A little more on Ted Simmons from the
www.thebaseballpage.com
I know he is very debatable, but how could he have left the ballot after only 1 year? I think the BBWAA seriously disrespected Simmons.
A grassroots campaign to get Ted Simmons inducted into the Hall of Fame has rarely drawn much attention. The switch-hitting catcher spent 21 years in the big leagues, and retired with more RBI than Johnny Bench, more runs scored than Gary Carter, more hits than Carlton Fisk, and a higher batting average than Yogi Berra. But his longevity has not obscured the fact that he was considered a mediocre defensive catcher, against whom baserunners frequently ran wild. With the stick however, Simmons accumulated 2,472 hits, the highest figure by a player who was primarily a catcher. He hit .300 seven times, and was frequently among league leaders in hits, doubles, and intentional walks.
"All you ever hear is Bench and Munson and Fisk. Nobody ever talks about Simmons. He's the most underrated catcher. He's never got the recognition he deserves. But where can you find a catcher that can do all the things Simmons can do? He hits better than any of them, and he calls a great game. And who else in the league can catch as many games as he does?" — Pittsburgh manager Chuck Tanner on St. Louis catcher Ted Simmons, 1978