RetroSimba

(Updated Jan. 28, 2026)

Ted Simmons is the second switch-hitting catcher to earn election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the first to have played in the major leagues.

Of the 20 catchers elected to the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, N.Y., the lone switch-hitters are Simmons and Biz Mackey, who played for Negro League teams over three decades (1920s, 1930s and 1940s). Segregation kept Mackey from playing in the major leagues.

Simmons played for the Cardinals from 1968 to 1980. He also played for the Brewers and Braves in a 21-season career spanning 1968 to 1988.

Swing like Kaline

As a youth in Michigan, Simmons was a natural left-handed batter, but he could throw a baseball effectively with either hand. His older brothers, Jim and Ned, encouraged him to become a switch-hitter.

“They’d throw whiffle balls at me from 30 feet away,” Simmons said in the 1977 book, “The Ted Simmons Story,” written by former Cardinals pitcher Jim Brosnan. “I’d swing hard and hit a few now and then. They’d tell me just to relax and lay the bat on the ball.”

Simmons’ favorite player was Tigers outfielder Al Kaline. A right-handed batter who would amass 3,007 hits in a Hall of Fame career, Kaline had a classic, level swing, a line-drive hitter, rather than the uppercut of a slugger. Simmons worked to develop a swing like Kaline’s.

In his Hall of Fame induction speech, Simmons said, “As a youngster in Detroit, I was a Tigers fan. I grew up idolizing Norm Cash, Rocky Colavito, Frank Lary and Bill Freehan. It was in that era that I discovered my first hero, Al Kaline. He had no idea what a role model he became for me.”

(Simmons, a rookie ineligible for the World Series in 1968, was seated with Cardinals officials in the stands at Tiger Stadium when Kaline hit a home run against the Cardinals in Game 3. Simmons instinctively leapt from his seat in excitement. “I looked over and they were looking at me,” Simmons told Cardinals Magazine. “I was afraid I was going to be released after that game.”)

When Simmons got to the majors, he initially hit better as a left-handed batter against right-handers than he did as a right-handed batter versus left-handers.

In 1971, his first full Cardinals season, Simmons hit .333 against right-handers and .235 versus left-handers.

“The last time I hit left-handed against a left-handed pitcher was in Little League,” Simmons said. “They don’t throw curves in that league. It’s a great advantage for a hitter always to see that curveball break toward him rather than away.”

Simmons strived to become as adept from the right side as he was from his natural left side. Determining that his left arm was the key to giving him a stronger swing from the right side, Simmons worked to build strength in that arm. During the winter after the 1972 season, he exclusively used his left arm to throw footballs, shoot basketballs and swat hockey pucks.

That effort helped Simmons elevate himself into an elite class of baseball hitters.

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While catching nearly every game, Simmons batted .300 from each side of the plate in three seasons: 1973, 1975 and 1977.

His 1975 performance was remarkable for its level of achievement and consistency. He hit .331 against right-handers and .333 versus left-handers.

Simmons batted .287 against right-handers and .281 versus left-handers for his career. His overall batting average was .285. His career slugging percentage was the same from each side of the plate: .437.

In a 2010 article for ESPN.com, Tim Kurkjian reported that just six percent of all non-pitchers in baseball history have been switch-hitters.

“How many of that six percent are even capable of hitting .300?” Simmons said. “Now that six percent goes down to maybe two percent.”

Among all switch-hitters in baseball history, Simmons ranks sixth in RBI (1,389), 10th in total bases (3,793) and 11th in hits (2,472).

Among all catchers all-time, Simmons ranks second in hits (2,472), second in doubles (483) and second in RBI (1,389). The only catcher with more hits (2,844) or more doubles (572) than Simmons is Ivan Rodriguez. The only catcher with more RBI (1,430) than Simmons is Yogi Berra.

Hall of Fame catchers who batted right-handed are: Johnny Bench, Roger Bresnahan, Roy Campanella, Gary Carter, Buck Ewing, Rick Ferrell, Carlton Fisk, Josh Gibson, Gabby Hartnett, Ernie Lombardi, Mike Piazza, Ivan Rodriguez and Ray Schalk.

Hall of Fame catchers who batted left-handed are: Yogi Berra, Mickey Cochrane, Bill Dickey, Joe Mauer and Louis Santop.

The fact Simmons batted both left-handed and right-handed _ and did so while hitting at a caliber better than most other catchers in the Hall of Fame _ makes it crystal clear he deserved election to the shrine.

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David Eckstein wanted to stay with the Cardinals. For a while, the Cardinals wanted him to stay, too. Instead, the Cardinals ended up with Cesar Izturis at shortstop and Eckstein was exiled to Canada.

