Curt Simmons Greatest Game

With the news Tuesday, December 13 that Curt Simmons, the last surviving member of the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies Whiz Kids, had died at 93, tributes began pouring in from all over. Excellent obituaries in the Inquirer and the New York Times covered the highlights.

For Phillies fans those highlights of Simmons remarkable pitching career are familiar. A high school phenom out of tiny Egypt, PA near Allentown, Simmons signed with the Phillies for the largest bonus ever given up to that time: $65,000. With very little minor league experience, Simmons struggled to find his bearings in his first two seasons with the Phillies. He put it all together in 1950, however, and with his righthanded counterpart, Robin Roberts, pitched the upstart Phillies to the pennant. He could not pitch in the World Series, however, because he was called up to his National Guard Unit, the first baseball player called up due to the Korean War. 

Returning to the Phillies after his military duty, Simmons had an up and down career featuring a blazing fastball and some great pitching, marred by frequent arm miseries and a 1953 encounter with a lawn mower that removed part of his big toe. After 13 years with the Phillies, he was released and caught on with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he reinvented himself as a crafty, soft-tossing lefty who helped pitch the Cards to the 1964 pennant. He finally got to pitch in the World Serie that Year and acquitted himself very well.

As I said, these facts about Simmons career are well-known and well-detailed elsewhere. In my tribute to Curt, I would like to focus on one game - the greatest game he ever pitched. The game was played on May 16, 1953, at County Stadium in Milwaukee against the Braves. That day Curt pitched a one-hit shutout, to win 3-0 and deposit the Phillies, however temporarily, into sole possession of first place in the National League.

Nineteen-fifty-three was the first year for the Braves in Milwaukee, who moved there after 50 years in Boston. Despite threatening skies, an enthusiastic crowd of 23,578 was on hand for the Saturday afternoon tilt. The Phillies and Braves were tied for first place a month into the season. Simmons mound opponent was rookie lefty Don Liddle. The Milwaukee lineup featured another rookie, Bill Bruton, second year star Eddie Mathews, as well as veteran sluggers Sid Gordon and Joe Adcock. The Phillies fielded a team of mostly Whiz Kid holdovers like Richie Ashburn, Del Ennis, Granny Hamner, Willie Jones, and Simmons battery-mate, Stan Lopata.

After the Phillies went down quietly in the first, Bruton, leading off for the Braves, whacked Simmons first pitch for a clean ground single to centerfield. Bruton would be the only baserunner Curt would allow. He retired the next 27 batters in order. He struck out ten. He walked no one. After Bruton's single, he allowed only two other hard-hit balls. Braves shortstop, Johnny Logan, hit a line drive that Jones snagged at third and, in the ninth, the Phillies third sacker made another fine play to flag down catcher Del Crandall's ground smash. 

The Phillies pushed across a run in the second. With one out, first baseman Earl Torgeson singled and stole second base. Jones knocked him in with a line single to left. The Phils doubled their lead in the third when Ashburn singled to center and moved to third base when Bruton drop-kicked the ball into left. Left-fielder Mel Clark scored Ashburn with a double off the right-field wall. Another Clark double, this time off reliever Lew Burdette led to the Phillies final run in the eighth. Clark scored when Del Ennis followed with a single over shortstop Logan's head.

Simmons ended the game with a flair striking out pinch-hitter Jim Pendleton and then whiffing his nemesis Bruton.

After the game, the Braves were effusive in their praise of Simmons. "Simmons was unhittable," said Braves manager Charley Grimm. "He ranks with the great left-handers of all-time. His fastball was hopping and jumping onto the handles of our bats." Slugger Sid Gordon said, "All I did was step to the plate and hope I would get a piece of the ball." Eddie Mathews was left shaking his head. "I'm glad there is only one Simmons in the league, and we don't have to face him for a while."

Simmons was off to a great start in '53 and looked to be headed for a big season, but three weeks after this dominant performance, he ran that lawnmower over his foot and missed a month. While Curt always said that the injury did not affect his pitching, before the injury he was 7-3, with a 2.60 ERA. Afterwards, he was 9-10, 3.71.

RIP Curt. It was always a pleasure to watch you pitch, with that leg waggle and sling shot action that drove batters crazy for 20 years in the big leagues.