Al Simmons
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This page refers to the American baseball player. For the children's performer, see Al Simmons (musician). For the name of the fictional comic book character, see Spawn (comics).
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| Personal Info | |
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| Birth | May 22, 1902, Milwaukee, WI |
| Death: | May 26, 1956, Milwaukee, WI |
| Professional Career | |
| Debut | April 15, 1924, Philadelphia Athletics vs. Washington Senators, Debut stadium unknown |
| Team(s) | As Player Philadelphia Athletics 1924-1932 Chicago White Sox 1933-35 Detroit Tigers 1936 Washington Senators 1937-1938 Boston Braves 1939 Cincinnati Reds 1939 Philadelphia Athletics 1940-41 Boston Red Sox 1943 Philadelphia Athletics 1944 |
| HOF induction: | 1953 |
| Career Highlights | |
| National League All-Star: 1933, 1934, 1935 Major league batting title: 1930, 1931 |
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Aloysius Harry Simmons (May 22, 1902 - May 26, 1956), born Aloysius Szymański in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was an American player in Major League Baseball over three decades. His nickname was Bucketfoot Al.
Aloysius Szymanski changed his name to Al Simmons after seeing an ad for a hardware store in the newspaper.
A "bucketfoot" hitter who strode toward third base when hitting, Simmons starred as an outfielder for the Philadelphia Athletics during their heyday in the early 1930s, then went on to play for the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and Boston Red Sox.
Al Simmons hit 307 home runs. The Philadelphia Athletics' outfielder compiled more hits than any right-handed batter in American League history until surpassed by Al Kaline. A deadly clutch-hitter and a favorite of Connie Mack, Simmons won batting titles in 1930 and 1931 to help the A's to consecutive pennants. He recorded 11 consecutive seasons as a .300 hitter and 100-RBI man.
Al Simmons' best year as a player was in 1927 when he batted .392 for the Philadelphia Athletics.
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| Al Simmons is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame |
Simmons was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953 after playing for twenty years from 1924 to 1943 and accumulating a lifetime batting average of .334. After his playing days ended, Simmons served as a coach for Mack's Athletics (1945-49) and the Cleveland Indians (1950).
In an article in 1976 in Esquire magazine, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Al Simmons was the right fielder on Stein's Polish team.
Simmons died of a heart attack in Milwaukee at age 54.
In 1999, he ranked number 43 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Baseball Hall of Fame
- Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis
- The Deadball Era
| Preceded by Lou Gehrig & Babe Ruth |
American League RBI Champion 1929 |
Succeeded by Lou Gehrig |
| Preceded by Lew Fonseca |
American League Batting Champion 1930-1931 |
Succeeded by Dale Alexander |
Categories: Baseball Hall of Fame | Major league left fielders | Major league center fielders | American League All-Stars | Boston Braves players | Boston Red Sox players | Chicago White Sox players | Cincinnati Reds players | Detroit Tigers players | Philadelphia Athletics players | Washington Senators players | 1902 births | 1956 deaths | Polish-Americans | People from Milwaukee | Major league players from Wisconsin | American League batting champions | American League RBI champions
