Wayne Simpson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wayne Simpson |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: December 2, 1948 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 9, 1970, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 1977, for the California Angels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 36–31 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.37 | ||
| Strikeouts | 353 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Wayne Kirby Simpson, born on December 2, 1948, is a former American baseball player. He was a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Wayne played for several teams, including the Cincinnati Reds and California Angels. A famous moment in his career was when baseball legend Hank Aaron got his 3,000th hit against him.
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Early Baseball Career
Wayne Simpson went to Centennial High School in Compton, California. In 1967, when he was a senior, he was chosen in the MLB draft. The Cincinnati Reds picked him as the 8th player overall.
Simpson was a tall and strong pitcher. He was known for throwing the ball very hard. In his early years in the minor leagues, he sometimes struggled with control. This meant he would often throw pitches outside the strike zone.
Improving His Pitching Skills
In the winter of 1969–1970, Wayne played baseball in Puerto Rico. During this time, he worked hard to improve his pitching control. He became much better at throwing strikes. However, playing so much baseball also put a lot of stress on his arm. This might have led to problems later on.
Rookie Season Success
In 1970, Wayne Simpson joined the Cincinnati Reds as a 21-year-old rookie. He had the chance to work with Gold Glove winning catcher Johnny Bench. Simpson had an amazing start to his career.
A Strong Start
He won 13 of his first 14 games. One of his losses was due to an error, not his pitching. He even pitched a one-hitter, a two-hitter, and a three-hitter. This means he allowed very few hits in those games. His great pitching helped the Reds have a fantastic start to their season.
Simpson was the only rookie pitcher chosen for the 1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. This shows how impressive he was, even though he did not pitch in the game itself.
Facing Challenges
In the past, pitchers often threw many pitches in a game. Wayne Simpson would often throw 100 to 130 pitches per game. Even though his control was better, he still averaged about four walks per nine innings. His earned run average (ERA) was very low for most of the season.
By July 26, he had already won 14 games. However, on July 31, he seriously injured his shoulder. Even with the injury, he tried to pitch again a couple of times later that season.
After the Injury
The Cincinnati Reds made it to the 1970 World Series that year. But because of his injury, Wayne Simpson could not pitch in the postseason. He finished his rookie season with a great record of 14 wins and 3 losses. His ERA was 3.02.
Recovery and Later Career
Back then, shoulder surgeries like the one Wayne needed were not as common or advanced as they are today. Many years later, new surgeries helped pitchers recover from similar injuries.
In 1972, Simpson was traded to the Kansas City Royals. He continued to play in the major leagues for six more seasons. However, he was never able to throw as fast or be as effective as he was in his amazing rookie year.
Wayne Simpson finished his baseball career playing in Mexico. There, he developed a serious arm problem that needed several operations. Luckily, he recovered from it.
