Silas Simmons Passes

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Posted By: TONY

Sorry to report that Silas Simmons, who was the oldest living ex Negro leaguer died here in St Petersburg Fl at the grand old age of 111
He celebrated his 111th birthday this past oct 14th where 300 people were on hand including 39 Negro League stars
He was born In Philadelphia, retired to St Pete back 35 yrs ago
No one even knew he was alive till a baseball researcher found out he was in a local nursing home last year
I'm sorry I didn't know he lived here, I would have loved to just spent a few hrs chatting about the Negro leagues with him, sure he had a few stories to tell

Condolences to all his family

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Posted By: barrysloate

Tony- I think he outlived all his family!!

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Posted By: joe brennan

George Burns once commented about how he felt being 99 years old. He said he felt great, but the worst part was that he had outlived all his friends and family. Kinda reminds me of one of my favorite newer movies with the best actor of our time, "The Green Mile" with Tom Hanks. Not to get off subject but we have some very good male actors in our time, Tom,and Kevin Spacey just to name 2. But we are sorely lacking in great female actresses. There are no actresses that you can put in the class of Bette Davis and Cathrine Hepburn to name just 2.

People said it was a million dollar wound. But the government must keep that money, cause I ain't never seen a penny of it.

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Posted By: jay behrens

I remember reading with interest on the SABR mailings about Simmons. At least he got some recognition before he passed.

As for actors, very true, there ahsn't been a good actress since Meryl Streep. As for the men, Johnny Depp can't be topped. The guy does the msot interesting roles. I'll go see anything he does. Also up there is Spacey and love Christopher Walken as a villian. Christian Bale is an up and comer who I really liked in Swing Kids and was an outstanding choice for Bruce Wayne in Batman Returns. His best performance was in American Psycho, one of my favorite movies.

Jay

I love pinatas. You get to beat the crap of something and get rewarded with candy.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Jay- I agree about Johnny Depp, and I think Sean Penn is great too. I don't know what this has to do with Silas Simmons, but we've digressed before.

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Posted By: joe brennan

Sorry Barry, I digressed with your comment that he out lived his family to George Burns to the great actors of his time. I often wonder if the very young will appriciate the great actors of yore, like we appriciate the great ballplayers of yore. Or will special effects make great actors obsolete in our grandchildren's time. And as usual I digress again.

People said it was a million dollar wound. But the government must keep that money, cause I ain't never seen a penny of it.

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Posted By: barrysloate

I think today's youth assumes the world was created the day they were born. Short attention spans and no sense of history.

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Posted By: howard

To be fair, there are plenty of older folks who think the world ended when they turned forty. They tend to think that everything was better back in the day. Bill James calls this "old fogeyism".

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Posted By: barrysloate

Lots of things were better back then, but I agree we tend to look at the past through rose colored glasses.

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Posted By: Mike Campbell

I once read "That Nostalgia, is History with the Teeth Missing". I've always loved that saying.

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Posted By: Brett

I admit i don't really read about the Negro Leagues. Its amazing that he lived to be 111 ! my god, if i lived to be 111 years old, it would be the year 2097..

It would have been neat to talk baseball to a 111 year old man. He was around to see Cy Young pitch, or as a kid he could have seen Ed Delahanty play ! ( unless blacks were banned from the ball parks i don't know )

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Posted By: barrysloate

Blacks weren't banned but I doubt they mingled in the box seats with white patrons. I'm sure they sadly had their own section. But he would have been seven and a half in Delahanty's last season- probably didn't see him but could have easily seen professional games around 1905. That is a staggering fact!

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Posted By: joe brennan

Being old enough to see people play doesn't mean we all had the means or oppertunity to make it happen. I was old enough to see Mantle play but didn't have the means. I was old enough to see Jimi Hendriz play but didn't have permission. Two great icons in my lifetime, that wasn't meant to be. I was for fortunate enought to see Namath, Unitas, Simpson and Kemp so I do have fond memories to cherish and to share with my long passed father.

People said it was a million dollar wound. But the government must keep that money, cause I ain't never seen a penny of it.

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Posted By: barrysloate

I saw Mantle and Hendrix. It either makes me cool or old.

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Posted By: joe brennan

Barry, Your wrong. I think it's very cool. The old part is your only as old as you feel.

People said it was a million dollar wound. But the government must keep that money, cause I ain't never seen a penny of it.

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Posted By: Rich Klein

I made my dad take me to a Yankee game when I was 8 years old; because I got to see Mantle play in his final season. And even better; the game we went to on a Saturday Afternoon was against the Detroit Tigers and I saw one of Denny McLain's six losses that day. Yes, I wish I still had all the stuff from that game (Not for the $ value but for the memories of that)

Rich

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Posted By: Mike Campbell

My dad took me to three games of a four game series, around 1964, at the Old Met in Bloomington, Min. Mantle fouled a ball off, and I was sitting in an aisle seat. It came bouncing up the aisle at me. It wasn't coming too hard. I stood up and was about to stop it, and pick it up, when some fat slob, knocked me down, and took the ball. I don't believe I have ever seen my dad quite so mad. I wonder where that fat dink is today ? I recall Tom Tresh jumping up and picking a fly ball off of the right field wall. Much like the Puckett catch we have all seen. Great catch by Tresh.