COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Maybe it’s because he had more than 21 months to prepare his remarks. But former Cardinals star catcher Ted Simmons was as smooth behind the microphone on Wednesday as he was with his swing from both sides of the plate when he piled up 2,472 hits in a career that finally brought him to his new family more than 20 years after he probably should have joined them already.
In a 21-season big league career, Simmons never once batted first in a starting lineup. But, sporting a red tie to go with his charcoal suit, he was the leadoff hitter among the four 2020 honorees Wednesday at the belated Hall of Fame induction pushed back by the coronavirus pandemic.
There was an estimated crowd of 20,000 outside the Clark Sports Center for the ceremony (there were no 2021 inductees) which finished about 45 minutes before the heavy rains came that had been forecast earlier.
