Tony Taylor
From BR Bullpen
Antonio Nemesio Taylor Sanchez
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 9", Weight 179 lb.
- Debut April 15, 1958
- Final Game September 29, 1976
- Born December 19, 1935 in Central Alava, Cuba
[edit] Biographical Information
Tony Taylor, who played nineteen years in the major leagues, was an immensely popular player in Philadelphia, on whose Philadelphia Phillies team he spent most of his career.
Taylor, although he won no Gold Gloves, was a decent enough fielder who showed good range in his younger years at second base, and while he wasn't a great hitter, usually had a respectable batting average along with some stolen bases. His best year with the bat was 1970, at age 34, when he posted a line of .301/.374/.462 (the team hit .238), and he had six separate years where he stole at least 20 bases.
Taylor was born in Cuba the same year as Pedro Ramos. He signed with the New York Giants around the age of 18, and came up to the majors originally with the 1958 Chicago Cubs, where he was a regular second baseman and double-play combo partner with Ernie Banks, who won the MVP award that year.
Tony stayed with the Cubs for two years and part of a third before being traded to the Phillies in 1960. He would stay with the Phillies through all of the 1960's and until the middle of 1971 when he was traded to the 1971 Detroit Tigers. He helped them win the division in 1972 when he hit .303. After the 1973 season he returned to the Phillies to close his career in 1974-76 as a pinch-hitter and backup infielder.
With 2,195 lifetime major league games, Tony ranks high on the list of major leaguers who played the most games without ever appearing in a World Series.
An apparently serious Catholic, Tony Taylor would cross himself before every plate appearance.
Traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Philadelphia Phillies early in the 1960 season.
- First Baseball Card appearance 1958 Topps
[edit] Notable Achievements
- NL All-Star (1960)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 1 (1963)