A productive and popular Cardinals player, Eckstein was an effective leadoff batter who earned a special spot in franchise lore when he won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award for his performance with the 2006 champions.

After the 2007 season, Eckstein became a free agent, though he hoped to remain with the Cardinals. His departure from St. Louis was an example of the consequences of poor communication and bad decision-making.

Motivated to find a shortstop in a limited market and uncertain of Eckstein’s intentions, the Cardinals turned to Izturis, a free agent, and signed him on Nov. 30, 2007.

With Izturis in the fold, Eckstein no longer fit the Cardinals’ plans and he accepted from the Toronto Blue Jays a less lucrative offer than what St. Louis first proposed.

Waiting game

After four seasons with the Angels, including a World Series title in 2002, Eckstein became a free agent and signed with St. Louis in December 2004. At 5 feet 6 and with the look of a schoolkid, Eckstein appeared to be the ultimate underdog and he won the hearts of Cardinals fans with his hustle and skill.

In 2005, Eckstein batted .294 with 90 runs scored for a Cardinals club that reached the National League Championship Series. The next year, he hit .292 for the 2006 NL champions. In the five-game World Series versus the Tigers, Eckstein batted .364, drove in four runs and scored three.

At spring training in 2007, the Cardinals approached Eckstein and offered him a three-year, $20 million contract, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Eckstein decided to discontinue contract talks until the season was completed.

It was a decision he would regret.

All talk, no action

Because of injuries, Eckstein was limited to 112 starts at shortstop in 2007. He committed a career-high 20 errors. The year before, he made six miscues.

Eckstein batted .309 for the 2007 Cardinals, but management was alarmed by his lapses on defense. With Eckstein turning 33 before the start of the 2008 season, the Cardinals became concerned about committing to him beyond a year or two.

After the 2007 season, Eckstein told the Post-Dispatch, “I instructed my agent to tell (the Cardinals) of my desire to stay. They knew of my desire.”

The message was delivered, but without details.

“It was never defined by either party what ‘staying in St. Louis’ looked like,” said Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak.

Said Eckstein: “I was not looking for anything specific. I was willing to look at anything.”

While the Cardinals waited for Eckstein to say what he wanted, Eckstein waited for the Cardinals to respond to his expressed desire to stay.

It was a communication breakdown.

As time ticked away, the Cardinals decided it was in their best interests to fill the shortstop spot before their options evaporated.

Playing the field

The Cardinals had trade discussions with the Astros regarding shortstop Miguel Tejada and with the Pirates regarding shortstop Jack Wilson, according to the Post-Dispatch, but nothing developed.

“When you look at the shortstop market, there are not a lot of options,” Mozeliak said.

Izturis emerged as the Cardinals’ top choice.

In 2001, at age 21, Izturis made his major-league debut with the Blue Jays. After the season, he was dealt to the Dodgers and developed into a premier shortstop. In 2003, he led NL shortstops in assists (481). The next year, he batted .288 with 193 hits, led NL shortstops in putouts (234) and earned a Gold Glove Award. Izturis was selected to the NL all-star team in 2005.

In July 2006, Izturis was traded by the Dodgers to the Cubs for pitcher Greg Maddux. He split the 2007 season with the Cubs and Pirates, batting .258, and became a free agent.

The Cardinals signed Izturis to a one-year contract for $2.85 million with incentives. Izturis turned 28 before the start of the 2008 season.

One-year rental

“He’s looking for a challenge,” Mozeliak said. “We wanted somebody ready to take the challenge … One of the things we needed to address in support of pitching was our defense. I think we accomplished that.”

Media reaction to the Izturis signing was mixed.

_ Bernie Miklasz, Post-Dispatch columnist: “The Cardinals like his glove, but others say he’s slipped defensively.”

_Dan O’Neill, Post-Dispatch columnist: “Why do people get bent out of shape about the Cardinals’ signing of Cesar Izturis? It’s not like winning championships with a light-hitting, sharp-fielding shortstop is a foreign concept. For reference, see Dal Maxvill, 1967 and 1968.”

With the door closed to the Cardinals, Eckstein signed a one-year deal with the Blue Jays for $4.5 million.

Izturis, a switch-hitter, batted .263 with 24 stolen bases for the 2008 Cardinals. He hit .304 against left-handers.

Izturis started 110 games at shortstop for the Cardinals _ Brendan Ryan and Aaron Miles also got playing time _ and ranked third among NL shortstops in fielding percentage at .980.

After the 2008 season, Izturis became a free agent and signed with the Orioles for two years at $5 million.

