Ted Simmons: HOF?

So the fact he played for the Braves keeps him out? Stink by association ...

 

I would vote for him, but I'm biased - he was my favorite player growing up.

Herzog stated in his book Simmons was a liability defensively, though he considered moving him to left, or moving Hernandez to left and putting Simmons at first. Then, of course, Herzog made the big trade with the Brewers.

Regarding drug use, I have never come across anything remotely connecting Simmons to such conduct. He was, and still is, a highly-regarded member of his community. Now that I think about it, I believe while still with the Cardinals he was a trustee of the St. Louis Art Museum. I remember that from a piece in the original version of "Inside Sports." Loved that mag as a kid.

 

It was Darrell Porter. My mistake.

 

I just so happened to be re-reading "Snap Me Perfect" this weekend and it ended on such a positive note. Of course, that book was published years before Porter's death.

I would highly recommend "Snap Me Perfect" to anyone in recovery.

 

An easy one to make considering all the dopers back then. Porter actually completed rehab while still with the Royals but as I think someone mentioned earlier, the pre-Porter Cardinals had their share of dopers too.

 

His memories of his last three years in Kansas City are chilling in the book. Those offseason benders and cocaine binges will shock your core.

It was weird when I remember Porter going to rehab when I was 5 but it was all hush hush in many circles in KC. He was in real bad shape. Once he left for St Louis, Aikens pretty much handled all Porter's cocaine consumption.

 

On a Simmons note.

Hormones will stir on any woman in Wisconsin over 45 at the mere mention of "Ted Simmons". I've seen it happen.

 

LOL! Might not have been the case in the ATL. By then, there is no other way to put it - he was overweight. FWIW, I recall his wife as pretty stunning.

Saw him once away from work attending one of his son's football games at John Burroughs but didn't want to bother him. He was just another dad watching his son play football.

IIRC, Bo wanted him at Michigan but he obviously went another direction.

 

I did get a laugh out of Porter recalling the scene in which a sleeping teammate was lying on the training table naked with a full-throttled erection, due in some way to a reaction to cocaine. If it was Willie Wilson, it would have been an impressive performance.

 

A former co-anchor of mine - she's 52 or 53 now - would get all hot and bothered at the mention of Simmons, Molitor, Yount and... Rick Springfield.

Especially Simmons.

 

That was in Angell's book about Cone, too, in his first call up in KC.

I'll guess Cesar Geronimo