Southpaws sighted at signing

Although most people think of Phillies Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton when they hear the name “Lefty,” our friends at the Hatboro-based Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society (www.philadelphiaathletics.org) have a couple of favorite “lefties” of their own — and they’re not named Carlton.
On Saturday at the Days Inn in Horsham, two local lefties familiar to generations of baseball fans drew a big crowd of autograph seekers.

Curt Simmons, who along with the late Robin Roberts were the mainstays of the 1950 “Whiz Kids” pitching staff, and Bobby Shantz, the 1952 American League Most Valuable Player as a pitcher for Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics, greeted fans, told stories and signed autographs for a couple of hours prior to an A’s Society auction of memorabilia.
Both southpaw hurlers, who enjoyed long careers in Major League Baseball, still hail from the area. Shantz, originally from Pottstown, has been an Ambler resident since his playing days ended in the mid-1960s. Simmons, a native of Whitehall Township, is co-owner of Limekiln Golf Club in Ambler.
In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a volunteer commissioner for the A’s Society. It’s a wonderful non-profit group full of great baseball people that has kept alive the memory of the Philadelphia Athletics, who moved to Kansas City after the 1954 season.
I always enjoy the events featuring retired players and it’s amazing how many fans remember them long after their playing days.