Don Baylor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Don Baylor |
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Baylor with the Colorado Rockies in 2010
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| Designated hitter / Left fielder | |||
| Born: June 28, 1949 Austin, Texas, U.S. |
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| Died: August 7, 2017 (aged 68) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 18, 1970, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 1988, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .260 | ||
| Hits | 2,135 | ||
| Home runs | 338 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,276 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As manager
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Don Edward Baylor (born June 28, 1949 – died August 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 19 seasons. Don Baylor was known as a powerful hitter. He often stood very close to home plate, a style called "crowding the plate."
He played for six different teams in the American League (AL). These included the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels. He also played for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and Boston Red Sox. In 1979, Baylor was chosen as an All-Star. He also won the AL Most Valuable Player Award that year. He won three Silver Slugger Awards and the Roberto Clemente Award. He was also part of the 1987 World Series champion Minnesota Twins team.
After his playing days, Baylor became a manager. He managed the new Colorado Rockies team for six years. He also managed the Chicago Cubs for three seasons. In 1995, he was named NL Manager of the Year. He was later honored by being inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame.
Baylor played in the World Series three times in a row with three different teams. He played with the Red Sox in 1986, the Twins in 1987, and the A's in 1988. He won the World Series with the Twins in 1987. He was hit by pitches 267 times in his career. This is one of the highest totals ever. He finished his career with 285 stolen bases, 2,135 hits, and 338 home runs.
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Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Don Baylor was born in Austin, Texas. He grew up in a neighborhood called Clarksville. He went to Stephen F. Austin High School. When he was in junior high, Baylor was one of the first three African Americans to attend public schools in Texas. He was also the first African American to play sports at Austin High.
Baylor was offered a scholarship to play college football for the Texas Longhorns. This would have made him the first African American to play football at the University of Texas. But he decided to follow his dream of playing baseball. He went to Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas instead.
Playing Career Highlights
Starting with the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles picked Don Baylor in the second round of the 1967 MLB draft. He got a $7,500 bonus when he signed with the team. In 1970, Baylor played for the Rochester Red Wings, a minor league team. He led the league in doubles, triples, and runs. He was called up to the major leagues on September 18, 1970. In his first game, he got two hits and helped score three runs. He even got a "walk-off" hit in the 11th inning to win the game.
Baylor didn't play much in 1970 and 1971. But in 1972, his first full season, he played in 102 games. He hit 11 home runs and had 38 runs batted in. From 1973 to 1975, he became a strong hitter for the Orioles. He was also known for getting hit by pitches. He would often lean into pitches to get on base without needing a hit. In 1973 and 1975, he led the league in being hit by pitches.
Moving to the Oakland Athletics
In 1976, the Orioles traded Baylor to the Oakland Athletics. He played one season with the A's. He hit 15 home runs and had 68 runs batted in. He also led the major leagues in being hit by pitches again, with 20.
Starring with the California Angels
In 1977, Baylor joined the California Angels as a free agent. In 1978, he had a great season. He hit 34 home runs, had 99 runs batted in, and stole 22 bases. He was also hit by pitches 18 times, leading the league.
The next year, 1979, was his best season. Baylor led all of baseball with 139 runs batted in and 120 runs scored. He was chosen as an AL All-Star. He also won the AL MVP award. He helped the Angels win their first-ever division title.
After his MVP season, Baylor faced some injuries. He played fewer games in 1980 and 1981. But in 1982, he was back to full health. He played 157 games and hit 24 home runs with 93 runs batted in. He was a key player for the Angels. He spent six seasons with the Angels, hitting 141 home runs and driving in 523 runs.
Time with the New York Yankees
In 1983, Don Baylor signed with the New York Yankees. His former teammate, Tommy John, said that when the Angels lost Baylor, they lost their "guts." Baylor had his best statistical season with the Yankees in 1983. He hit .303 with 21 home runs and 85 runs batted in. He won his first Silver Slugger award for his great hitting.
In 1984, he hit 27 home runs and had 89 runs batted in. He won his second Silver Slugger award in 1985. In his three seasons with the Yankees, Baylor hit 71 home runs and had 265 runs batted in.
Playing for the Boston Red Sox
After the 1985 season, Baylor was traded to the Boston Red Sox. This was a rare trade between these two rival teams. In 1986, he hit 31 home runs and had 94 runs batted in. He won his third Silver Slugger award that year.
Baylor made a very important play in the 1986 American League Championship Series. In Game 5, with the Red Sox about to lose the series, he hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning. This helped the Red Sox win that game and eventually the series. It was a huge moment in baseball history. He played most of the 1987 season with Boston.
Winning a World Series with the Minnesota Twins
Late in the 1987 season, the Red Sox traded Baylor to the Minnesota Twins. He played 20 regular-season games with the Twins. He then helped them win the 1987 World Series. He had 5 hits, 1 home run, and 3 runs batted in during the World Series.
Final Season with the Oakland Athletics
Baylor returned to the Oakland Athletics in 1988 for his final season as a player. He was 39 years old. He played 92 games and was on the team that won the AL Pennant. After that season, he retired from playing baseball.
Coaching and Managing Career
After retiring as a player, Don Baylor became a hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals. Then, he became the first manager for the new Colorado Rockies team. He managed the Rockies for six years, from 1993 to 1998. In 1995, the Rockies had their first winning season and made it to the playoffs. Because of this, Baylor won the National League Manager of the Year Award.
After the 1998 season, Baylor left the Rockies. He then became the hitting coach for the Atlanta Braves in 1999. In 2000, he was hired to manage the Chicago Cubs, where he stayed until 2002. He also worked as a bench coach for the New York Mets and a hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners.
Baylor returned to the Colorado Rockies as a hitting coach in 2009 and 2010. Later, he became the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2011 to 2013. His last coaching job was with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as their hitting coach in 2014 and 2015. On March 31, 2014, he broke his leg while catching the first pitch of the season. He had surgery the next day.
Death
Don Baylor was diagnosed with a type of cancer called multiple myeloma in 2003. He passed away on August 7, 2017, at the age of 68.
Managerial Record
| Team | From | To | Regular season record | Post–season record | ||||||
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| G | W | L | Win % | G | W | L | Win % | |||
| Colorado Rockies | 1993 | 1998 | 909 | 440 | 469 | .484 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 |
| Chicago Cubs | 2000 | 2002 | 407 | 187 | 220 | .459 | — | |||
| Total | 1316 | 627 | 689 | .476 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | ||
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See also
In Spanish: Don Baylor para niños
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders
- List of St. Louis Cardinals coaches
