Randall Simon to Try Out for Brewers

by Charlie Wilmoth on Jan 10, 2009 4:39 PM EST

The Post-Gazette found this link to a blog entry in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel website that indicates that Randall Simon (along with Mark Bellhorn and others) will showcase his, uh, talents for the Brewers in an open tryout, five and a half years after treating the city of Milwaukee to one of the most inexplicable moments in recent baseball history (which Pat embedded a week or so ago, but is funny enough to embed twice):

Barring some sort of miracle, of course, he's not going to make the team. He wasn't any good five years ago, and what theoretical sliver of upside there might be is surely outweighed by the possibility that he pushes Bernie Brewer off the slide or something.

Since leaving the Pirates for the last time, Simon has had the sort of weird career characteristic of baseball journeymen. He briefly played for the Devil Rays after the Pirates dumped him, then was a star in Tijuana in 2005, joining former Angel George Arias as the main run producer. He briefly went to Japan to play for the Orix Buffaloes and was horrible, and he came back to Tijuana, hit like crazy again, and scored a minor league deal with the Rangers. He hit pretty well for their AAA affiliate in Oklahoma, then got traded to the Phillies, and briefly landed back in the bigs (who knows why). He apparently played for Mexican teams in both Tijuana and Veracruz in 2007, then rejoined former Pirates teammate Bobby Hill while playing for the independent league Newark Bears in 2008.

All this sounds a bit like the background to the new movie The Wrestler, but I like to think it's a pretty interesting life. Then again, I like Tijuana a lot more than most non-underage Americans do. Either way, I give Simon credit for persistence.

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Of the past 15 seasons...

that has to be my all time favorite Pirate memory.

by Ketcham Bruce on Jan 10, 2009 5:54 PM EST reply actions

That’s not a good sign.

by ol Pete on Jan 10, 2009 10:03 PM EST up reply actions

It’s not, but it’s one of my favorite memories too. I couldn’t believe how absurd it all was. This was before YouTube, so I was watching SportsCenter for hours.

by Charlie Wilmoth on Jan 10, 2009 10:09 PM EST up reply actions

Sounds like you're feeling better, Charlie

Glad to hear it.

by bucdaddy on Jan 10, 2009 6:44 PM EST reply actions

Thanks, I’m a little better. Either way, though, I have to spend most of the day at the computer—I have a deadline for a non-baseball article for a freelance gig.

Baseball is a lot easier to write about than most things.

by Charlie Wilmoth on Jan 10, 2009 7:05 PM EST up reply actions

Randall Simon

looked like one of the sausages in his Orix Buffaloes uniform in 2006.

George Arias hit 159 HRs in his 5 full seasons in Japan and made a ton of money in his last 3 years with the Hanshin Tigers.

Charlie: I hope you make more $ for your freelance writing than you did for the jury duty.

by patthatt on Jan 10, 2009 10:04 PM EST reply actions

I’m still doing the jury duty! I have to go back Monday. And I make nothing from that because I already work for the state (University of California system). So yeah, the freelancing is better. :)

That’s funny that you got to see Simon out there.

by Charlie Wilmoth on Jan 10, 2009 10:08 PM EST up reply actions

There's an outside chance he could play next season

Last year they started the season with Gabe Kapler (I thought that was a bad idea), and had Russel Branyan and Joe Dillon starting in AAA. Maybe Dillon was with the club as well. I don’t think anyone thought those three would make big contributions over the year.

This year its the same sort of deal – Trot Nixon, Chris Duffy, Scott Thorman, Weinie Wacker and who knows else.

by ol Pete on Jan 11, 2009 4:13 PM EST reply actions