During that span, Simmons was one of the better switch-hitters of his era, a six-time All-Star with a .298 average and 1,704 hits that included 172 home runs as a Cardinal. He also caught two no-hitters.
Simmons was also front and center for a nasty 1974 benches-clearing brawl vs. the Cubs and slugger Bill Madlock that has recently resurfaced via online video archives. It was just one more indelible moment in a great rivalry between the two teams.
Before Simmons took to the mound, the Budweiser Clydesdales paraded along the warning track for two laps.