On July 24, 1979, Ted Simmons made a triumphant return to the lineup, after a broken bone in his wrist had sidelined him for a month. The backstop made his presence known early, as he ripped a first inning double that gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead, and there was no looking back, as they prevailed 7-3 over the Atlanta Braves at Busch. Garry Templeton also returned to the lineup after sitting for three days due to a leg injury, and contributed with a lead off double in the first, and RBI double in the second, a sac fly in the fourth, then tripled and scored on a Lou Brock single in the seventh. It was the 2,979th hit of Lou's career. Simmons' return was the headliner of the day. He also drew a walk, and a single in the contest, but it was his presence behind the dish that made the pitching staff rejoice. Particularly that day's starter Pete Vuckovich, who scattered six hits and struck out eight. Simmons put together a strong season despite being on the shelf for a bit. In fact, he hit a career high 26 home runs that season. His days as a Cardinal would end after the 1980 season, however, Simba would forever be a Cardinal.Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN197907240.shtml
Happy Birthday to an old friend of mine Mrs. Valerie Ashcraft. She celebrated her first birthday on that fine day, and has celebrated many wins since.
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