In June 2025, Ted Simmons was interviewed by Jon Paul Morosi for the Baseball Hall of Fame podcast “The Road to Cooperstown.”
Here are excerpts:
On the influence of his mother, Bonnie Sue:
Simmons: “She worked in a factory. A tool and die place for 36 years and went every day … I saw a work ethic … My mother was a real monument for me and taught me what hard work, living a good, solid life behaviorally meant, and was responsible for giving me those kinds of traits and skills that I tried to keep my entire life.”
The reaction of his mother when Simmons in 1996, the year he turned 47, earned a degree from the University of Michigan, fulfilling her hope that one of her four offspring would graduate from college:
Simmons: “My mom (that day) was the happiest girl there ever was. It’s a really nice thing for me to think back upon.”
On first attending the University of Michigan during the campus unrest of the 1960s:
Simmons: “I often think about the middle 1960s when I think of today … In many ways, the way our society is today is volatile. When I was going to class in Ann Arbor, the walk through campus, you’d see blacks protesting, females protesting, foreign people protesting, and, politically, the place was on fire … It was all around you.”
On becoming an art and antique collector with his wife Maryanne, whom he married in May 1970, five years after their first date:
Simmons: “My wife was a fine arts major … My world began to open up when I saw who she was and what she was doing … (Cultural) diversity was really important to me. It’s where I saw understanding, education … (Cultural) diversity and baseball were such a gift. It took me everywhere in this world … and I learned from that.”
On spending his free time during baseball road trips visiting museums:
Simmons: “It’s just like a post-graduate degree. You don’t get the sheepskin, but you get the knowledge, and the knowledge is what you want … I was into it.”
On a lesson learned early in his pro playing career from Cardinals instructor George Kissell:
Simmons: “Sacrificing one’s self was one of the keynotes he emphasized. There are times when you must sacrifice yourself for the sake of the team … When you get a bunch of 17-, 18-year-olds, or in today’s game, 21-, 22-year-olds, who have a pocketful of money and a whole head full of ego, it’s hard to convince (them) it’s time to step back and think more in the context of the group as opposed to themselves. Very difficult thing to learn and, unless you learn it, it’s very difficult to end up in the pinnacle, in the seventh game of the World Series, with a team full of individuals.”
On playing for a pennant winner with the 1982 Brewers:
Simmons: “That’s where I … saw what a championship team is like. I saw what it took from the players, their skillset. You don’t fake that stuff … That whole season was just a culmination of a whole lot of hard work and anxiety and hope.”
On the most difficult adjustment to make when reaching the big leagues:
Simmons: “When you first come up, there’s something every opposition pitcher and team is going to find out about you, and that is: Can you hit a fastball that is up in the strike zone and inside? They would throw that every time until you proved you could hit it … because, if you can’t, you will be gone … It’s just an unmerciful thing you have to deal with … It’s the single most difficult pitch. Velocity high in the strike zone inside. It takes the quickest bat. It’s the hardest pitch to get the barrel in a position to hit hard … Inside fastball for a strike is the equalizer, it’s the determiner.”
Best hitter during his time in the majors (1968-88):
Simmons: “George Brett was the best I had seen. He was the best hitter who was all-encompassing. (Rod) Carew, (Tony) Gwynn, (Wade) Boggs _ hitting machines. But the guy who was dangerous and could drive in runs and could beat you was, for that time, Brett. He could manage any pitch.”
In a tribute to his wife Maryanne, who he called “my partner, my companion, my equal,” Simmons concluded his 2021 Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech with a line from “The End,” a Beatles song on the Abbey Road album: “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
Simmons: “I had two songs I was thinking about. One was “A Song For You” by Leon Russell. I said no, that’s too obscure for most people. They’ll understand the Fab Four. That lyric _ in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make _ is the single greatest lyric in my lifetime because it is so all-encompassing … Those are the two real romances in my life: my (baseball) career and my wife.”
RetroSimba 
I saw him hit two home runs in a game against the Mets in 1979. Line drives quickly over the wall. I’m glad he got to play in St. Louis in a World Series, wish it would’ve been 1973-74 instead of ’82. My Uncle was happy when Simmons got his hair cut. Great hitter, only one punch-type hit, off Bill Madlock in 1974. So much more than a ballplayer, too.
