Joe Simpson (baseball)

Infobox MLB retired
name = Joe Simpson
bgcolor1 =
textcolor1 =
bgcolor2 =
textcolor2 =

---

width =225
caption =Joe Simpson in the Turner Field radio booth during the 2007 season
position = Outfielder
birthdate = birth date and age|1951|12|31
deathdate =
bats =Left
throws = Left
debutdate =September 2
debutyear =1975
debutteam =Los Angeles Dodgers
finaldate =October 1
finalyear =1983
finalteam =Kansas City Royals
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value =.242
stat2label =Home runs
stat2value =9
stat3label =Runs batted in
stat3value =124
teams =
*Los Angeles Dodgers (1975-1978)
*Seattle Mariners (1979-1982)
*Kansas City Royals (1983)
highlights =

Joe Simpson (born December 31, 1951 in Purcell, Oklahoma) has been a radio and television broadcaster for the Atlanta Braves since 1992 and is a former Major League Baseball player.

Playing career

He began his baseball career as an All American outfielder/first baseman at the University of Oklahoma.

Simpson then played professionally for 11 seasons, beginning in 1973, when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third round. While with the Dodgers in 1978, he became the 3000th strikeout victim of Gaylord Perry. He joined the Seattle Mariners in 1979 before being traded to the Kansas City Royals in 1983. An outfielder and first baseman throughout his professional career, he retired from the California Angels organization following the 1984 season.

Broadcasting career

Simpson worked as an analyst on Seattle Mariners telecasts for five years before joining Turner Sports and Braves Radio in 1992. He called Atlanta Braves games on TBS and Turner South until broadcasts ended on those networks.

Simpson was named "Georgia Sports Broadcaster of the Year" in 1995.

Simpson now calls 105 Braves games on FSN South and SportSouth with play-by-play announcer Jon Sciambi and occasional games on radio. He also is paired with Chip Caray on Peachtree TV after broadcasts began in 2008. He was also paired with Skip Caray until Caray's death in midseason.

Simpson also served as an analyst for "Major League Baseball on TBS" coverage of the 2007 MLB Division Series with play-by-play commentator Don Orsillo during the series between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies. The team also called the one game playoff between the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres. [http://www.ajc.com/wireless/content/sports/braves/stories/2006/12/20/1221bravestv.html]

References

External links

* [http://www.tbs.com/stories/story/0,,1659,00.html Joe Simpson biography on TBS website]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/simpsjo01.shtml Joe Simpson biography on Baseball Reference]