Ted Lyle Simmons (born August 9, 1949), nicknamed "Simba", is an American former professional baseball player and coach.[1] A switch-hitter, Simmons was a catcher for most of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the St. Louis Cardinals (1968–1980), the Milwaukee Brewers (1981–1985) and the Atlanta Braves (1986–1988).[1]Although he was often overshadowed by his contemporary, Johnny Bench, Simmons is considered one of the best hitting catchers in MLB history.[2] While his power numbers paled in comparison to Bench, Simmons still managed to hit for a higher batting averagedespite playing home games in a notoriously tough hitter's park.[3]
Going with a ‘74 Ted Simmons card. What a great photo as ‘74 Topps had allot of them. Simmons great catcher that unfortunately played at same time as Johnny Bench so not many all star starts. However did make the HOF.