Hack Simmons

George Washington "Hack" Simmons (January 29, 1885 – April 26, 1942) was an American baseball player. He played professional baseball for between 1906 and 1917, including four seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers and New York Highlanders (1912), both of the American League, and the Baltimore Terrapins (1914–1915) of the Federal League.

Early years Simmons was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1885.

Professional baseball Simmons began his professional baseball career playing in the minor leagues for the Montreal Royals in 1906, the Dayton Veterans in 1907, the New Haven Blues in 1908, and the Rochester Bronchos in 1909.

In April 1910, Simmons had his debut in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers. He appeared in 42 games with the Tigers, 22 of them as a first baseman, and compiled a .227 batting average and .303 on-base percentage.

After making his debut with the Tigers in 1910, Simmons returned to Rochester later that season and remained there through the 1911 season.

In all four of his major league seasons, Simmons appeared in 305 games, 127 at second base, 88 in the outfield, 39 at first base, eight at third base, and six at shortstop. He compiled a career batting average of .246 with 234 hits, 115 runs scored, 102 RBIs, 85 walks, 43 doubles, 28 stolen bases, nine triples, and two home runs. He was involved in an automobile accident in early 1942 and died in April 1942 at age 57 in Arverne, Queens in New York. The cause of death was heart disease.