Wayne Simpson

Biography

Wayne Kirby Simpson (December 2, 1948 – December 12, 2024) was an American professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1970 to 1975 and in 1977. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, and California Angels. Hank Aaron got his 3,000th career hit off Simpson. In 1967, as a high school senior at Centennial High School in Compton, California, Simpson was drafted in the first round in the June MLB draft by the Cincinnati Reds with the 8th overall pick. Simpson at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, was a big, hard thrower, but his minor league seasons were plagued by wildness. In three minor league seasons, Simpson had 298 walks, 66 wild pitches, and hit 26 batters in just 432 total innings pitched. In the winter of 1969–1970, while pitching winter ball in Puerto Rico, Simpson harnessed his control and blossomed as a pitcher.

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