Curt Simmons: The Release that Just Killed the Phillies
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As I read through today’s news on Ballbug.com’s baseball news portal, I came upon this Boston Globe commemoration of the 1967 Red Sox who edged out the Minnesota Twins for the AL pennant and then lost the World Series to Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals in a full 7 games. This article got me thinking about the Phillies of the late 50s and 60s.
And when thinking of the Phillies teams of that era, one can’t help thinking what might have been; what might have been had they held on to certain talent which they either traded or released in the dire panic of a flurry of last-place finishes.
Last season, I wrote on this blog about one of the worst trades in baseball history, the Jack Sanford for Ruben Gomez and Valmy Thomas trade.
If, as Bob Carpenter lamented afterwards, that was “the worst trade I ever made,” then the release in May, 1960 of then veteran lefthander Curt Simmons ranks right up there among the worst moves ever made by Phillies ownership. The St. Louis Cardinals signed Simmons shortly thereafter. The lefthander went on to win another win 69 games for the Birds between 1960 and 1967. And he just murdered the Phils over those 7 seasons.
Simmons was signed in 1947 for, as Baseball Library reports, “one of the largest bonuses paid to a teenager during his day when he signed with the Phillies for $65,000.” 12 years later, in 1959, the Phillies signed the first 6 figure contract with a youngster when they signed Ray Culp for $100,000.
Simmons was brought up to the big club in late 1947, but it was not until 1950 that his career blossomed as he, Robin Roberts, Jim Konstanty, Richie Ashburn, Granny Hamner, Willie ‘Puddin Head’ Jones, Dick Sisler, Del Ennis and the rest the Phillies Whiz kids took the NL Pennant before losing to the Yankees in the closest World Series 4 game sweep in MLB history.
Robin Roberts and Curt Simmons made up a potent pitching tandem through 1958. In 1959, Simmons went down with arm trouble and had no decisions in either 1959 or in 1960 until he was released.
The Cardinals grabbed him up and Simmons was right around .500 from 1960-1962. In 1963 he finished with a 15-10 mark. In 1964 with an 18-9 record as he, Bob Gibson and Ray Sadecki led the Cards to the NL Pennant and a World Championship in 7 games over the Yankees. Baseball Library reports;
He allowed the Yankees one run in eight innings of WS Game Three, but was not involved in the decision; in the sixth inning of Game Six, he gave up home runs to Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle on consecutive pitches, and lost.
During the 7 year period between 1960 and 1966, Simmons dominated the Phillies winning 17 of 20 from them since they released him exacting retribution for his release with each victory. Particularly satisfying for Simmons must have been his win on Sep 30, 1964 as the Phillies, who held an 8 game lead with 12 games to play, lost their 10th straight game as Curt Simmons of the Cards beat Phillies ace Jim Bunning 8-5 as the Cards overtook the Phillies with the win.
I remember reading back at the turn of the decade to the 60’s how the Phillies finally broke with their Whiz Kids tradition as Roberts, Simmons and Ashburn were among the last of the Phils’ pennant winners to retire or be dealt elsewhere.
In 1966, the Cardinals dealt Simmons to the Chicago Cubs who, in turn, dealt him to the California Angels in 1967. Simmons retired after the 1967 season.
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