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Whitey Herzog and the trading of Ted Simmons
July 19, 2010 by retrosimba
(Updated Dec. 9, 2019)
At baseball's winter meetings in Dallas in December 1980, Whitey Herzog stole the show with a breathtaking series of daring deals that remade the Cardinals into the manager's kind of team.
Herzog, who doubled as the Cardinals' general manager, traded 13 Cardinals and received nine players in return in deals with the Padres, Cubs and Brewers. The biggest stunner was the last one: popular catcher Ted Simmons, the soul of the team, was traded with pitchers Rollie Fingers and Pete Vuckovich to the Brewers for pitchers Lary Sorensen and Dave LaPoint and outfielders Sixto Lezcano and David Green.
The trades turned out well for the Cardinals. LaPoint, Green, closer Bruce Sutter and catcher Gene Tenace helped the Cardinals win the World Series championship in 1982, but the trade of Simmons was despised by most Cardinals fans when it was made.
"I've done my job as general manager," Herzog told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Now if the manager doesn't screw it up…"
The trade of Simmons was put in motion after Herzog signed free-agent catcher Darrell Porter (whom he had managed in Kansas City) to a five-year, $3.25 million Cardinals contract. Herzog planned to move Simmons to first base and Keith Hernandez from first base to left field for the 1981 season.
In his book "White Rat: A Life In Baseball," Herzog said, "I wanted Porter a lot. He'd been a fiery guy, a leader, a guy who handled pitchers well and he threw well enough to keep baserunners honest on the rug in Kansas City."
Herzog also said, "Teddy couldn't catch, at least not on my club."
Simmons initially said playing first base was "just fine" with him, but he reconsidered and asked to be traded. "You're taking a Gold Glove (Hernandez) and putting him at a position other than where he might win it," Simmons said.
Herzog said Simmons "really pissed me off" by changing his mind about playing first base. "It wouldn't be easy to trade him," Herzog said.
"I liked Teddy," Herzog said. "He is bright and intelligent and he played hard for me in 1980. If the National League had the designated hitter rule, he would have died a Cardinal."
Vuckovich was miffed by the Cardinals' desire to have Simmons shift positions. "They say he (Simmons) can't catch," Vuckovich said. "That makes me laugh."
Most Cardinals fans supported Herzog's first two trades of the meeting (he acquired Fingers from the Padres and Sutter from the Cubs), but dealing Simmons created an outcry.
Herzog never wavered. In the Jan. 3, 1981, edition of The Sporting News, Herzog explained the Simmons trade, "I didn't want to make it. I was forced to trade him … I couldn't have both him and Porter as catchers. I didn't have to trade him, but it would have led to a bad situation if he wasn't happy … We've improved our defense. We've improved our team speed."
In a November 2019 interview with broadcaster Dan McLaughlin, Simmons said the Cardinals needed his approval to make the trade. Simmons said he and Herzog had several discussions about it and Herzog explained to him the objectives. When Simmons learned Fingers and Vuckovich would go to the Brewers with him, he said he knew it would make them a championship contender.
"I was then in a position to say OK," Simmons said.
Herzog said he approached Brewers general manager Harry Dalton and asked, "How'd you like to win the pennant next year?"
Herzog said the Brewers initially wanted the Cardinals to help them buy out the no-trade clause in Simmons' contract, but the Cardinals refused. After Herzog indicated he might trade Simmons to the Yankees or another American League East contender, the Brewers made the swap.
Simmons said, "Anytime you're traded, especially the first time, it's difficult," but added, "I don't hold any animosity over it."
Regarding his opinion of Herzog, Simmons said, "Whitey was a great, great manager. People ask me, 'Who was the best manager you ever had?' I was only with him the one year (1980), but clearly he was the best strategist. No one could out-design him. He literally took a ballclub and said, 'OK, we are going to speed and defense you to death' and he did."
The deal worked for the Cardinals and the Brewers. Both won pennants in 1982 and met in the World Series.
Posted in Hitters, Managers, Trades | 6 Comments
on August 18, 2016 at 4:16 pm | Reply jim greenfield
That trade may have cost the Cardinals the '85 and '87 World Series. Without Simmons hitting behind Hendrick and, later Jack Clark, the team was woefully under-powered.
on August 19, 2016 at 7:19 pm | Reply retrosimba
Good points, Jim.
on September 8, 2016 at 4:11 pm | Reply John Smyth
It would have been interesting to see what might have happened if Simmons had agreed to move to first.
on September 11, 2016 at 9:33 am | Reply retrosimba
Thanks, John. I agree. I would like to ask him about it sometime.
on December 9, 2019 at 12:09 pm | Reply Phillip Mezzapelle
Ted Simmons has always been a class gentleman regarding Whitey and the trade. Too bad he had second thoughts and agreed to go to Milwaukee. When the Hernandez fiasco took place, Ted could have retired as our 1st baseman. I agree with those who say that with Simmons in the lineup, we would have won in '85 and' 87.
on December 9, 2019 at 2:05 pm | Reply retrosimba
Amazing how it all turned out, with both Whitey Herzog and Ted Simmons getting elected to the Hall of Fame.
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