2019 Winter Auction Closing March 2
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/2/2019
The Hall of Fame outfielder Al Simmons began his Major League career with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1924. Simmons showcased his preternatural hitting ability as soon as he reached the Majors, hitting .308 with eight homers and 102 RBI for Connie Mack’s Athletics in his rookie year. Simmons notched 31 doubles, tied for the team lead with Joe Hauser, and stole a career-high 16 bases in his spectacular debut season. This was the first of 11 straight seasons to start Simmons’ career that the Milwaukee native recorded 100 or more RBI and a batting average over .300. Simmons would be among the best players in baseball for the next dozen seasons, finishing his career with 307 homers, 1,828 RBI, and a .334 batting average.
Offered here is Al Simmons’ Uniform Player’s Contract with the Philadelphia Athletics for his 1924 rookie season. The contract issued Simmons a salary of $4,125, which would continue to rise to $33,333 a year by Simmons’ age-29 season. The contract has been signed by Simmons, John D. Shibe, and a witness in blue pen. Please note that Simmons’ signature exhibits some minor bleeding. The back of the contract has been signed in black pen by American League President Ban Johnson. This contract comes with a LOA from PSA/DNA (AD02067) and a LOA from the Simmons family.