#451 Curt Simmons

Curt Simmons  Philadelphia Phillies

Career: A highly prized prospect when he signed with the Phils in 1947, Simmons spent 13 years toiling for mostly bad Phils clubs until 1960. He won 115 games in Philly and helped them get to the 1950 World Series but didn't pitch in it as his National Guard unit had been called to active duty. He resurrected his career in St. Louis and won a ring in 1964. He finished with 193 major league wins.

In 1960: After  a long tenure on the Phils' staff that culminated nearly a full 1959 season in the minors and a terrible start in '60 Simmons was released in May and signed by the Cardinals. He finished the year with a 7-4 record and some of the better pitching metrics of his career.

WikiFacts: "In the spring of 1947, a seventeen-year-old south-paw named Curt Simmons was the hottest amateur prospect in the country. Fifteen of the sixteen major league teams were chomping at the bit to sign Simmons as soon as he graduated from high school in June. Phillies general manager Herb Pennock dubbed him “a second Rube Waddell” and sportswriters were touting his curveball as the best since Bob Feller’s." -from this awesome article on Simmons' career at SABR

The Card: Topps had no problem getting photographers to Connie Mack Stadium back in the day. The red seats provide a nice change of pace from most of the cards already seen here. And any card with a pink element is A-OK in my book.

This one was put together late enough in the year for Topps to note Simmons' May release by the Phils. The 'crease' is more of a printing flaw than anything else. It doesn't appear nearly that noticeable in hand. The red ink bleeding off the right side of the card is another odd printing flaw. Topps had some issues here for sure.