Silas Simmons
Silas Simmons | |
---|---|
![]() Simmons in 1913 | |
Pitcher / Outfielder | |
Born: Middletown, Delaware | October 14, 1895|
Died: October 29, 2006 St. Petersburg, Florida | (aged 111)|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
Negro leagues debut | |
1913, for the Homestead Grays | |
Last Negro leagues appearance | |
1929, for the Cuban Stars | |
Teams | |
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Silas Joseph Simmons (October 14, 1895
Early life
Simmons was born in Middletown, Delaware.
Career
Simmons was a five-foot-ten, left-handed
In
Personal life
Simmons was married in
He later became an assistant manager at Rosenbaum's Department Store in Plainfield, New Jersey. After 29 years of marriage Mamie died ca. 1944.
In 1957, Simmons married his second wife, Rebecca Jones (1901 – August 20, 1997).
Simmons worked for R. J. Goerke Co. during the early 1960s, and was among the employees to receive an award for safety.[7][8]
In 1971, he retired to St. Petersburg, Florida.[1] After 40 years of marriage, Rebecca died at the age of 96 in 1997.[1]
Rediscovery and death
In the fall of 2005, David Allen Lambert, a genealogist at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, alerted fellow baseball historians associated with the Negro leagues, who proceeded to interview this link to early baseball. In May 2006, Dr. Layton Revel — founder of Texas-based Center for Negro League Baseball Research — met and interviewed Simmons.[2][3]
Revel also organized a 111th birthday celebration for Simmons, in 2006, which included approximately 30 former Negro leagues players from around Florida. A plaque was presented to Simmons on his birthday on behalf of the Society for American Baseball Research. Simmons was also presented a team jersey with number "111" from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.[4]
Simmons died 15 days later at the Westminster Suncoast Nursing Home in St. Petersburg, having outlived all five of his children.[4] At the time of his death Simmons had nine grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, and many great-great-grandchildren.
Simmons is also one of the two known professional athletes to have been born in the 19th century and died in the 21st century, the other being Karl Swanson (1900–2002).
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Moore, Waveney Ann (October 10–13, 2001). "Man's 106 years full of pride, love, baseball". Neighborhood Times, A Twice-Weekly Section of Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. p. 6.
- ^ The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. pp. A1, A10.
- ^ a b c Schwarz, Alan (September 26, 2006). "Baseball's Oldest Old-Timer Opens a Window on the Past". The New York Times. St. Petersburg, Florida.
- ^ a b c Schwarz, Alan (November 1, 2006). "Silas Simmons, 111, Veteran of Baseball's Negro Leagues, Is Dead". The New York Times.
- ^ "NEGRO LEAGUES - R-S 2018-04.pdf" (PDF). Center for Negro League Baseball Research. p. 353. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. September 17, 1915. p. 7.
- Bridgewater, New Jersey. September 23, 1961. p. 11.
- Bridgewater, New Jersey. October 9, 1964. p. 14.
External links
![]() | This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. (January 2015) |
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference and Seamheads
- Biography of Silas Simmons from the Negro League Baseball Players Association website
- Article Silas Simmons' passing as announced by the Society of American Baseball Research
- "Baseball's Oldest Old-Timer Opens a Window on the Past", Alan Schwarz, The New York Times, September 26, 2006
- Philadelphia Inquirer story at the Wayback Machine (archived October 21, 2006)
- "Silas Simmons, 111, Veteran of Baseball’s Negro Leagues, Is Dead", Alan Schwarz, The New York Times, 1 November 2006