Jelly Taylor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jelly Taylor |
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: July 10, 1910 London, Ohio |
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| Died: October 1, 1976 (aged 66) Cleveland, Ohio |
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| debut | |||
| 1934, for the Cincinnati Tigers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1946, for the Memphis Red Sox | |||
| Teams | |||
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Olan "Jelly" Taylor (born July 10, 1910 – died October 1, 1976) was an American baseball player. He was a first baseman in the Negro leagues. These leagues were professional baseball leagues for African American players. Jelly Taylor played for the Cincinnati Tigers and the Memphis Red Sox. He was also chosen to play in three East-West All-Star Games. During World War II, he served in the United States Army.
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Jelly Taylor's Baseball Career
Playing for the Cincinnati Tigers
Jelly Taylor started his professional baseball career with the Cincinnati Tigers. He became their main first baseman in 1934. This was the team's first and only year in the Negro leagues. During his first season, Taylor was a strong player. He led the team with 349 putouts. A putout is when a fielder records an out. He also hit for a .275 batting average.
Time with the Memphis Red Sox
After the Cincinnati Tigers stopped playing, Taylor joined the Memphis Red Sox. He followed his manager, Ted Radcliffe, to the new team. In 1938, as a member of the Red Sox, Taylor helped them win the league championship. He batted .296 and brought in 16 runs. Taylor continued to be the regular first baseman for Memphis for several years. He kept his position even when Larry Brown became the team's new player-manager.
In 1943, another player named Jim Canada took over at first base. Taylor then missed the 1944 season. He had joined the military to serve in World War II. He returned to baseball in 1945.
Becoming a Manager
In 1946, Jelly Taylor was not only the regular first baseman for Memphis, but he also became the team's manager. He took over when the previous manager, Ruben Jones, was fired. Taylor was 35 years old at the time. Under his leadership, the Memphis Red Sox finished the rest of the season with a good record. They won 28 games, lost 22, and had 1 tie. Even with this strong finish, Taylor was not chosen to manage the team in 1947. Instead, Larry Brown returned as manager. After this, Taylor decided to retire from baseball.
Jelly Taylor's Achievements
Jelly Taylor was a three-time All-Star in the Negro Leagues. He was selected for the All-Star Game in 1939, 1940, and 1941. In 1940, he had 28 hits, which was the sixth-highest in the league. He also had the best fielding percentage in 1937. He ranked third in putouts in both 1937 and 1938. In those same years, he was one of the league leaders in turning double plays.
