"Milton Bradley came to camp with the Seattle Mariners intent on leaving the outside world and its dangers and complications behind, but the best of intentions only go so far.

"For me here, it needs to be about baseball. Baseball is what I do best," Bradley said Tuesday. "I'm 100 percent focused."

Which isn't to say he's deaf.

On Sunday, in the annual charity game between Seattle and San Diego, Bradley was introduced prior to his first at-bat of the spring and a fan down the first-base line booed.

Did Bradley hear him?

"Yeah, I heard him. One guy, and no one joined him," Bradley said. "Today there was one guy in the outfield, yelling 'Drop the ball' and 'Nice baserunning.' When self-doubt creeps in, you hear those voices a little more loudly. The key is not to let them in.

"I figure I had one guy like that and a stadium full of people behind me."

Three games into spring training is a bit early to declare Bradley a changed man, but he went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a stolen base in the Mariners' 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday - and at least his swing had changed.

"I've been able to get rid of some bad habits I'd developed last year," he said. "I'd been coming around the ball, now I'm staying on it and hitting it where it's pitched.

"In camp, whether it's been in the cage or on the field, the work has been about the work, not the result. Work on timing, on your stroke, on your follow through, on your finish - and do it every day."

Manager Eric Wedge and his staff have noticed Bradley's efforts.

"He's coming early and really working hard. He just needs to be patient and let the game come to him, and that's what I think you're seeing," Wedge said. "He's having a good time. He's enjoying himself, he's enjoying his teammates. I love his work ethic. His approach has been good. I just want him to sustain that.""