?Should Ted Simmons be in the Hall of Fame?

Answer 1

From 1965-1990, Ted Simmons (1968-1988) led all catchers in hits :

Ted Simmons: 2,362
Carlton Fisk: 2,063
Johnny Bench: 2,048

Was 5th in homeruns:

Johnny Bench: 389
Carlton Fisk: 336
Gary Carter: 304
Lance Parrish: 261
Ted Simmons: 244

was 2nd in RBIs:

Johnny Bench: 1,376
Ted Simmons: 1,337
Carlton Fisk: 1,166

...was 1st in doubles with 460 and was 4th in triples. He was an all-star 12 times and was probably better than good defensively. He led the National League in intentional walks in 1976 and 1977 which proved his prowess at the plate. He was a .285 career hitter (.437 slugging) in the 60's and 70's when pitching dominated the league.

I think he stacks up well with both hall-of-famers Bench and Fisk (and later Gary Carter) but much like Ron Santo of the Cubs he doesn't and will probably never get much consideration.

He would get my vote - a solid switch-hitting catcher!

p.s. I believe players should be compared to their respective counterparts in the era that they all played. And as the numbers indicate, Simmons was just as good offensively as the more popular Bench and Fisk.

Answer 2

Simmons was a really good catcher. I don't think hall of fame caliber though. He hit for good average, one of the very rare good hitting switch hitting catchers. Might be the only one in baseball history actually. He was also a good defensive catcher.

The problem is Simmons did nothing great. He was not a team leader. He did not have a great bat, only a good bat. He was not great defensively, only good. Simmons did not last forever and compile career stats that scream HOF. Simmons is a catcher and few catchers are elected to the Hall.

So in my opinion no. Simmons didn't do enough of anything to make the hall.

Answer 3

I don't think so, although you could make the argument that he was better than Gary Carter, a guy who was recently admitted. There's no doubt, though, that Simmons was an underrated commodity.

Simmons was a good hitter for average, but he also had the ability and patience to take a walk, which is why his career OBP is very respectable despite some poor years at the end of his career. He also had some decent power, and he was good defensively.

I think what hurts Simmons' case is that he played for some pretty mediocre Cards teams in the 1970s, joining just after their glory days. The Brewers he joined were good, but he was overshadowed by guys like Yount, Molly, and those sluggers. Simmons also got a bad rap early in his career for not clinging to convention, and I'm sure that didn't make him very popular with execs and writers. He was a big pro-union guy at a time when that was not very cool.

Great player, but I wouldn't put him in Cooperstown. He wouldn't, though, be the worst selection were he to be inducted.

Mosh - How was Carter better offensively? Simmons had a higher BA and OBP, and his slugging percentage was .002 less than Carter. Carter hit more homers, but his hitting overall wasn't that impressive.

Answer 4

If Simmons hadn't been overshadowed by hof'ers Yount, Molitor, Sutton and Fingers during Milwaukee's meteoric rise in the late 70's and early 80's, He might have made it.
But he was not a leader on that team. Also that was an era
for good hitting catchers from 70-85. Look at the catchers who did make it.

He is also known to be the last player to smoke cigarettes in the dugout during games-that had to hurt his chances too.

Answer 5

Yes he should. There aren't all that many catchers in the HOF, and look at Teddy's numbers compared to the members' numbers. Look at the numbers of the switch hitters in the Hall.

Sure, Johnny Bench is better, as is Mickey Mantle. However, these guys are the best ever. Simmons career numbers (and a long and solid career it was) compare favorably to the all-time statistics of catchers and switch hitters.

Answer 6

He was a great player for sure but I feel he falls just a little short. His career numbers stack up well enough but that is a product of his longevity. Hall of Fame should be only the BEST of the BEST and while Ted was a very good player he lacks some of the intangibles that makes a player the BEST of the BEST

Answer 7

Carter was better than Simmons both defensively and at the bat.

I wouldn't mind seeing Simmons in the Hall, but I can understand his not getting in. He had almost 2500 hits mostly as a catcher while playing 20 years. 2500 hits as a catcher should be worth 3000 in a regular position, but he never seemed to be a standout on any good teams that he was on, although he wasn't on enough good teams.

Answer 8

The Best Switch-hitting catcher of all time,I gotta say No.He just don't have the numbers,I always regretted that he was traded to the Brewers and didn't get to enjoy the WS the Cards Won in 82.Thats a bad beat

Answer 9

He had a nice career. Good hitter with "okay" power. Above average defensive player but there was nothing that would separate him from a number of players. He falls into the "Very Good" classification and that's not go enough for the "Hall".

Answer 10

who the f is he