View source for Curt Simmons

{{short description|American baseball player (1929–2022)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Curt Simmons
|image=CurtSimmons1953bowman.jpg
|caption= [[Baseball card]] of Simmons with the Philadelphia Phillies in [[1953 Philadelphia Phillies season|1953]]
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{Birth date|1929|5|19}}
|birth_place=[[Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|death_date={{Death date and age|2022|12|13|1929|5|19}}
|death_place=[[Ambler, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 28
|debutyear=1947
|debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=October 1
|finalyear=1967
|finalteam=California Angels
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=193–183
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=3.54
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=1,697
|teams=
* [[Philadelphia Phillies]] ({{mlby|1947}}–{{mlby|1960}})
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{mlby|1960}}–{{mlby|1966}})
* [[Chicago Cubs]] ({{mlby|1966}}–{{mlby|1967}})
* [[California Angels]] ({{mlby|1967}})
|highlights=
* 3× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1952 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1952]], [[1953 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1953]], [[1957 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1957]])
* [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1964}})
* [[Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame|Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame]]
}}

'''Curtis Thomas Simmons''' (May 19, 1929 – December 13, 2022) was an American professional [[baseball]] left-handed [[pitcher]], who played in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) from {{by|1947}} to {{by|1950}} and {{by|1952}} to {{by|1967}}. Along with right-hander [[Robin Roberts (baseball)|Robin Roberts]] (a member of the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]), Simmons was one of the twin anchors of the starting rotation of the "Whiz Kids", the [[Philadelphia Phillies]]' 1950 [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) championship team. A three-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|MLB All-Star]], he also played for the [[St. Louis Cardinals]], [[Chicago Cubs]], and [[California Angels]].

==Early life and education==
Simmons was born in [[Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania]], in the [[Lehigh Valley]] region of eastern [[Pennsylvania]]. He attended [[Whitehall High School (Pennsylvania)|Whitehall High School]], where he led Whitehall to three straight league titles and also led the [[Coplay, Pennsylvania|Coplay]] [[American Legion]] team to two Pennsylvania state crowns.<ref name="Simmons">{{cite news |last=Bostrom |first=Don |date=April 10, 2008 |title=Phils hadn't played here in six decades |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-phils-hadnt-played-her/157537072/ |access-date=2024-10-21 |work=Morning Call |location=Allentown, Pennsylvania |page=C2 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

==Major League Baseball==
{{Moresources|section|date=June 2023}}
===Philadelphia Phillies===
In [[1947 Philadelphia Phillies season|1947]], then [[Philadelphia Phillies]] owner [[R. R. M. Carpenter Jr.|Bob Carpenter]] arranged for an exhibition match between his Phillies and a team of all-star high school players from the [[Lehigh Valley]]. The game was played on the opening day of Egypt Memorial Park, June 2, 1947, in front of a crowd of 4,500. Simmons started for the high school team and struck out eleven Phillies as the game ended in a 4–4 tie (a late-game error was the only thing that prevented the high school team from winning).<ref>{{cite news |date=June 3, 1947 |title=Curt Simmons Fans 11 Phils; Egypt Tied |url= |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |page=24}}</ref> The {{convert|5|ft|11|in|abbr=on}}, {{convert|175|lb|abbr=on}} lefty was signed by the Phillies, and awarded a $65,000 signing bonus, one of the highest ever awarded at that time.<ref name="Simmons"/> That spring, Simmons also pitched and played [[Outfielder|outfield]] in an [[All-American]] high school game between teams managed by [[Babe Ruth]] and [[Ty Cobb]].

In [[1949 Philadelphia Phillies season|1949]], Simmons returned to the [[Lehigh Valley]], pitching for the Phillies in an exhibition match against the [[Allentown Cardinals|Allentown Redbirds]], in front of a record crowd of 4,590 at [[Breadon Field]] in [[Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania|Whitehall Township]].

In the [[1950 Philadelphia Phillies season|1950 season]], Simmons won 17 of 25 [[Decision (baseball)|decisions]], playing an instrumental role in bringing the Phillies their second [[National League (baseball)|National League]] championship of the 20th century.

With the outbreak of the [[Korean War]], however, Simmons was called to active military service in September 1950. The Phillies managed to hold off the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] in the 1950 season's final contest on [[Dick Sisler]]'s 10th-inning [[home run]] to win the National League again Simmons was stationed at [[Camp Atterbury]] and requested and was granted leave on October 4, 1950, to attend the [[1950 World Series|Series]]. The Phillies chose not to request that the [[Commissioner of Baseball]] [[Happy Chandler]] rule Simmons eligible for the [[World Series]], but Simmons attended it in support of the team. Simmons' place on the World Series roster was taken by pitcher [[Jocko Thompson]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lundquist |first=Carl |date=1950-10-04 |title=Curt Simmons Given Leave To Attend Series |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-register-curt-simmons-given-le/157536943/ |access-date=2024-10-21 |work=The Daily Register |page=7 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Without Simmons, the Phillies were swept in four games by [[Joe DiMaggio]] and the [[New York Yankees]].

