Ted Simmons

Catcher

Born: August 9, 1949 (age 67)
Highland Park, Michigan

Batted: Switch

Threw: Right

MLB debut

September 21, 1968, for the St. Louis Cardinals

Last MLB appearance

October 2, 1988, for the Atlanta Braves

MLB statistics

.285

2,472

248

1,389

Teams

Career highlights and awards

Ted Lyle Simmons (born August 9, 1949 in Highland Park, Michigan) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. A switch-hitter, Simmons was a catcher for most of his Major League Baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals (1968–80), the Milwaukee Brewers (1981–85) and the Atlanta Braves (1986–88). Although he was often overshadowed by his contemporary, Johnny Bench, Simmons is considered one of the best hitting catchers in Major League baseball history. While he didn't possess Bench's power hitting ability, he hit for a higher batting average. A volatile competitor with an intense desire to win, Simmons once fought with teammate John Denny during a game at Busch Memorial Stadium, in the runway between the club house and the dugout.

Simmons was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals as their first round pick in the 1967 Major League Baseball draft. He made his major league debut with the Cardinals, appearing in two games during the 1968 pennant-winning season, while playing most of the year in the minor leagues. Simmons spent another year in Triple-A baseball before returning to the major leagues in 1970 where he platooned alongside catcher Joe Torre. In 1971, the Cardinals converted Torre into a third baseman and Simmons took over as their starting catcher, posting a .304 batting average with 7 home runs and 77 runs batted in. He finished 16th in balloting for the 1971 National League Most Valuable Player Award as the Cardinals finished in second place behind the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Eastern Division.