You Can Call Him Al

Al Simmons

Aloysius "Al" Simmons is one of those ballplayers who, though a big star in his day, is not much remembered today. After his playing days ended in 1944, he coached with Connie Mack's A's from 1945 to 1949 and the Cleveland Indians in 1950.

In a 1976 article appearing in Esquire, sportswriter Harry Stein came up with five all-time ethnic all-star teams. Simmons was the right fielder on the Polish team.

In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him no. 43 on its list of the 100 greatest players of all time. That same year, he was selected as a nominee on Major League Baseball's all-century team.

"Baseball doesn't owe me a thing," Simmons once said. "It was wonderful to me, and I owe everything I've got to the game. ... No other business or fame could have given me so many happy years."