One of the early black players in the American League, Simpson earned the nickname Suitcase by playing for 17 teams in 11 years. Casey Stengel once called him the best defensive right fielder in the AL. A minor league HR and RBI champion, his best major league year was 1956, when he batted .293 with 21 HR and 105 RBI for the A’s. His 11 triples in 1956 and nine in 1957 tied him for the league lead.