Simmons missed the entire [[1951 Philadelphia Phillies|1951]] season while stationed in Korea with the military, but he returned in the [[1952 Philadelphia Phillies season|1952 season]], winning 14 games, posting a 2.82 [[earned run average]] (ERA), and leading [[Major League Baseball]] with six shutouts. But the Phillies would never again contend for a championship during his tenure in Philadelphia, although Simmons continued to pitch with the Phillies into the late 1950s.

===St. Louis Cardinals===
In {{by|1959}}, he was struck with a sore arm. In [[1960 Philadelphia Phillies season|1960]], the [[Philadelphia Phillies]], then in last place and in rebuilding mode, released Simmons on May 17, 1960, after four mound appearances. Simmons signed as a free agent with the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] three days later, and began a comeback that culminated in 15- and 18-game-winning seasons in [[1963 St. Louis Cardinals season|1963]] and [[1964 St. Louis Cardinals season|1964]], respectively, while in a pitching rotation that included [[Bob Gibson]] and [[Ray Sadecki]]. In 1964, he appeared in the [[1964 World Series|World Series]] against the [[New York Yankees]], starting [[World Series]] games for the world champion Cardinals, losing his only decision but compiling a 2.51 ERA.

Simmons’ last winning record was in 1964; he lost 15 games for the  Cardinals in [[1965 St. Louis Cardinals season|1965]].

===Chicago Cubs and California Angels===
Simmons finished his [[Major League Baseball]] career with the [[Chicago Cubs]] in [[1966 Chicago Cubs season|1966]] and the [[California Angels]] in [[1967 California Angels season|1967]].

Along with [[Smoky Burgess]], Simmons was the last player to formally retire who had played in Major League Baseball in the 1940s not counting [[Minnie Miñoso]], who would later twice un-retire. MLB Hall of Fame hitters [[Hank Aaron]]<ref>{{cite news |last=John |first=Andrew L. |date=February 14, 2016 |title=Hank Aaron, Bud Selig speak at Indian Wells fundraiser |work=[[The Desert Sun]] |url=http://www.desertsun.com/story/sports/baseball/2016/02/12/hank-aaron-bud-selig-speak-indian-wells-fundraiser/80321590/ |access-date=22 May 2017}}</ref> and [[Stan Musial]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Kunda |first=John |date=May 21, 1991 |title=The Hall's Yearbook Has It All |work=[[The Morning Call]] |url=https://www.mcall.com/1991/05/21/the-halls-yearbook-has-it-all/ |access-date=22 May 2017}}</ref> each separately named Simmons as the toughest pitcher they had to face in their careers.

Over his two decade career in Major League Baseball, Simmons' final [[win–loss record (pitching)|record]] was 193–183 (.515). In 569 [[games pitched]] and 3,348<small>{{fraction|1|3}}</small> [[innings pitched|innings]], Simmons allowed 3,313 [[hit (baseball)|hits]] and 1,063 [[bases on balls]]. He recorded 1,697 [[strikeouts]], 163 [[complete games]], 36 [[shutout (baseball)|shutouts]], and five [[save (baseball)|saves]].

==Death==
Simmons died on December 13, 2022, in [[Ambler, Pennsylvania]], at the age of 93.<ref>{{cite news |date=13 December 2022 |title=Curt Simmons, member of 1950 'Whiz Kids,' dies at 93 |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/curt-simmons-dies-at-93 |access-date=13 December 2022 |work=MLB}}</ref> At the time of his death, Simmons was the last Philadelphia Phillies player from the 1940s, and the last living member of the [[1950 Philadelphia Phillies season|1950 Phillies National League pennant winning team]], nicknamed the [[Whiz Kids (baseball)|Whiz Kids]] because of the team's youth.<ref name="old">{{cite web |title=The Oldest Living Major League Baseball Players |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/Oldest_Living_Baseball_Players.php |access-date=13 December 2022 |website=Baseball Almanac}}</ref>

Of note, actress and model [[Lili Simmons]] is his granddaughter.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.lifecelebration.com/obituary/curtis-t-simmons | title=Obituary for Curtis T. Simmons at Craft-Givnish Funeral Home }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Category commons}}
*{{baseballstats|mlb=122241|espn=27534|br=s/simmocu01|fangraphs=1011980|brm=simmon001cur|retro=S/Psimmc101}}
* {{SABR Baseball Biography Project|Curt-Simmons}}
* [https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=simmocu01 Curt Simmons] at [[Baseball Almanac]]

{{1964 St. Louis Cardinals}}
{{St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Philadelphia Phillies}}
{{Philly Baseball Wall of Fame}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simmons, Curt}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Lehigh County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:California Angels players]]
[[Category:Chicago Cubs players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:National League All-Stars]]
[[Category:People from Ambler, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Phillies players]]
[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals players]]
[[Category:Whitehall High School (Pennsylvania) alumni]]
[[Category:Williamsport Grays players]]
[[Category:Wilmington Blue Rocks (1940–1952) players]]