79. Al Simmons
When teaching younger players to swing a bat, they are taught to avoid stepping away from the plate when swinging, or ‘stepping in the bucket.’ That approach at the plate, where he stepped into the bucket, worked well for Al Simmons.
One of the biggest stars of the 1920’s and 1930’s, Simmons burst on the scene in his rookie season, finishing eleventh in the MVP vote. The following season, he emerged as a bona fide star, finishing second in the MVP vote. He was a two time batting leader, made three All-Star Games and finished in the top five of the MVP ballot four times.
Even after an extended dropoff in production, Simmons ended his career amongst the best in MLB history. He ended his career with a .334/.380/.525 batting line and 307 home runs. His 2,927 hits and 539 doubles rank 38th all time, and his 1,838 RBI are 19th. A hitting machine, Simmons is the fastest player to get to 2,000 and 2,500 hits.
While he was best known as an offensive force, Simmons was also a solid defensive left fielder. His strong arm helped him rank amongst the top five almost every season in assists and double plays. Simmons 117 assists as a left fielder are 19th all time, and he ranks 13th with 24 double plays.
Al Simmons may be relatively forgotten now, but during his time, he was an all around star and one of the key players on the Philadelphia A’s second dynasty in the late 1920’s.
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