Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
What happens when T.J. Simers meets defensively challenged Dodger (platoon) left fielder Marcus Thames?
Well, let's just say the resulting scene -- as described by Simers -- does throw that whole distinction between professional baseball writing and amateur blogging into some question.
"Are you that horrible on defense that teams don't think it's worth playing such a home run threat?'' I asked by way of introduction.Maybe somebody else wastes time schmoozing with Tims/Tems, but he's a one-year rental who has some explaining to do. How bad are you on defense that teams don't dare risk playing you?
Tims/Tems just smiled.
I asked again, because I remember my dealings with Lofton, who would never answer the first question. Eventually he would, while also complaining, "You never write down what I say."
I always told him the same thing. "You're boring, but I come back hoping one day you might say something of interest."
When I came back on Tims/Tems, he sat silent. I can see one problem he might have on defense if everyone is relying on him to yell "I got it."
He said he wasn't going to talk to me because I hadn't introduced myself. That would have allowed him to pull out the little card the Dodgers' PR department provides players advising them how to get a running start on Page 2.
I can't imagine this is the first time in 10 years that Tims/Tems has been asked why he stinks on defense, thereby limiting his time as a regular player.
Unable to answer, he just stood and walked away.
I would probably just stand and walk away, too. It's easy to say Thames should have a good humor about such things, but most professionals don't respond well when their professionalism is questioned.
More to the point, it's hard to figure what Simers' many readers gain from his antics. I mean, it can be amusing when the subject plays along. But when he doesn't? Maybe that day you just go look for another story. Because this story wasn't worthy of the Los Angeles Times. Not one word of it.
11 comments
Comments
So
How far does being a jerk actually get you in the world of sports journalism?
by lingsched on Mar 22, 2011 12:08 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Reporters who act like this makes it really hard for Jeff Pearlmen to play the victim card all the time.
Childishness like this breeds the culture of mistrust which can only reverberate between the sports and sportswriting communities.
A little human decency goes a long way. But don’t try telling that to Simers.
Et tu, Ribe?
by Solidarity on Mar 22, 2011 12:10 PM EDT reply actions
Talk about lack of professionalism
When did common courtesy become “schmoozing?”
by Max Guthrie on Mar 22, 2011 12:10 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I tend to avoid any writer who has ever appeared on PTI.
by ldd233 on Mar 22, 2011 12:53 PM EDT reply actions
I generally have the same rule, but for “Jim Rome is Burning.”
Et tu, Ribe?
by Solidarity on Mar 22, 2011 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Simers = ...
Jackass.
Oh wait, no comment.
by sportsczar on Mar 22, 2011 2:16 PM EDT reply actions
This is stupid all around
If you ever watched a game you’d know why he isn’t good at defense. He’s slow, his reaction time is slow, he’s slow getting started and he’s not fast when he does get up to full speed. If you want to be a dick and rag on a player for something he can control do it. But Thames tries and wants to be a good defensive player. He’s just not physically capable. Anyone who doesn’t play professional sports should know that it’s not because of a lack of desire or effort on our part. We simply didn’t have the genetic talent.
by Pflood83 on Mar 22, 2011 3:06 PM EDT reply actions
TJ Simers is
a professional asshole. It’s his only schtick and since he gets paid to do it, he assumes it’s what the readers want, and the more of an asshole he is, the more outraged people are by what he says, the better he must be doing his job. Every once in a while like a broken clock he says something that needs to be said. Most of the time, he’s just an asshole.
by theterminizer on Mar 22, 2011 3:12 PM EDT reply actions
+1
Simers gives ‘journalists’ a bad name, as if that was needed
by As_Reb on Mar 22, 2011 4:21 PM EDT reply actions
Ugh
The only problem is that the more we berate T.J. for being unprofessional, for being a lout, for being uncouth, and for just being the type of person you really wouldn’t want to know, the more he enjoys it. If you rage at him, he prints your rage in the paper, and credits you. I guess he feels that passion, even if it’s hatred, sells papers. It’s why I would never respond to him directly; he’s not worth it.
by gyaris on Mar 22, 2011 7:10 PM EDT reply actions
From LATimes.com
Biography
T.J. Simers’ provocative sports commentary has been entertaining readers since 2000.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/columnists/la-columnist-tsimers,0,1973522.columnist
That’s the whole thing. And that’s his job. The operative words are “provocative” and “entertaining.”
by Dan Lewis on Mar 22, 2011 9:06 PM EDT reply actions
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