Marvin Miller & Ted Simmons Finally Make Baseball Hall of Fame

The Modern Baseball Era Committee announced that Marvin Miller, Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association from 1966-1982, and former St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers catcher Ted Simmons will join the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020. Miller and Simmons earned 12 and 13 votes, respectively, from the 16 member committee.

Miller's induction is long overdue. If not for Miller there would be no free agency and the reserve clause remained intact. Miller's work benefitted not only baseball, but athletes from all other team professional sports (NFL, NBA and NHL). The key to the success of the MLBPA was the player solidarity brought about by Miller's trade union experience with the United Steelworkers of America.

This honor is bittersweet as it is a posthumous one. Miller died in 2012 at the age of 95. Prior to today, Miller had been rejected for Cooperstown consideration going back to 2003. Many of those who were on the Veterans Committee were some of Miller's former adversaries who ended up on the short end of confrontations with him. Some grudges are never forgotten much less forgiven. For his part, Miller wanted no part of Cooperstown and neither do his children. Assuming his children don't induct them then who will? I'm sure most of those on the Hall of Fame stage would volunteer in a heartbeat.

Ted Simmons would surely be among those volunteers. But he has his own career to talk about. Simmons, 70, spent 21 seasons in MLB. The bulk of them were spent with the Cardinals. After cups of coffee with the team in 1968, 1969 and 1970, Simmons became the team's everyday catcher in 1971 when Joe Torre moved to third base. In an era where Johnny Bench dominated behind the plate, Simmons was named to 7 NL All-Star Teams. He would add an AL All-Star Team selection and a World Series appearance with the Milwaukee Brewers against his old club. Simmons finished his career in 1988 with 2,472 hits, a .285 lifetime batting average (he hit .300 or better seven times), 248 HR and 1389 RBI. To this day, Simmons ranks second all time among catchers in hits, doubles and RBIs. Yet Simmons got only 3.7% on the BBWAA ballot in 1994. This induction is 25 years overdue

In a way, it is fitting that Miller and Simmons are being inducted together. In Miller's 1990 book A Whole New Ballgame, Miller praised Simmons for asking him tough questions when he visited the Cardinals in spring training. Simmons' questions helped keep Miller on his feet and made him a better negotiator. In time, Simmons would become one of Miller's must trusted allies in their battle with MLB owners.

Miller and Simmons will most likely be joined by Derek Jeter in the Class of 2020. The results of the BBWAA ballot will be announced on January 21st.