People are entitled to their opinions, even if those opinions are really, really dumb.
Case in point: Atlanta Braves broadcaster Joe Simpson, who apparently is the fashion gatekeeper for Major League Baseball.
During the Braves’ 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, Simpson went on a rant about the clothes Dodgers players wore during batting practice. Essentially, Simpson, a former Dodger himself, believes players shouldn’t wear casual attire, such as t-shirts and shorts, during practice, and instead should dress “professionally” and wear clothes that enable fans to identify them.
“You know I grew up in the Dodger organization, and certainly was taught how to play professional baseball and how to do things the right way,” Simpson told play-by-play man Chip Caray during the Fox SportSouth broadcast. “I want you to look at some things going on today at batting practice here with the Dodgers. What do you see? You see t-shirts, you see Chase Utley with no socks, pants up over his knees, a t-shirt. This was prevalent with their whole team.
” … And I think about fans that come to SunTrust Park who are Dodgers’ fans, they have no idea who any of them are, nobody had any kind of uniform on or batting practice shirt with their name on their jersey. They looked very unprofessional. And I think I can say this because I know what the Dodger organization is all about.”
Simpson didn’t stop there.
“And if I were a Dodger fan, I’d be embarrassed. And I don’t know how Major League Baseball allows such attire when the gates are open and fans are watching. Chase Utley, I’ve had nothing but respect for him his whole career, I think he’s a great player, I thought he always played the game the right way. That was an embarrassment, what he had on during batting practice.”
(You can click here to listen to Simpson’s rant.)
As you might expect, reaction to Simson’s grumpy take was almost universally negative. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was among those displeased with the criticism.
Dave Roberts was legit pissed when informed about BattingPracticeTshirtGate.
“I take it personally when someone questions our professionalism,” Roberts said.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) July 29, 2018
Simpson’s viewpoint especially is cringe-worthy when you consider MLB’s current plight in attracting younger fans.
MLB Network Radio’s Grant Paulsen, for one, believes Simpson is part of the problem, not the solution.
.@Braves broadcaster Joe Simpson had a disagreement with the @Dodgers batting practice outfits during last night's game. @granthpaulsen says it isn't a surprise that the game's fan base is older and not getting any younger. #ChopOn #Dodgers
🔽LISTEN🔽 pic.twitter.com/HFDjAsHb3F
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) July 29, 2018
And then you have Simpson’s flagrant abandoning of nuance. For example, Utley, who Simpson focused on for wearing a “K” t-shirt during warmups, actually was wearing an anti-cancer shirt.
Here’s some useful context from ESPN’s Keith Olbermann who, of course, is no stranger to offering polarizing takes:
1. I love Joe Simpson
2. But he’s wrong
3. Mostly because the t-shirt he ripped Utley for, reads “K Cancer”
4. Being anti-anti-cancer-shirt is a bad look
5. Teams used to hit in full game uniforms; the first BP shirts: Phils, Yanks, 1979-80, were literally… t-shirts. https://t.co/hEQkoQS9Wz— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) July 29, 2018
It wasn’t just the media that jumped down Simpson’s throat, however. Fans also were understandably annoyed by the particularly obnoxious rant.
Here’s Caray’s defense of his broadcast partner:
https://twitter.com/kapaya1234/status/1023407982380503042
FOX Sports Radio correspondent Chuck Kelly, who shared the clip Olbermann replied to, defended Simpson and attacked millennials — because of course.
https://twitter.com/ChuckKellypbp/status/1023391519204626433
Annoyed yet, baseball fans?
The Athletic’s Chad Moriyama, who also tweeted a since-viral video of Simpson’s rant, took a lighthearted approach by asking Dodgers utilityman Enrique Hernandez to wear a tuxedo during warmups.
https://twitter.com/ChadMoriyama/status/1023403219299446785
Hernandez’s response was … perfect.
Tomorrow’s BP attire pic.twitter.com/cL5Yw8Hh3e
— Enrique Hernández (@kikehndez) July 29, 2018
As we previously said, everyone has the right to have their own opinions. And Simpson certainly has more credibility than most in this area, given he’s a former MLB player, and all.
Still, MLB has enough problems in shaking its “old-man’s game” stigma without having to worry about someone like Simpson, who seems hell-bent on crafting baseball in his image.
In the word’s of your own partner, Joe: lighten up.
