St. Louis Cardinals fans will be voting this season for the Cardinals Hall of Fame class of 2015. This year’s candidates include: Steve Carlton, Bob Forsch, Keith Hernandez, Mark McGwire, Matt Morris, Edgar Renteria, Joe Torre and Ted Simmons. Four of these former Cardinals will be inducted this season.

Failing to achieve the required votes, Ted Simmons has been snubbed for years by the National Baseball Hall of Fame gang of voters. The switch-hitting catcher had 11 successful seasons with the Cardinals, 21 MLB seasons overall. He is no longer is eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame on a regular ballot. This is an injustice. By comparison Simmons deserves to be among the 16 catchers already in the hall and here’s why.

Simmons hit .285 for his career (1968-98) while collecting 2,472 hits, 248 home runs and 1,389 runs batted in. These numbers place him above most catchers currently in the hall.

How does Simba” stack up against the all-time best catchers? (Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra)

Bench and Berra have 389 and 358 HRs respectively, compared with Simmons 248 dingers. Simmons’ .285 batting average is on par with Yogi and much better than Bench’s .267 lifetime avg. Clearly, Bench was better defensively, maybe the best that ever played the position. RBIs: Bench knocked in 1376, Berra 1430. Simmons’ is right there with them at 1389. One significant stat where Simmons leads both of them is with his 2,472 hits (much better than any catcher in Cooperstown) 

Simmons made eight all-star teams, played in a World Series, was awarded a Silver Slugger award, hit .300+ in seven MLB seasons, caught two no-hitters and achieved MVP votes in seven seasons.

Compare Simmons to the Cardinals Hall of Fame catcher Roger Bresnahan, who batted .279, and had 1252 hits, 26 HRs, and 530 RBIs. All his stats are well below Ted Simmons’ career marks.

Simmons will likely join the Cardinals Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, he will not be voted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown… That’s a snub. Maybe the Hall’s Veterans Committee will honor Simmons with an induction someday.

You can vote for Ted Simmons for the Cardinals Hall of Fame today at cardinals.com/HOF