Simba's Pride

It was announced on the evening of December 8th, that Baseball Hall of Fame's "Modern Era" committee elected catcher Ted Simmons, along with MLB Players Association executive director Marvin Miller, to join the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Of course, this got some baseball fans riled up when they heard that Simmons will be joining the Hall, going as far as saying that the curse of Harold Baines continues. Baines has been a lightning rod in discussions and debates when it comes down to his Hall of Fame merits. For me, it should not have been a surprise that Simmons name was called, since he only missed the Hall by a single vote, the last time the committee met.

The fact of the matter is that Simmons belongs. Simmons ranked 2nd all-time among catchers in hits (2,472), RBI (1,389) & doubles (483). Simmons also batted a lifetime .289 with a .785 OPS (.348 on-base percentage), to go along with 8 All-Star Game appearances.

Comparing Simmons to Gary Carter was another telling tale:

Offense

• Gary Carter: 2,092 hits, .262 BA, 324 HR, 1,225 RBI (.335 OBP / .439 SLG / .773 OPS).

• Ted Simmons: 2,472 hits, .285 BA, 248 HR, 1,389 RBI (.348 OBP / .437 SLG / .785 OPS).

Carter played in 285 more games than Simmons, and only beat Simmons in two of the above offensive categories, homer runs (+76) & by literally a hair with .002+ higher slugging percentage.

Defense

Many people speak harshly about Simmons' defense, but they were thinking more of his later years when he slowed down. This has also been brought up in Bill James' Historical Baseball Abstract. 

• Gary Carter: .991 fielding pct, 1,203 assists, 35% caught stealing, with 121 errors & 1,498 stolen bases allowed.

• Ted Simmons: .987 fielding pct, 915 assists, 34% caught stealing, with 130 errors & 1,188 stolen bases allowed.

Carter and Simmons' defensive numbers were closer than I think most people even realized. Carter had close to 300 more assists, but Carter had more games behind the plate (2,056 to 1,771), so it's safe to say the assists are neck-to-neck, just as the case is with the caught stealing percentages (35% to 34%). Simmons did commit 9 more errors behind the plate, Simmons was sloppier at the other positions comparably to Carter at other positions. Simmons though, had 310 less stolen bases allowed.