Forgotten Superstars: Ted Simmons

We return on a down news day with the return of Forgotten Superstars and today the focus is on a player that I always thought was a good player, but upon looking at his stats-I could make a strong case that belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Ted Simmons had the misfortune to be the 2nd best catcher in the National League in the era of Johnny Bench.
Simmons spent most of his career in St.Louis when the Cardinals great stars of the sixties were aging, but before the Whitey Herzog years revitalized the Redbirds.
After splitting time as the backstop in 1970, the switch-hitting Simmons became the full-time catcher in 1971 and began an offensive run that (except for home runs) stacks up favorably vs both Johnny Bench and Carlton Fisk.
During his stint in St.Louis from 1971-80. Simmons hit over.300 six times and never hit below .272 and in that season, he had 103 RBI.
Five times Simmons hit 20 homers or more in the period when 20 HRs were the standard of good power and he played in one of the most notorious parks for sapping long balls in Busch Memorial Stadium before renovations made Busch more power-friendly.
Eight times, Simmons was named to the All-Star game during his career.
A trade to the American League hurt Simmons numbers initially, as his adjustment to the new league was hurt by the lost time to the strike of 1981,but Simmons bounced back with a vengeance with a 23 HR,97 RBI season of the Brewers only trip to the World Series in 1982 and followed it up with a batting average over .300 and over 100 runs batted in in 1983.
Simmons had a poor 1984 and a decent 1985 before finishing his career in Atlanta with a three year run as a part-time catcher and pinch hitter.
Simmons finished his career with the highest batting average for a catcher that played after 1950.
That will change soon as the players from the inflated numbers of the current time retire, but nonetheless.
Here is a look at how Ted Simmons's numbers stack up against catchers in the Hall of Fame.
Ted Simmons is the only player to have the most career hits at his position and not be in the Hall of Fame.
Ted Simmons is also the only player to be 2nd in career RBI at his position and not be in the Hall
of Fame.
In 1993, Ted Simmons only received 17 votes for the Hall of Fame and that paltry amount knocked him off the ballot for good.
Only the Veterans Committee can put Simmons in now.
I, after a closer look at the numbers, firmly believe that Ted Simmons belongs in the Hall of Fame.