Skip to main content

Sunday School: History Lesson 14

Curt Simmons made his Major League debut for the Phillies at age 18 and, over time, became one of the team's most dependable starting pitchers.


The lefty signed with the team in 1947 for $65,000 following an exhibition game set up by team owner Bob Carpenter. Much to everyone's surprise, Curt Simmons struck out eleven Phils in the game, which ended in a 4-4 tie. Upon signing, Simmons was assigned to Wilmington, in the minor leagues. After striking out 197 batters in 147 minor league innings, Simmons was promoted to the Major League club for the final week of the 1947 season. In Simmons debut, he beat the Giants at Shibe Park 3-1, giving up just 5 hits and striking out 9.


The following season, Simmons had a rough go of it, and started off slowly. In his first start of the season, he struggled to find the strike zone, as he walked 7 of the 14 batters he faced. Over his first two full seasons with the Phillies, Simmons' control hurt him. He was a combined 11-23 in 1948 and 1949.


That magical Whiz Kids season of 1950 was when it all really came together for Simmons, who was still just 21 years old at the time. His record was 17-8 with a 3.40 ERA when he was summoned to military duty in early September. His disappearance from the starting rotation nearly cost our Phillies the pennant. Simmons was valuable to the squad and they missed his skills, but ended up clinching the pennant on the final day of the season.


Simmons of course would miss the World Series in 1950, and missed the entire following season serving his duties to the United States in the Korean War. He returned for the 1952 season and did not seem to miss a step. He went 14-8 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. His 6 shut outs would lead the National League in '52.


In 1953, Curt Simmons came within a single hit of pitching a perfect game. On May 16th, Simmons surrendered a single to lead-off hitter, Bill Bruton, then retired the next 27 batters, in order, to win the game 3-0.


Simmons pitched for the Phillies all the way through the '50's until he was released after struggling in 4 appearances in 1960. He was later signed as a free agent by St. Louis, and exceeded 195 innings pitched in a season for the Cardinals 4 times, and he helped St. Louis reach the World Series in 1964, with an 18-9 record. His career record with Philadelphia was 115-110, with a 3.66 ERA.


*********************
Read more about the Whiz Kids by clicking the "1950" link below and read more Sunday School entries by checking out the "Sunday School" link below.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Justin De Fratus Interview Excerpts- May, 2011

Armed with a 2-0 record, 3 saves and a 2.95 ERA in 15 games this season for the Double A Reading Phillies, Justin De Fratus continues to make strides toward his goal of reaching the Major Leagues. Ranked as a top 10 prospect within the Phillies system last off-season, the 23-year-old De Fratus was in camp with the Phillies during big league spring training. In 3 games with the Phils during the Grapefruit League season, De Fratus allowed 4 earned runs in 4 innings and took a loss. He did strike out an impressive 5 batters in those 4 frames, however. Drafted in the 11th round of the 2007 amateur draft, De Fratus stood out as a force in relief last year for both the High A Clearwater Threshers and the R-Phils. In 49 combined games at the two levels, De Fratus posted a 3-0 record with 21 saves and a 1.94 ERA. De Fratus continued his excellent 2011 by pitching for Team USA in the Pan-American qualifiers held in Puerto Rico, helping the Americans finish with a 9-1 record. He also posted out...

Bubby Rossman's long awaited MLB debut

Eight years after he initially signed a professional contract with the Dodgers and a five-year stretch playing away from affiliated ball, Bubby Rossman became a major leaguer on Wednesday. Added as a substitute for pitcher Kyle Gibson, who is restricted from travel to Canada for the Phillies' series in Toronto, due to his medical inability to be vaccinated from COVID-19, Rossman took the mound for the first time in the majors. Rossman, who was a 22nd round draft selection in 2014 had pitched in 200 professional games before his one-inning outing in the Phillies' 8-2 loss to the Blue Jays. In 27 appearances with Double-A Reading this year, the 30-year-old right-hander has performed well, tallying a 2-2 record with a save, a 3.32 ERA and a .200 batting average against.   The embedded video below features a media session with Rossman from prior to opening day this year, in which the California native discusses his journey through independent baseball and back to affiliated ball w...

Lakewood falls as Lexington takes Sally League title

Spencer Howard, image- Jay Floyd LAKEWOOD, NJ- Only one team can with the last game and unfortunately it wasn't the home club at FirstEnergy Park on Friday night as the Lexington Legends (Royals affiliate) nabbed a 2-1 victory and, in the process, their second Class A South Altantic League championship. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th, the Lakewood BlueClaws failed to plate a run and fell in the best-of-five series, three games to one. Lakewood's lone run came in the 6th inning on a Jhailyn Ortiz RBI single.  Manager Marty Malloy waved another runner home that was gunned down at the plate. Lexington took the lead back in the top of the 9th on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Cristian Perez, who doubled in the Legend's first run in the 5th.  The sac fly brought home left fielder Brewer Hicklen, who beat a close play at the plate. "We had two plays at the plate, one was our guy being out and the other was their guy being safe and that was the dif...