The Cardinals went with Ryan, who was developed in their farm system, at shortstop in 2009.

Previously: Why David Eckstein was perfect fit for Cardinals

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In his first venture into free agency, Ozzie Smith had two options: stay with the Cardinals or go with the Astros.

Curious to learn what he would get on the open market, Smith became a free agent for the first time on Nov. 2, 1992.

Over the next month, the shortstop met with the Astros and Royals, heightening concerns among Cardinals fans about his future with the club.

Though the Astros offered him the contract he wanted, Smith secured his legacy as a Cardinal by remaining with St. Louis and finishing his Hall of Fame playing career there.

Test market

Acquired from the Padres after the 1981 season, Smith was a central figure in the Cardinals’ rise to prominence in the 1980s. He helped them to three National League pennants (1982, 1985 and 1987) and a World Series championship (1982), hit an iconic home run to win Game 5 of the 1985 NL Championship Series and earned a Gold Glove Award every year during that decade.

In 1992, Smith still was an elite player. He batted .295 for the Cardinals that season and won the last of his 13 Gold Glove honors.

With his 38th birthday approaching in December 1992, Smith was looking for one last lucrative contract. He decided becoming a free agent gave him his best leverage.

“Ozzie is going to talk to anybody and everybody that wants to talk to him, but we’re still talking to the Cardinals,” Debbie Ehlmann, Smith’s agent, said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

(At the time, Ehlmann was one of two women certified as an agent by the Major League Baseball Players Association.)

Smith wanted a two-year contract at a guaranteed salary. The Cardinals offered him a one-year deal with a club option for a second year, according to columnist Bernie Miklasz.

Aggressive Astros

One of the first clubs to contact Smith was the Astros, who were seeking an upgrade at shortstop after Andujar Cedeno batted .173 in 1992.

The Astros offered Smith a two-year contract with a guaranteed salary totaling $5.5 million.

Saying Smith would bring a “winning presence,” Astros general manager Bill Wood told the Houston Chronicle, “He’s not making any compromises with Father Time. He didn’t give anything away on the field last year. From what we saw, he played the game like a young man. If you say you’re going to go out and get a shortstop, he’d be the place to start.”

With concern growing that Smith might depart St. Louis, longtime journalist Bob Broeg wrote in the Post-Dispatch, “If the Cardinals let Ozzie Smith get away, it will be the worst case of materialistic injustice in the colorful century of the ball club.”

Creative offer

Feeling the pressure of public criticism, the Cardinals made Smith a counteroffer:

_ $3 million guaranteed contract in 1993.

_ $3 million for each year he plays after 1993, providing he gets 400 plate appearances in the preceding season and is declared physically fit by an independent doctor.

_ $200,000 a year for six years (a $1.2 million total) after his playing career to do public relations work for the Cardinals.

Calling the Cardinals’ proposal “a generous, creative offer,” Miklasz wrote, “Stan Musial, Bob Gibson and Lou Brock never received a sweetheart deal like this. Ozzie says he loves his fans here. Good. He has the chance to stay and seal the valentine, show that he’s more than a mercenary athlete.”

In the meantime, the Royals entered the picture. Smith met with them in Kansas City. Though no formal offer was made, the Royals discussed a two-year deal with a guaranteed salary. “They want Ozzie,” Ehlmann said.

Royals general manager Herk Robinson said of Smith, “If he decides he wants to play in Kansas City, we will try to accommodate.”

Who wants you?

On Dec. 1, the intrigue intensified when the Astros increased their offer to Smith with a guaranteed $6 million over two years.

Smith wouldn’t commit.

Three days later, after the Astros had invested in free-agent pitchers Doug Drabek and Greg Swindell, they withdrew their offer to Smith.

Meanwhile, the Royals still hadn’t submitted an offer.

With his negotiating leverage evaporating, Smith dropped his demand for a guaranteed salary in the second year and accepted the Cardinals’ offer.

In addition to the guaranteed $3 million in 1993 and the $1.2 million for public relations work after retirement, the Cardinals agreed to word the deal so that Smith would receive $3 million for each year he played after 1993, providing he got 400 plate appearances “or played in 95 games” in the preceding season and was ruled physically fit by an independent doctor.

Smith became the first Cardinals player to make $3 million a year.

“This is really where I belonged,” Smith said of St. Louis. “It’s where I should finish my career.”

Smith played four more years for the Cardinals before retiring after the 1996 season. He neither achieved 400 plate appearances nor played in 95 games in 1995 and 1996.

Previously: Ozzie Smith had bitter retirement announcement

Previously: Ozzie Smith had a classy Cardinals farewell

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