| Ron Taylor OOnt | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Taylor in 2010 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1937-12-13)December 13, 1937 Toronto,Ontario, Canada | |
| Died: June 16, 2025(2025-06-16) (aged 87) Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 11, 1962, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 14, 1972, for the San Diego Padres | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 45–43 |
| Earned run average | 3.93 |
| Strikeouts | 464 |
| Saves | 74 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Member of the Canadian | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1985 |
Ronald Wesley TaylorOOnt (December 13, 1937 – June 16, 2025) was a Canadian professional baseball player, who went on to become a physician. Born inToronto, Taylor was apitcher over all or parts of 11 seasons (1962–1972) inMajor League Baseball (MLB) with theCleveland Indians,St. Louis Cardinals,Houston Astros,New York Mets andSan Diego Padres. He was a key contributor to twoWorld Series–winning teams: the1964 Cardinals and the1969 Mets. After retiring as a baseball player, he attended medical school at theUniversity of Toronto, graduating in 1977. In 1979, he started a 30-year association with theToronto Blue Jays as the team's physician. As a result of his pitching success, Taylor was inducted into theCanadian Baseball Hall of Fame,Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, and theOntario Sports Hall of Fame. He also served in theRoyal Canadian Air Force. Taylor was appointed a member of theOrder of Ontario in 2005.
Ronald Wesley Taylor was born on December 13, 1937, inToronto,Ontario to Wesley and Maude Taylor.[1] At a young age, he played as a natural left-hander; however, his mother worried the overuse of his left arm potentially led to cardiovascular ailments, and suggested to use the opposite arm instead.[2] He played organized baseball with the Leaside Baseball Association, atHoward Talbot Park, located in Toronto'sLeaside neighbourhood.[1]
When Taylor was drafted by theCleveland Indians, at age 18, part of his agreement with them was that he was allowed to continue his higher education.[3] While playing professional minor league baseball during the summer in the late 1950s and early 1960s, he attended theUniversity of Toronto (UofT), where he earned a degree in electrical engineering in 1961.[4] After his playing career was over, he returned to Toronto, and enrolled in UofT's medical school.[1] He graduated as a physician in 1977.[3]
Taylor entered pro baseball in the Cleveland organization in 1956, attending university during off-seasons.[5] After steady progress up the ladder in the Indians'farm system through 1961, he made Cleveland's Opening Day roster in1962.[6] On April 11, the Indians' second game of the regular season, Taylor drew thestarting assignment against theBoston Red Sox atFenway Park.[6] He proceeded to throw 11shutoutinnings and collect twohits in fourat bats at the plate—one half of the Indians' hit total against Boston starterBill Monbouquette. But in the 12th inning of the scoreless tie, Taylor loaded the bases with noout, then surrendered a game-deciding,walk-offgrand slam home run toCarroll Hardy and was charged with the 4–0 defeat.[7][8] Appearing in eightgames pitched for the Indians, he returned to the minor leagues after May 20 and spent the rest of the year inTriple-A.[9]
On December 15, 1962, Cleveland traded Taylor andinfielderJack Kubiszyn to the Cardinals in exchange forfirst basemanFred Whitfield.[10] Taylor spent the remainder of his pitching career in theNational League. With the1963 Cardinals, he posted ninewins, 11saves, and anearned run average of 2.84 over 54 appearances.[11] The following year, his eight wins and eight saves contributed to the Cardinals' successful, late-season to the1964 National Leaguepennant.[12] In theWorld Series that followed, Taylor pitched in two games and threw 42⁄3 hitless innings against theNew York Yankees; notably, he went four innings in Game 4 atYankee Stadium to earn a save, preserving the 4–3 win forRoger Craig.[13][14] When the Redbirds prevailed in seven games, Taylor earned his first World Series ring.[9][15]
