Anybody have any Ted Simmons' stories from his playing days...

[2hoophead]

especially when he was with the Brewers' ??

Good, bad, or funny is appreciated.

I have one or two but will wait to see what others have.

[Fatter than Joey]

I remember a game where he was catching -- after a batter struck out, Simba went to toss the ball back to the umpire -- problem was the umpire didnt catch the ball -- bigger problem there wasn't 3 outs, even worse there were dudes on base.

[splitterpfj]

Best sign stealer I've ever seen. When he was on second base, he'd get 'em every time. Between pitches, he would adjust his helmet slightly, if he didn't have the sign, he'd lift it by the bill, if he did, he'd put his palm across the logo on the front and "adjust" his helmet. Then, if it was a fastball, he'd look toward 3B as he led off, if it was offspeed, he'd look toward 1B.

 

Tremendous bat control as well, could foul off pitches all day long.

 

My most lasting images of Ted are, him jumping into Fingers' arms after they won the second half of the '81 season, and him hitting a grand slam in the 9th to beat Detroit in April of '85. Bottom 8, Tigers led 7-1, two out in bottom of 9th, 7-6, no runners on. Final score - 11-7.

[AJOHNSON104]

Didn't he used to smoke in the dugout between innings?

[splitterpfj]

Yes, caught on camera several times.

[homer]

He always looked half asleep to me.....or stoned.

 

I went to some Brewer baseball clinic at County Stadium once. There were a few hundred kids and we went station to station running bases or practicing how to slide. Simmons actually ran the station on catcher/pitcher signs (i.e. 1= fastball, 2=curve, etc.) He went through this whole spiel, called a fastball, and this kid threw one almost over the screen behind homeplate. The kid was absolutely crestfallen and Simmons really didn't comfort him at all. I find it pretty funny in retrospect.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

FTJ - Great memory. That was a huge game too. That play cost us a run and the Orioles tied the game up before it got suspended by weather. That was the game made up as part of the doubleheader the last weekend of the season...the DH the Orioles swept.

[RoseBowlMtg]

I remember when Simba, in the Homer Dome, had back to back triples and was quoted saying after his second slide, he felt like a beached whale.

[dvoiss]

I remember a game where he was catching -- after a batter struck out, Simba went to toss the ball back to the umpire -- problem was the umpire didnt catch the ball -- bigger problem there wasn't 3 outs, even worse there were dudes on base.

The game you're referring to was a game at County Stadium in 1982 against the Orioles. The Brewers were up I believe 4-3 in the top of the fifth and the pitcher struck out the batter for the second out. Simmons, believing it was the third out rolled the ball out towards the mound and headed to the dugout. The runner scored from third tying the game. The rains came and the game was called a tie and it had to be replayed from the beginning.

 

The O's were not returning to Milwaukee that year so it became the 4th game in the season ending series in Baltimore. If Simmons doesn't roll the ball to the mound the Brewers win the game and they go into the final 3 game series of the year in Baltimore with a 4 game lead. He almost cost us the pennant with that move.

 

I also agree with homer. Simba always looked like he had just smoked a joint in the clubhouse.

 

[Houlie24x]

So the guy was on coke, smoked cigs in the dugout mid game, and almost cost the Brewers their only pennant? He doesn't sound as smart in this thread compared to the other Simmons thread.

[Fatter than Joey]

and almost cost the Brewers their only pennant?

 

This was just my most profound memory of Simba -- in all fairness he certainly was a large part of the team getting to that point in the season.

[RoseBowlMtg]

I remember a game where he was catching -- after a batter struck out, Simba went to toss the ball back to the umpire -- problem was the umpire didnt catch the ball -- bigger problem there wasn't 3 outs, even worse there were dudes on base.

The game you're referring to was a game at County Stadium in 1982 against the Orioles. The Brewers were up I believe 4-3 in the top of the fifth and the pitcher struck out the batter for the second out. Simmons, believing it was the third out rolled the ball out towards the mound and headed to the dugout. The runner scored from third tying the game. The rains came and the game was called a tie and it had to be replayed from the beginning.

 

The O's were not returning to Milwaukee that year so it became the 4th game in the season ending series in Baltimore. If Simmons doesn't roll the ball to the mound the Brewers win the game and they go into the final 3 game series of the year in Baltimore with a 4 game lead. He almost cost us the pennant with that move.

 

I also agree with homer. Simba always looked like he had just smoked a joint in the clubhouse.

 

 

Bottom of the 3rd, Orioles Batting, Tied 0-0, Pete Vuckovich facing 2-3-4

--- D Ford Single to LF (Ground Ball)

O 1-- K Singleton Strikeout

1-- E Murray Single to LF; Ford to 2B

O 12- J Lowenstein Strikeout; Ford to 3B/Adv on E2 (throw); Murray to 2B

RRO -23 J Nolan Single to CF; Ford Scores; Murray Scores/unER; Nolan out at 2B/CF-SS

2 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB. Brewers 0, Orioles 2.

 

 

The game was tied on June 16th with runners on 1st and d2nd when Lowenstein K'd for the second out. Simmons ball roll moved the runners up to 2nd and 3rd. Nolan then singled to center which scoring the two runners. Nolan was thrown out at second to end the inning. Score 2-0. If Simmons didn't roll the ball it would have been 1-0 and who knows if Nolan would have gone to second. Third innning of a June game was one of Simmons 3 errors that season, Yount had his 13th that game, where Simmons had the best fielding % of all AL catchers. Interesting almost!

 

I remember that the Brewers made it to the playoffs the first time in Simmons first year and the second time in his 2nd year and that they haven't made it since. I also remember two Cy Young winners and one MVP pitcher and that hasn't happened twice or did it happen in Vukes or Fingers career without Simmons.

[jaybird2001wi]

I seem to remember reading about Simmons getting into a verbal argument with then-manager Buck Rodgers. Rodgers had a dress code for road games and he wanted to wear his Harley leather jacket.

[Fatter than Joey]

I remember that the Brewers made it to the playoffs the first time in Simmons first year and the second time in his 2nd year and that they haven't made it since. I also remember two Cy Young winners and one MVP pitcher and that hasn't happened twice or did it happen in Vukes or Fingers career without Simmons.

 

The error was a costly one -- no question about it.

 

I certainly do not think that Simmons was bad because of it -- rather -- that the story is worth noting as per the original post in thread.

[homer]

The Brewers made it to the playoffs in Simmons first year in spite of his offense .216/.262/.376