Deane: Ted Simmons finally catches a break
From SABR member Bill Deane at WordPress on December 9, 2019:
Ted Simmons was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame tonight, a long-overdue honor, in my estimation. As a teenager in the mid-1970s, I’d hear people debating about who was the best catcher in baseball: Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, or Thurman Munson? I’d say, “What about Ted Simmons? The guy hit .332 with 100 RBI!” I’d get only puzzled looks from people who were barely aware that St. Louis had a team.
Here’s something I wrote about Simmons a quarter-century ago, after he was eliminated from consideration on the writers’ ballot:
What do the following players have in common: Cap Anson, Eddie Collins, Honus Wagner, George Brett, Carl Yastrzemski, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Walter Johnson, and Ted Simmons?
Give up? They are the players at each field position with the most career hits. Of the nine, seven are in the Hall of Fame, and another (Brett) will be as soon as he is eligible.
Read the full article here: https://dizzydeane.wordpress.com/2019/12/09/simmons-finally-catches-a-break/
- Related link: Read our biography of Ted Simmons at the SABR BioProject
Originally published: December 10, 2019. Last Updated: December 10, 2019.