I am glad you got to witness that two-homer game by Ted Simmons on June 22, 1979. Both were hit against Mets starter Kevin Kobel. The Cardinals won, 4-2, on that Friday night. Here is the boxscore:
https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1979/B06220SLN1979.htm
Here’s a link to my post on the Ted Simmons punch of Bill Madlock: https://retrosimba.com/2014/09/20/ted-simmons-packed-powerful-punch-versus-cubs/
It was wonderful listening to the entire podcast. A lifelong Cardinals fan like me can never get enough of Ted Simmons. The knowledge, influence and baseball philosophy of George Kissell remained with him all throughout his career. I love it how he mentioned that most everybody thinks they know how to play baseball. However, it’s another thing all together to know how to play winning baseball. Looking back now I realize that Ted Simmons was probably one of the most intellectual and cerebral players of his era. Something new that I learned from this podcast was just how much of an influence Ted Simmons actually was to the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers. To be honest Mark, I had always thought that Ted Simmons was just simply part of a good team that in 1982 finally put it all together. But when Simmons mentions how he brought the George Kissell way of playing baseball to Milwaukee that really blew me away. It also just reinforces something that I’ve said many times. Whitey Herzog not only put the Cardinals in the 1982 World Series but Milwaukee as well. Ted Simmons for MLB Commissioner!!
I enjoyed all your observations, Phillip. Thanks for taking the time to post them.
Yes, it is good to be reminded that Ted Simmons’ contributions to the pennant-winning Brewers were multi-fold. Fellow Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, a teammate of Simmons with the Brewers, told “Memories and Dreams” magazine, “I played with Teddy and knew how he influenced the team, and his leadership, but it wasn’t until I took a good look at his career numbers and how they compared to other players that I realized what a great career he had.”
It is cool that Simmons brought the teachings of George Kissell to the Brewers. It may surprise some that Kissell had a major influence on those great Orioles clubs managed by Earl Weaver. Kissell was Weaver’s manager in the minor leagues. Here is a link: https://retrosimba.com/2015/05/09/top-5-facts-about-george-kissell-as-manager-on-cards-farm/
You’re right that Ted Simmons would have been a strong, innovative baseball commissioner who understood well the game, the players and the management side.
Even after winning the World Series I still can’t forgive Whitey for trading Ted.
I can remember where I was when I got the news. It stunned and saddened me.
Here’s a post I did on the trade: https://retrosimba.com/2010/07/19/herzog-took-heat-for-trading-simmons/
Ah the famous “Simba.” I recall calling you that when I first discovered your blog because I was too stupid to read your bio. Hahaha. Did you ever meet the man or did my demented mind invent the story?
Great stuff as always my friend.
Thanks for reading and for asking, Gary.
Yes, I met Ted Simmons at a spring training game in Jupiter, Florida. Probably was 2017 or 2018. He was scouting for the Braves and I spotted him seated in the stands behind home plate. When the game ended and he got up and headed toward an exit, I approached, told him he’d been my favorite player and asked if he’d pose for a picture. He said yes. My wife snapped a couple of photos. As the picture was being taken, I told him I did a baseball history blog and named it RetroSimba in honor of him. I could tell it got his attention, but he didn’t say anything. By now, other fans were swarming around us, so there was no time to talk. We shook hands, I thanked him and I started to leave. “Hey,” he said. I turned around. “Thanks, man!” he said.
I’m heading to youtube in search of Leon Russell. Your meeting Simba and telling him about your Simba blog and him saying thank you as you walked away…..memorable.
Thanks, Steve. Here’s the link to “A Song For You” by Leon Russell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lKnb5IEATg&list=RD4lKnb5IEATg&start_radio=1
A beauty. Thanks.
Steve, the Baseball Hall of Fame also did a “Road to Cooperstown” podcast with Robin Yount. Here’s a link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/robin-yount-class-of-1999/id1748842135?i=1000708287272
Rocking Robin. Good thing he didn’t choose golf. Thanks Mark.