Tony Taylor (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tony Taylor |
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Taylor with the Florida Marlins in 2001
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| Second baseman | |||
| Born: December 19, 1935 Central Álava, Cuba |
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| Died: July 16, 2020 (aged 84) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 15, 1958, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 1976, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .261 | ||
| Hits | 2,007 | ||
| Home runs | 75 | ||
| Runs batted in | 598 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Antonio Nemesio Taylor Sánchez (born December 19, 1935 – died July 16, 2020) was a Cuban baseball player. He played as a second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 19 seasons. Tony Taylor played for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and Detroit Tigers. His career lasted from 1958 to 1976. He batted and threw with his right hand. He also played third base and first base sometimes.
Tony Taylor was first signed by the New York Giants in 1954. He played for their minor league teams until 1957. Then, the Chicago Cubs chose him in the Rule 5 draft and brought him to the major leagues. After two seasons, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1960. That same year, he was picked twice to be an All-Star. In 1971, he moved to the Detroit Tigers. He played there for two seasons before returning to the Phillies. He played his last game on September 29, 1976.
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Tony Taylor's Early Life
Tony Taylor was born in Central Alava, Matanzas Province, Cuba, on December 19, 1935. His father was American. His mother's parents were Chinese and changed their last name to Sánchez when they came to Cuba.
Tony's younger brother, Jorge, also played baseball in the minor leagues in 1960. Tony also had a sister named Estrella. He started playing baseball when he was about seven or eight years old. The New York Giants signed him in April 1954 when he was 18.
Tony Taylor's Baseball Career
Tony Taylor played 2,195 games in his career. His batting average was .261. He hit 75 home runs and had 598 RBI (runs batted in).
He started his major league career with the Chicago Cubs in 1958. He was their main second baseman in 1958 and 1959.
A Strange Play in Baseball History
Tony Taylor was part of a very unusual play in baseball history. This happened on June 30, 1959, when the St. Louis Cardinals played the Cubs. Stan Musial was batting. The pitcher threw a wild ball that went past the catcher. The umpire called it "ball four."
But the pitcher and catcher thought Musial had tipped the ball. This would mean the ball was still in play. While they argued, Musial ran to second base. The third baseman got the ball. The umpire, not paying attention, gave the catcher a new ball. The pitcher then threw the new ball towards Tony Taylor at second base, but it went over his head. Meanwhile, the third baseman threw the original ball to the shortstop. Musial didn't see this and was tagged out.
Tony Taylor was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1960. He quickly became a key player for the Phillies. He was chosen for the National League All-Star team that year.
Tony was a very reliable player. He set a Phillies record by playing 1,003 games at second base. He also stole home base six times, which is the second most in Phillies history.
First Live Transatlantic Broadcast
On July 23, 1962, Tony Taylor was part of a historic moment. A short video of him hitting a ball was shown live in Europe. This was the first live TV broadcast across the Atlantic Ocean, using the Telstar satellite. It was shown before a speech by President John F. Kennedy.
In 1963, Tony Taylor had a great year. He hit for a .281 average. He also scored 102 runs and got 182 hits. The next year, he made a great defensive play that helped Jim Bunning pitch a perfect game. In 1970, he had his best batting average at .301.
In June 1971, Tony Taylor was traded to the Detroit Tigers. He helped them win a division title in 1972. Before the 1974 season, he became a free agent. He signed with the Phillies again. He was a useful player who could play many positions and was good at pinch hitting for his last three seasons.
Later Life and Honors
After he stopped playing, Tony Taylor became a baseball coach. He coached for the Phillies from 1977 to 1979, and again from 1988 to 1989. He also managed minor league teams and taught players. Later, he coached for the Florida Marlins from 1999 to 2001, and again in 2004.
Tony Taylor received many honors for his baseball career:
- He was put into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.
- He was added to the Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame in 2002.
- He joined the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2004.
Tony Taylor passed away on July 16, 2020, at 84 years old. He had a stroke a year before and died from problems related to it.
See also
- 1972 American League Championship Series
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players from Cuba
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
