Douglas Eugene Simons is a former Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 pitcher who played for the New York Mets

New York Mets

The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...

 (1991) and Montreal Expos

Montreal Expos

The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...

 (1992).

Early life and draft

Prior to playing professionally, Simons attended Calabasas High School

Calabasas High School

Calabasas High School is a four-year high school in Calabasas, California, United States.Calabasas High School, which serves Calabasas,and portions of West Hills, Los Angeles, California is one of three high schools in the Las Virgenes Unified School District Calabasas High School is a four-year...

 in Calabasas, California

Calabasas, California

Calabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. It is located in the hills in the southwestern San Fernando Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains between Woodland Hills, Agoura Hills, West Hills, and Malibu, California. As of the 2010 census, the city...

 and then Oxnard College

Oxnard College

Oxnard College is a California-state funded community college located in Oxnard, California. It was established in 1975. It serves the Oxnard Plain cities of Oxnard, Camarillo, and the town of Port Hueneme. The college offers two year degrees, as well as career and technical education programs to...

 and Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...

.

He was drafted by major league teams twice. In 1987, he was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...

 in the 45th round of the draft, but did not sign. He was next drafted by the Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...

 in the ninth round of the 1988 amateur draft and did sign.

In the 1990 Rule 5 Draft

Rule 5 draft

The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...

, he was selected by the Mets from the Twins.

Major league career

Simons made his major league debut on April 9, 1991 at the age of 24. Pitching for the Mets, he made 42 appearances in his rookie season and went 2-3 with a 5.19 ERA. In 60 2/3 innings, he allowed 55 hits and 19 walks, while striking out 38 batters.

On April 2, 1992, he was traded to the Expos for minor league player Rob Katzaroff. He appeared in seven games for the Expos in 1992 and went 0-0 with a 23.63 ERA. In 5 1/3 innings, he allowed 15 hits and two walks. He struck out six batters. He played his final major league game on September 24, 1992.

Overall, Simons went 2-3 with a 6.68 ERA in 49 big league appearances. In 66 innings, he allowed 70 hits and 21 walks, while striking out 44 batters.

Minor league career

Simons pitched in the minor leagues from 1988 to 1990 and from 1992 to 1997. He played in the Twins (1988–1990), Expos (1992–1993), Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...

 (1994) and Houston Astros

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...

 (1996) systems, and in 1995 he pitched for the Mobile Baysharks of the independent Texas-Louisiana League.

Overall, he went 72-54 with a 3.46 ERA in 193 games (148 starts). He showed flashes of excellence at times - for example, he went 13-5 with a 2.63 ERA for the Visalia Oaks

Visalia Oaks

The Visalia Rawhide are a minor league baseball team in Visalia, California, U.S. They are a Class A - Advanced team of the Arizona Diamondbacks operating in the California League and have recently agreed to renew their affiliation through 2012....

 and Orlando Twins in 1989 and in 1990, he went 15-12 with a 2.54 ERA for Orlando. In 1995, he went 4-2 with a 2.94 ERA for the Mobile Baysharks.

International career

Simons pitched for the Rimini Pirates in the Italian Serie A1 in 1997.

Post-playing career

Simons served as the pitching coach for the Pittsfield Mets

Pittsfield Mets

The Pittsfield Mets were a minor league baseball team moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts from Little Falls, NY by an investment group organized by Michael T. Casey. The team played in the New York - Penn League, and were affiliated with the New York Mets from 1989 to 2000 and the Houston Astros in...

 in 1998, the Columbia Mets

Columbia Mets

Located in Columbia, South Carolina, the Columbia Mets were affiliated with the New York Mets from 1983 to 1992. A member of the South Atlantic League, they became the Capital City Bombers in 1993. They played in Capital City Stadium.-Year by Year Record:...

 in 2000 and 2001 and the Kingsport Mets

Kingsport Mets

The Kingsport Mets are a minor league baseball team based in Kingsport, Tennessee, United States. The team, which plays in the Appalachian League, is a Rookie League affiliate of Major League Baseball's New York Mets....

 in 2001. He later scouted for the Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers (baseball)

The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...

 and is now the head coach of the Covenant College

Covenant College

Covenant College is a Christian liberal arts college in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, United States.-History:Founded in 1955 in Pasadena, California, Covenant College and Theological Seminary moved its campus to St. Louis, Missouri the following year, and, in 1965, separated from the seminary, moving...

baseball team.