Dodgers Team News

Atlanta Braves Broadcasters Criticize Dodgers Professionalism and the Dodgers Respond

When it comes to baseball broadcasters, no one likes to hear bias. Vin Scully, arguably the greatest sports broadcaster of all time, was an expert at remaining neutral while in the booth. Scully was so adept at his craft that direct comparisons are hardly fair.

However, some “professionals” fall so far beneath any benchmark of quality it becomes laughable.

Introducing Joe Simpson, the stodgy old troll the Braves and former Dodger, who has been apparently hired to protect the hallowed ritual of the visiting team’s batting practice. As opposed to being hired for, you know, calling baseball games, but you would hardly know it if you happened to tune in to the Braves broadcast yesterday against the Dodgers.

In the top of the 5th inning, with the Braves down 1, Simpson got himself worked up into quite the huff over the “very unprofessional” attire the Dodgers had worn during BP earlier that day. What were the Dodgers wearing that got Simpson so worked up? T-shirts. Seriously. You really have to hear it for yourself:

No sooner had Simpson and broadcast partner Chip Caray launched into their scolding rant than blowback started streaming in, including responses from Dave Roberts and the players:

In classic Kiké fashion, the Dodgers’ serial jokester tweeted out his response to the stuffy Simpson:

https://twitter.com/redturn2/status/1023419451818033153

https://twitter.com/EdwardSluder24/status/1023368847343198209

Reactions from both fan bases largely condemned Simpson’s rant. It was quickly pointed out that sales of the t-shirt Chase Utley wore help support pediatric cancer research.

Instead of just making light of the Dodgers players’ curious, but understandable pregame clothing choice, these two humorless Muppets just had to jump on their self-righteous high horse. It was a perfect example of what happens when “back in my day” syndrome meets unrestrained homerism. Simpson invoking the deceased wrath of two guys named Walter puts him squarely on the growing list of old-timers who are struggling to accept a new era in Major League baseball.

In summary, the Braves’ broadcasters clearly have their foot in their mouth. There is a place in baseball for the perspectives of those who came before. That doesn’t mean, however, folks like Simpson are entitled to offer those perspectives in such a condescending tone.

In the end, Dodgers had the last laugh. They thumped the Braves for their third straight win and will go for the series sweep today. Whatever they decide to wear in BP though, I doubt will be good enough for Simpson.

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Jacob Walters

Jacob Walters is a Los Angeles native and has been a Dodgers fan his entire life. He hopes to one day see the Dodgers release a bobblehead of Chan Ho Park scissor kicking Tim Belcher.

10 Comments

  1. What kind of KRAP is this…he doesn’t like the Dodgers wearing T-Shirts during Batting Practice????Doesn’t this jerk have anything better to do? How about taking classes in calling a game???

  2. Braves’ commentators have been awful for decades, going back to the days when they were available for the whole country on TBS. (What a GIFT!!!) I distinctly recall Don Sutton, a former Dodger, of all things, musing on a TBS broadcast many years ago, as a panoramic view of Dodger Stadium was shown: “Is there ANYONE in this crowd that has NOT written a script?” He should know better, but I am sure he was offering up his lame “joke” for anyone other than Dodger fans. My immediate reaction was: imagine the outrage and offense that would be taken if, panning the crowd in Atlanta, a Dodger announcer mused, “Is there anyone here with ANY teeth?” Or “Is there anyone here who has NOT worn a white hood?” You can be assured of what the reaction would have been.

    1. Since we are talking about the south and those good ol boys how about the archaic ” is there anyone here who isn’t married to his sister”? And Don Sutton never got over leaving town the way he did and never being asked to work for the greatest organization in baseball..Go Blue..Go Dodgers

    2. Don Sutton. What a joke. Great pitcher, but his mouth? Steve Garvey even kicked his ass for running it.

    3. I agree that the present Atlanta announcers are idiots. I would disagree regarding their prior announcers however. Skip Caray was about as irreverent and entertaining as they get and is probably rolling over in his grave re any comments his clueless son has made. Pete Van Wieren (sp?) was also good.

  3. Hey Joe! Where you goin with yer foot in your mouth? Give me a break! Your batting average was very unpro! Let’s get the Dodgers some blue ties for the next bp in Atl. I am so sorry we share the same 1st name, it is very unjoefessional of you.

  4. The Braves and the Cardinals are well known for being MLB baseball’s etiquette police. Of course it is going to be offensive to members of their circle to not see 1930’s style attitudes in the 21st century. Remember Braves, you were a rather unsuccessful team in Boston during the 30’s.

  5. How S
    Joe Simpson and Skip Caray are the most unprofessional announcers in all of major league baseball. They are unabashed “homers” and obviously did not do their homework during the Dodgers batting practice. In fact, How has a fitting nickname here in Atlanta among learned baseball fans…Homer Simpson. One glaring example of their disdain for professionalism was mocking then New York Met Lucas Duda. These ” professionals” called him “Doodah” as in “Camptown Races”. They carried on for a whole game that way. They are total buffoons.

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