Cardinals great Ted Simmons’ place in baseball history and the Hall of Fame

What do Carlton Fisk, Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey, Gabby Hartnett, Ernie Lombardi, Rick Ferrell, Buck Ewing, Mickey Cochrane, Ray Schalk, Roger Bresnahan, and Roy Campanella all have in common?

They are all Hall of Fame catchers. And they all have fewer hits and doubles than a man who does not have a plaque in Cooperstown: Ted Simmons.

When Simmons retired in 1988, he was the all-time leader in hits and doubles by a catcher. When his name first appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot five years later, those  numbers weren’t impressive enough. Simmons only garnered 3.7 percent of the 1994 BBWAA vote, falling short of the five percent needed to remain on the ballot.

And just like that, one of the greatest hitters to play catcher was forgotten. The vote not only said he wasn’t worthy for the Hall, it said he wasn’t even worthy for consideration.

As the career hits leader for his position, Simmons was in legendary company. Cap Anson, Eddie Collins, George Brett, Honus Wagner, Stan Musial, Ty Cobb, and Hank Aaron all retired leading their positions in hits, according to Bill James’ Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame?

All are revered Hall of Famers. Their names are instantly recognizable by nearly every baseball fan. Ted Simmons is not. He is remembered by St. Louis and fans of the era. But history has buried him. Only the record books keep his name from fading completely.

His name briefly made headlines again this fall when he was one of 12 finalists on the Expansion Era ballot.

It was the second chance Simmons had been waiting for. In the years that passed since 1994, he watched Ivan Rodriguez best his hitting marks. But perhaps time was what he needed. Time could provide a new and fresh perspective on his accomplishments.

The switch-hitting Simmons still had more hits and doubles than all those Hall of Famers. And only Yogi Berra drove in more runs. Simmons drove in more runs than every other catcher in history, including Rodriguez and Mike Piazza.

The former Cardinals backstop currently ranks in the Top 10 in home runs, runs scored, batting average, and games caught by catchers.

But time was not enough. Simmons received less than eight votes from the 16-person committee. He is still an afterthought to join the hallowed halls of Cooperstown.

His lack of support for baseball’s greatest honor has many around the game wondering why.

Simmons was more than just a great hitter. He was a great player and a great leader. He was an above average catcher defensively, keeping base-stealers honest. He was the definition of a field general during his day. His value with the Cardinals was so high that some called him “the franchise.”

The field general in him blew up on different occasions in the Cardinals clubhouse and even the dugout. There was the time he fought battery mate John Denny during a game in the Busch Stadium tunnel. There was another time when he blasted a home run against the Cubs after taking an “unfair” strike call and rounded the bases to finish with a salute to the umpire. He was ejected immediately.

It’s moments like these that prompted Rich Koster of The St. Louis Globe-Democrat to write: “Ted Simmons was intensity.”

That intensity ran hottest when it came to losing. Nothing was worse. Simmons took every loss personally. It was somehow his fault. And that attitude and fire drove him to succeed. It drove him to hit. And to hit with a rage.

His personality fits perfectly with the Hall of Famers of his day and before. Ted Simmons wasn’t just intensity. He was a winner. And his teammates respected him.

Still, the Hall of Fame voters have yet to share that respect for him. And Simmons hasn’t said a word. The man who was defined by intensity during his 21-year career has been quiet.

Simmons, 61, has the platform to make a fuss. His baseball smarts have kept him in baseball since retiring as a front office executive, scout, and coach. He was the senior vice president and general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates during their run to the NL East title. Simmons also served as the bench coach of the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres. He is now a senior advisor in the Seattle Mariners organization.

Perhaps he is at peace with his place in baseball history. A place that says he is one of the greatest catchers of all-time. Maybe the voters will recognize that place in 2013, the next eligible year for Expansion Era candidates.

Only time will tell if Simmons gets a plaque. History already tells a Hall-worthy story.

Simmons, an eight-time All-Star, batted .285 with 248 home runs and 1,389 RBI in his career, spending time in St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Atlanta.

(Sources: Baseball Digest, Baseball-Reference.com, Bill James, National Baseball Hall of Fame, The News Tribune, Rich Koster, Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame?)