RetroSimba

(Updated on Dec. 9, 2019)

Among catchers, fellow Hall of Famers Ted Simmons and Ivan Rodriguez rank in the top five all-time in several hitting categories.

Though Rodriguez won 13 Gold Glove awards for fielding and Simmons none, Simmons was at least equal to, if not better than, Rodriguez as a hitter.

(The Gold Glove awards also don’t provide a complete comparison of Rodriguez and Simmons as fielders. Rodriguez has a career fielding percentage as a catcher of .991. Simmons has a career fielding percentage as a catcher of .987.)

Iron men

Playing the game’s most physically demanding position, Simmons and Rodriguez both were tough and durable. Both spent their prime years in two notoriously humid cities _ Simmons in St. Louis and Rodriguez in Dallas _ and rarely were out of the lineup.

Simmons played 21 seasons (1968-1988) in the big leagues, including 13 (1968-80) with the Cardinals.

Rodriguez played 21 seasons (1991-2011) in the big leagues, including 13 (1991-2002 and 2009) with the Rangers.

Among players whose primary position was catcher, Simmons and Rodriguez rank in the top five in these hitting categories, according to the Web site Baseball-Reference.com:

At-bats

1st: Ivan Rodriguez, 9,592

2nd: Carlton Fisk, 8,756

3rd: Ted Simmons, 8,680

Hits

1st: Ivan Rodriguez, 2,844

2nd: Ted Simmons, 2,472

3rd: Carlton Fisk, 2,356

Doubles

1st: Ivan Rodriguez, 572

2nd: Ted Simmons, 483

3rd: Carlton Fisk: 421

RBI

1st: Yogi Berra, 1,430

2nd: Ted Simmons, 1,389

3rd: Johnny Bench, 1,376

4th: Mike Piazza, 1,335

5th: Ivan Rodriguez, 1,332

Simmons and Rodriguez each was the starting catcher for the losing American League club in a World Series against the Cardinals. Simmons hit .174 with two home runs and five walks in seven games for the Brewers in the 1982 World Series. Rodriguez hit .158 with no home runs and no walks in five games for the Tigers in the 2006 World Series.

Previously: 10 reasons why Ted Simmons is a Hall of Famer

Previously: Why Carlton Fisk must support Ted Simmons for Hall