In mid-May 1989, Simmons' Braves were in Asheville taking on the Tourists. He hit his first to lead off the game. Three innings later, Simmons hit another one, this one plating three runs, according to The Sumter Item.
After that season, Simmons only hit 13 more in his career. He played four seasons as a pro, never making it above AA.
Simmons' career began in 1988, taken by the Braves in the 19th round of the draft out of the University of Delaware.
At Delaware in 1988, Simmons was named conference Player of the Year. He also won first-team all-conference honors in both 1987 and 1988.
He started his Braves career at rookie Pulaski. There, the outfielder hit .242, with seven home runs and 31 RBI over 55 games.
At Sumter in 1989, Simmons ended with a .240 average, those 13 home runs and 71 RBI. He also stole 23 bases.
That May, he followed up that two-home run performance with another home run the next day. A June Simmons two-run triple proved the difference in a 3-1 Sumter win. Later that month, he made the league All-Star team.
Simmons moved to single-A Burlington in 1990. He hit .230 with eight home runs and 42 RBI. He played 191 largely at high-A Durham, hitting .221. He also got a game at AA Greenville. It was his final season as a pro.
- Sumter Item, May 20, 1989: Sumter wins
Players/Coaches Featured:1,488
Made the Majors: 746 - 50.1%
Never Made Majors: 742-49.9%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 325
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 192
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