Simba came over from the Cardinals in that trade, in which the Brewers got the next two American League Cy Young Award winners in Rollie Fingers and Pete Vuckovich (and an MVP Award for Fingers) in exchange for Dave LaPoint, David Green, Sixto Lezcano, and Lary Sorensen.
In my opinion, Simmons was criminally underrated by the Baseball Writers Association of America in the Hall of Fame vote. Using Jay Jaffe's JAWS system, we see that Simmons suffers from Tim Raines syndrome, but for Simmons it is even worse. Not only did Simmons played catcher as a direct contemporary to the greatest catcher in major league history -- Johnny Bench -- but his career overlapped directly with number 2 (Gary Carter) and number 4 (Carlton Fisk). Add in the fact that another contemporary -- Thurman Munson -- had much longer lasting support for the Hall than Simmons could ever did, and you can see why Simmons has not been inducted.
Also, only 13 catchers have ever been inducted into the Hall of Fame. I guess the BBWAA doesn't take into account the difficulty of getting into full catchers gear every day when it's 90 degrees in the summer.
Who knows if he ever will be inducted, but I think he deserves it. His hitting, matched with his keen intellect and his ability to get along with the wide array of personalities on the Brewers -- oh, and he's a catcher -- make him a natural fit in my Brewers PCs.
And, he was named as the Catcher for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 1980s All-Decades Team.
I have 74 Ted Simmons items of him in a Brewers uniform. I also have one autographed card of him pictured as a Cardinal, and I'm including it here.
1981 (5)
Fleer #528 (as a Cardinal, autographed on front in black sharpie)
All-Star Game Program Inserts #43
Perma-Graphics Credit Card #17
Topps Home Team Photos National #15
Topps Sticker #94
1982 (8)
Donruss #106
Fleer #152
McDonald's Glass (w/Rollie Fingers)
Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee Police
Milwaukee Brewers Yearbook (drawn cover leaping into Rollie Fingers arms, auto by Charlie Moore, Pat Dobson, Mike Hegan, and Jim Slaton)
O-Pee-Chee #150
Topps #150
Topps Stickers #201
1983 (12)
Donruss #332
Fleer #45
Fleer Stamps #176
Fleer Sticker #22
Gardner's Bakery Milwaukee Brewers #16
McDonald's Placemat (w/Don Sutton)
Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee Police
Milwaukee Brewers Washington County Sheriff's Department
Milwaukee Brewers West Bend Police
Topps #450
Topps #451 (Supervet)
Topps Sticker #85
1984 (23)
All-Star Game Program Inserts #133
Donruss #473
Donruss Action All-Stars #58
Fleer #213
Gardner's Bakery Milwaukee Brewers #17
Milton Bradley
Milwaukee Brewers Germantown Police
Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee Police
Milwaukee Brewers Waunakee Police
Milwaukee Brewers West Allis Police
Milwaukee Brewers Winneconne Police
Nestle #404 (All-Star)
O-Pee-Chee #94 (All-Star)
O-Pee-Chee #122
O-Pee-Chee Sticker #193 (Foil All-Star)
O-Pee-Chee Sticker #293
Topps #630
Ralston-Purina #3
Topps #404 (All-Star)
Topps #630
Topps #713 AL Active Career RBI Leaders (w/Reggie Jackson & Graig Nettles)
Topps #726 (Brewers Team Leaders, w/Haas)
Topps Glossy All-Stars #9
Topps Sticker #193 (All-Star Foil)
1985 (17)
Donruss #414
Fleer #596
Gardner's Bakery Milwaukee Brewers #19
Leaf #104
Milwaukee Brewers Baraboo Police
Milwaukee Brewers Bayside & Fox Police
Milwaukee Brewers City of Brookfield Police
Milwaukee Brewers Cudahy Police
Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee Police
Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department
Milwaukee Brewers St. Francis Police
Milwaukee Brewers Washington County Sheriff's Department
Milwaukee Brewers Waukesha County Sheriff's Reserve
Milwaukee Brewers Winneconne Police
O-Pee-Chee #318
Topps #318
Topps Sticker #294
1986 (3)
Donruss #292
Fleer #503
Topps #237
1992 (1)
Carlson Travel/United Airlines/TV6 1982 World Series Commemorative set
1994 (1)
Milwaukee Brewers Miller Brewing 25th Anniversary Team (4th book, individual card)
2000 (1)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel All Decades Team 1980s Catcher
2007 (2)
Hero Deck Milwaukee Two of Diamonds
Milwaukee Brewers 1982 Silver Anniversary Bobblehead SGA
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