Background
Aloysius Harry Simmons was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of John and Agnes Szymanski. His father died in 1912, and Simmons' mother was forced to go to work to support the family.
Aloysius Harry Simmons was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of John and Agnes Szymanski. His father died in 1912, and Simmons' mother was forced to go to work to support the family.
After a successful career in amateur baseball, Simmons - who changed his name when he played - signed a contract with Aberdeen of the Dakota League. He was an immediate sensation, leading the league in hits and batting. 365.
In 1923, Simmons played for Shreveport in the Texas League, and hit . 360. At the end of the season he played several games for the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association.
In 1924 the Milwaukee management sold him to the Philadelphia Athletics for $40, 000. Simmons, a right-handed outfielder, stood five feet, eleven inches tall and weighed 185 pounds throughout most of his major league career. He possessed a strong throwing arm and great speed. In 1925 he made more put-outs than any other outfielder in the American League.
In 1928, Simmons switched from center field to left field, where he again excelled. He led American League outfielders in fielding percentage in 1929, 1930, and 1937. It was Simmons' batting that made him a star. Like many outstanding hitters he had an unorthodox batting stance.
He stood deep in the batter's box, then stepped toward third base as he swung the bat. This style of hitting, called "putting your foot in the bucket, " earned Simmons the nickname "Bucketfoot Al. " Using a long bat, he could hit to all fields with power. He hit . 300 or better in thirteen full seasons and had a lifetime average of . 334.
In 1930 and 1931, Simmons was the American League batting champion with averages of . 381 and . 390. He was particularly effective with runners on base, and drove in at least 100 runs in each of his twelve seasons. His lifetime total of 1, 827 runs batted in is tenth best in baseball history.
The best-known display of Simmons' ability to hit in crucial situations came in the seventh inning of a World Series game against the Chicago Cubs on October 12, 1929. The Cubs led 8-0 when Philadelphia rallied to score ten runs in one inning. Simmons hit a home run and a single in the rally. Two other factors insured that Simmons would have an enduring reputation. In the early 1920's the leaders of organized baseball increased the resiliency of the ball, which made it easier to hit home runs and to attain high averages. Many more runs were scored, and sluggers like Simmons and Babe Ruth became popular public figures.
Equally important was the fact that Simmons played for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1929, 1930, and 1931. Managed by Connie Mack and led by Simmons, Mickey Cochrane, Jimmy Foxx, and Lefty Grove, this team is regarded as one of the best in baseball history.
It won three consecutive American League pennants (1929 - 1931) and won the 1929 and 1930 World Series. In 1929, Simmons was named the Most Valuable Player in the American League. In addition he was named by the Baseball Writers' Association as an outfielder on the Sporting News All-Star Major League Team in 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, and 1934.
He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953. Simmons was well aware of his value as a player and as an attraction to the fans.
In the midst of the Great Depression, he forced a reluctant Philadelphia management to grant him a three-year contract for a total salary of $100, 000. When the Athletics failed to win the pennant in 1932 and attendance at their games declined dramatically, Simmons' high salary became a burden to the Philadelphia management.
As a result he was sold to the Chicago White Sox with two other players for $150, 000. He played well for the weak Chicago team in 1933 and 1934, but he suffered through his worst season in 1935.
That winter he was sold to Detroit for $75, 000. Simmons enjoyed his last fully productive season in 1936, but when Detroit failed to win its third consecutive pennant, the Tigers sold him to the Washington Senators for $15, 000.
After mediocre seasons in 1937 and 1938, he was sold to the Boston Braves for the 1939 season. In August 1939 the Cincinnati Reds purchased Simmons, who helped them win the pennant. The Reds then released him, and he signed with the Athletics as a player-coach.
He remained in that capacity in 1940-1942 and 1944. In 1943 he played for the Boston Red Sox. From 1945 through 1949 he was a nonplaying coach for the Athletics. He finished his career in baseball as a coach for the Cleveland Indians in 1950.
After retiring from baseball, Simmons returned to Milwaukee, where he died.
Simmons married Dorris Lynn Reader on August 6, 1934. The marriage was apparently not a happy one, and the couple was divorced in 1941. They had one son.