The sports media world was shocked last summer when Bill Plaschke revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The longtime Los Angeles Times sports columnist announced the news in a Sunday column, writing, “I’ve got Parkinson’s, and it hurts to even say it.”
While dealing with Parkinson’s has its obvious challenges, Plaschke remains busy at work and has expressed gratitude to L.A. Times sports editor Iliana Limón Romero for her understanding and encouragement. We recently caught up with Plaschke to discuss his battle with the progressive disease.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Awful Announcing: How’s your health these days?
Bill Plaschke: “I’m hanging in there. It’s tough. Having Parkinson’s sucks, but I’m fighting it. I have the whole city behind me and understanding bosses. I guess the short answer is it’s going well, but it’s still a daily trial.”
How has Parkinson’s affected the way you do your job?
“I’m doing fewer road games now, and I do some load management on occasion. I still have my finger on the pulse of all the sports we cover. For example, it takes me 10 minutes to put on my socks every day. So you just start with that, and my days can be a struggle, but I’m really inspired by everybody around me.
“No, it hasn’t affected my job so much. It’s just harder to live, but it’s important that I keep working because I feel a connection to the town, and I feel like everybody’s pulling for me.”
What made you decide to go public?
“I wanted to control my own narrative. When I went public with it, I’d had it for four years. You can’t hide that long; it’s hard to hide. It’s hard to come out and say it. People notice I move differently. My voice gets weaker late in the day, so people notice that. I wanted to control the message and use it as a platform to write a lot more about Parkinson’s, to help raise awareness, which I’ve done. I wrote a story about Kirk Gibson and his Parkinson’s Wellness Center in Michigan. And I’ve written about several people with Parkinson’s, so it’s given me a platform, I think, to spread the word and help people understand the illness and deal with it better.”
Were you concerned about how people would react?
“I was so scared to be so public, but in doing so, I gained so much strength from this town. Everybody says L.A.’s a caustic, apathetic town, but I saw none of that. They’ve all been behind me. Everywhere I go, people ask me how I’m doing, everywhere, from the grocery store to the gas station to the barbershop. People really do care. That’s really made a big difference in my life.”
When did you first notice that something was wrong?
“Christmas of 2020. My family noticed I was moving more slowly. I felt a little numbness in my right hand. It’s funny that the numbness has gone away. I went to the doctor for all these MRIs and tests. She told me, she said, ‘You’re not going to think it’s good news, but it’s good news. You only have Parkinson’s. You don’t have something worse. I guess I’m thankful for that.”
How do you combat the symptoms?
“I go boxing two or three times a week. I get stretched two or three times a week. I get physical therapy whenever I can. It’s a part-time gig. I take care of my health. And it’s really helped. They say in Parkinson’s, you have to keep moving. Motion is everything. I’m always trying to walk or get out there and do something because it can be a real downer, thinking about it and sitting at home on the couch worrying about it. I get out, try to move, try to forget about it. That’s really helped. That’s what I would suggest to anybody: get out, get on your feet, be active. That’s the only thing that science has shown can slow the progression of the illness.”
Column: The hard paywall on this is down, so it’s easy to check this out….Dodgers hero Kirk Gibson now tries to be a hero for those battling Parkinson’s disease https://t.co/Co1jxCNA2b
— Bill Plaschke (@BillPlaschke) September 29, 2025
You wrote about having a rough time last year. Could you elaborate on that?
“I’ll tell you what, 2025 was a hell of a bad year because of the fires. The fires killed my whole block and my whole city. My house survived. We lost Around The Horn. I had a whole family just go poof. And then at the end of the year, three of the best journalists I know (Jack Harris, Ben Bolch, and Dylan Hernandez) left the L.A. Times and went to The California Post. That was a hard pill to swallow. It’s been a tough year. 2026 is going to be a great year. I feel great.”
Switching to sports, have you heard back from Mick Cronin after writing that critical column?
“No, I haven’t. I just felt like somebody had to call Mick on the carpet. You just have to. I heard back from so many UCLA fans who agree with me. And I think Mick knows it too. I think his apology came right after I wrote my column. He knows he needs to be nicer to his people. He knows he needs to be calmer and better with his players. And hopefully he will.”
Are the record-spending Dodgers bad for baseball?
“That’s such a dumb thing to say. They’re playing within the rules. They’ve created a villain everybody loves to hate, which is good for baseball. They’re smarter than everybody else. They make more money than anybody else. And they spend it better than anybody else. It’s a better organization. Anybody can do what they’re doing if you want to spend the money. If you want to take a chance on signing a Shohei Ohtani and getting a deferred contract, what they do is brilliant. It has been brilliant, and it works. It’s good for baseball because everybody’s talking about the Dodgers. Everybody wants to beat the Dodgers.”
Any chance LeBron James is back with the Lakers next season?
“Zero, in my opinion. I’m not sure he wants to come back. I’m not sure they really want him back. They can’t move forward with him there. They can’t move forward with his big salary. They need salary-cap space. They need room to hire a third, younger star. In my opinion, his time here is up.”
To find resources and support in your area, please visit the National Parkinson’s Foundation.
About Michael Grant
Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant.