Sam Simmermaker calls his final game with John Foster, obscured to his right, Monday at the Columbus East vs. Shelbyville Sectional baseball semifinal in Shelbyville.
Ted Schultz | The Republic
SHELBYVILLE — Sam Simmermaker has signed off for the last time.
After broadcasting thousands of games and thousands of morning reports over his 64 years at 1010 WCSI and White River Broadcasting in Columbus, Simmermaker called his final game Monday afternoon when the Columbus East baseball team fell to Shelbyville in the semifinals of the Shelbyville Sectional.
Simmermaker’s official last day was Friday, but he planned to continue doing games as long as there were Bartholomew County baseball teams alive in the postseason. With both Hauser and East falling on Monday, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Famer and Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Hall of Famer and three-time Indiana Sportscaster of the Year’s career came to an end.
“For John Foster and for Brian Watts and Kevin Kelley, so long everybody,” was Simmermaker’s final signoff following the postgame show with he and Foster after the East game.
As soon as he signed off, Simmermaker’s attention turned about 90 miles to the east, where his beloved St. Louis Cardinals were winding up their series opener in Cincinnati. Sam, 92, and his wife Fran plan to attend more Cardinals games now that he is retired.
“I would say I only wish I could thank each person for what they’ve meant to me, not only through the tenure that I had, but all the ‘Thank You’s’ and ‘Congrats’ that I’ve gotten in person, on the phone, on the Internet,” Simmermaker told The Republic. “I can’t thank everybody enough.
“Columbus has been so good to Sam and Fran. Words can’t express that. So thank you. I’m glad that we made the choice to land in Columbus and stay put.”
