by some margin is fantastic."