1974 Topps – Ted Simmons #260 (Catcher) – Autographed Baseball Card – (also signed on the back) (St. Louis Cardinals)

Ted Lyle Simmons (b: August 9, 1949 in Highland Park, Michigan) is a former professional baseball player and coach. A switch-hitter, Simmons was a catcher for most of his MLB 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 MLB history.

Simmons was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals as their first round pick in the 1967 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut with the Cardinals, appearing in two games during the 1968 pennant-winning season.

In 1975, Simmons hit 18 home runs along with 100 RBI and posted a career-high .332 batting average, finishing second in the NL batting championship behind Bill Madlock. He also set a NL single-season record for most hits by a catcher with 188.

In a 21 year major league career, Simmons played in 2,456 games, accumulating 2,472 hits in 8,680 at bats for a .285 career batting average along with 248 home runs, 1,389 RBI and a .348 on base percentage. An eight-time All-Star, he batted above .300 seven times, reached 20 home runs 6 times, and 8 times exceeded 90 RBI.

Posted by Treasures from the Past on 2013-12-29 06:48:32

Tagged: , 1974 , Topps , baseball , card , vintage , signed , autograph , autographed , auto

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