Randall Simon

Randall Carlito Simon (born May 25, 1975) is a Curaçao former professional baseball first baseman. He has played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), LVBP and one in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) between 1997 and 2006. Simon's debut season came with the Atlanta Braves in 1997, for whom he played until 1999. He also played for the Detroit Tigers (2001–2002), Pittsburgh Pirates (2003, 2004), Chicago Cubs (2003), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2004), the NPB's Orix Buffaloes (2005), Texas Rangers (2006) Philadelphia Phillies (2006-2007). Upon his release from the Phillies in spring training, Simon played in the Mexican League, for the Rojos del Águila de Veracruz and Potros de Tijuana. He also played in the Northern League for the Gary SouthShore RailCats in 2010 and Rockford RiverHawks in 2011. He is currently the Bravos de León hitting coach.

Randall Simon
Simon (left) and Jair Jurrjens on March 11, 2007
First baseman
Born: (1975-05-25) May 25, 1975
Willemstad, Curaçao
Batted: Left Threw: Left
MLB debut
September 1, 1997, for the Atlanta Braves
Last MLB appearance
September 30, 2006, for the Philadelphia Phillies
MLB statistics
Batting average.283
Home runs49
Runs batted in237
Teams

Life and baseball career

Simon was born in Willemstad, Curaçao. Before signing with the Pirates, Simon signed with the Florida Marlins and New York Yankees in the 2000 season, but did not play in the majors for either franchise. In 2003, Simon was traded by Pittsburgh to the Chicago Cubs, where he had a productive postseason, helping the Cubs to the 2003 National League Championship Series. After the season, Simon was released by Chicago.

On February 19, 2004, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Simon as a free agent to secure the team at first base for the upcoming season. After several months into his second tenure with the Pirates, he was released on August 18, 2004. Simon said, "I'm a fighter," Simon said. "I promise you're going to see me again. You don't have to worry about that."

One day after his release from the Pirates, he was acquired by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. After less than a month with Tampa Bay he was released and signed with the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese Pacific League.

Randall represented his country in the 2006 World Baseball Classic for Netherlands along with his fellow country man and old teammate Andruw Jones who he played with the Atlanta Braves.

In 2008, Simon played for the independent Newark Bears of the Atlantic League.

In 2009, Simon played in the World Baseball Classic on the team representing the Netherlands.

The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks of the Northern League signed Simon to a contract for the 2009 season.

Simon played for the Truenos de Tijuana of the Northern Mexican League (Liga Norte de Mexico) in the 2011 season, which ended on July 17, 2011.

Sausage race incident

On July 9, 2003, while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, during the Milwaukee Brewers' "Sausage Race," in which four contestants wearing sausage costumes have a footrace on the field, Simon leaned over the dugout railing and hit college student Mandy Block (in the Italian sausage costume) with a bat, causing her to fall into the path of another racer. His bat struck only the top padded part of the costume, well above her head position, causing her to lose her balance. Block suffered only a scraped knee.[1] Simon was questioned by police and later fined $432.10 for disorderly conduct. MLB suspended him for 3 games and fined him $2,000.[2][3] He issued an apology - and an autographed bat - to Block. In addition, later that year, Mandy Block received a complimentary trip to Curaçao, Simon's home island, for two persons from the Curaçao Tourism Board. When he returned to Miller Park later that year as a member of the Chicago Cubs, he purchased Italian sausages for an entire section, and during the race, his teammates playfully held him back until all the sausages passed the dugout, while manager Dusty Baker guarded the bat rack.

References
  1. "25. Randall Simon — The 25 Biggest Joke Athletes in Sports History". Complex. September 6, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  2. Rutter, Joe (July 12, 2003). "Simon suspended three games, fined $2,000". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
  3. "Simon suspended three games for sausage incident". Associated Press. July 11, 2003. Retrieved July 10, 2013.

Citations
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