Stoney's Blog:How Can This Columnist Bash Marcus Thames The Person

I assume a columnist's job is to fire up its readers on occasion, but T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times really got me going. He wrote a scathing column on former Tiger Marcus Thames. I have no problem with ripping Thames baseball ability if that's what someone wants to do. After all, he is not a good fielder and has only been a part time player or designated hitter. Why a National League team would go after him is a bit strange. However Simers attacks him personally, which to me is downright wrong. Here is a link to the column that ran in the Los Angeles Times.

Click HERE to read the article

I was so outraged at the column that I felt the urge to e mail a response to Simers. Here is that e mail. I hope he responds.

I am stunned by your column. I work at a radio station in Detroit and have been in the media for over 30 years and I can honestly say Marcus Thames is one of the nicest baseball players I have ever met. He would not know me from Adam, but he always smiled and gave thoughtful answers both before and after games. I usually think baseball players are the biggest jerks of all the pro sports, but Thames was the exception.

Maybe he was taken aback from your first question or the way you asked it, but I am blown away that of all the players in baseball, Marcus Thames would be the last guy I would think would get this type of treatment.

I usually respect your work, after all you did warn me about Bobby Ross when the Lions hired him in 1999 when I had you as a guest on a radio show I did back then. This Thames column is just bizarre to me.