Taylor suffered through two off-years in1965 and1966. In 1965, Taylor appeared in 25 games for St. Louis through June 15, then was traded with pitcherMike Cuellar to the Astros forleft-handed relief specialistHal Woodeshick and minor league pitcherChuck Taylor.[16] He pitched poorly in Houston for the next season and a half, winning only three of 11decisions (with four saves), and logged a poor 6.03 earned run average in 68 total games pitched.[11]
On February 10, 1967, former Cardinalsgeneral managerBing Devine, now president of the Mets, purchased his contract and revitalized his career.[12][17]Although the five-year-old Mets remained asecond-division team in both1967 and1968, Taylor enjoyed two sparkling campaigns coming out of the New Yorkbullpen, with 22 saves in 108 total relief appearances and a composite ERA of 2.72.[18] Then, in1969, Taylor was a key member of the "Miracle Mets," who stunned baseball by rising from their ninth-place 1968 finish all the way to the world championship.[19]
Taylor formed half of a formidable bullpen duo with left-handerTug McGraw, leading the club in games pitched (59) and saves (13), winning nine of 13 decisions, and posting an effective 2.72 earned run average during the regular season.[20] He then pitched 31⁄3 innings of scoreless relief in the1969 National League Championship Series against theAtlanta Braves, allowing just three hits in his two appearances, and gaining credit for a victory in Game 2.[21][22]
Then, in the1969 World Series against the favouredBaltimore Orioles, Taylor pitched in two games, surrendered no hits in 21⁄3 innings pitched, and savedJerry Koosman's Game 2 victory that kick-started the Mets' five-game Series triumph.[2][23] Thus, in his four career World Series games, Taylor allowed no hits and only twobases on balls in seven full innings, with fivestrikeouts, and faced the minimum of 21 hitters.[24]
Taylor remained a Met in1970 and1971 and posted seven more wins and 15 saves in 102 total games, although hisERA rose to 3.79.[11] Then his contract was sold to theMontreal Expos, who released him on April 20, 1972, without bringing him into a game.[12] Taylor signed with the Padres, but was ineffective in three of his four appearances in a San Diego uniform; on May 14 against Montreal atJarry Park Stadium, he gave up home runs toKen Singleton andRon Fairly in his final major league pitching appearance.[2][25]
Over his regular-season career, Taylor compiled a 45–43won–lost record, 74 saves, and three complete games in 491 appearances, 474 of them as a relief pitcher. In 800 innings pitched, he allowed 794 hits and 209 walks, striking out 464. His career ERA was 3.93. He posted a .103batting average (12-for-116) in his major league career. He was good defensively; Taylor made only three errors in 169total chances for a .982fielding percentage, which was 27 points higher than the league average at his position. In his post-season career, including the 1969 NLCS, he was 1–0 with three saves and a 0.00 ERA in six games pitched, permitting only three hits in 101⁄3 innings pitched.[11]
Following his professional baseball career’s conclusion in 1972, Taylor enrolled in medical school at the University of Toronto in 1973. This decision was inspired by his experiences visitingfield hospitals during aUSO goodwill tour during theVietnam War.[26] Taylor graduated for a second time from the University of Toronto, earning a medical degree in 1977.[27] Two years later, he returned to baseball as theteam physician of theToronto Blue Jays, a position he held for over three decades.[28] During his tenure with the Blue Jays, he earned two additional World Series championships with the1992 and1993 World Series teams.[3] Additionally, he established a private practice in Toronto, retiring from medicine in 2014.[2] Throughout his career as the Blue Jays' physician, he earned the moniker “Doctor Baseball.”[26]
Taylor has an older sister, Carole Mitchell. He was married twice.[1] His second wife was named Rona.[4]
Taylor died after a long illness on June 16, 2025, at the age of 87.[29]
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Ron Taylor was inducted into theCanadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985,Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, and theOntario Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.[28][30] He was appointed a member of theOrder of Ontario by the province'slieutenant governor in 2005.[27]
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