1954 World Champion New York Giants Pinch Hitter: Billy Taylor (1954-1957)

-
William Michael Taylor was born on December 30th 1929 in Alhambra California. He hit 97 HRs from 1947 through 193 winning a Northern League batting title for Sioux City in 1950. He then spent two years in the Military serving in the Korean War. The six foot three left hand hitting outfielder was signed by the New York Giants in 1953.

He made the Giants 1954 Championship team, mostly getting used as a secondary pinch hitter behind Dusty Rhodes. Taylor debuted in the second game of the season, striking out against Brooklyn's Don Newcombe. On April 27th he got his first pinch hit, an 8th inning single off Milwaukee's Bob Buhl, driving in a run.

On June 10th he hit a 10th inning pinch hit HR off the Braves Gene Conley in Milwaukee, scoring the only run of the game for Ruben Gomez. On July 21st he won another road game, this time at Wrigley Field with a 9th inning tie breaking single against the Chicago Cubs scoring Hank Thompson.

As the year went on he got less chances with the success that Rhodes was having as a pinch hitter. But Taylor had yet another shining moment on August 22nd. As Hank Thompson tied up the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Polo Grounds, Taylor came up with the bases loaded & one out. He drove a base hit to right field scoring Monte Irvin with the winning run.

Overall Taylor was 9-42 as a pinch hitter although he only hit .185 as a whole. He hit two HRs & drove in ten runs. He did not get any chances to hit in the World Series sweep of the Cleveland Indians.

In 1955 he played in 65 games hitting .266 with four HRs & 12 RBIs. In 1956 he spent the entire year at AAA Minneapolis batting .308, getting to New York for just one game. In 1957 he batted .274 at Minneapolis & played eleven games with the Giants but went hitless. In September his contract was purchased by the Detroit Tigers.

He appeared in just eight games with the Tigers in 1958. In a five year career he batted .237 with 7 HRs 8 doubles 26 RBIs & a .264 on base %. He continued to play in the minor leagues through 1961. He batted .311 there in an eleven year career with 186 HRs & 380 RBIs.

Trivia: Topps used the same picture of Taylor for his 1954 & 1955 baseball cards.

Retirement: After baseball Taylor worked in the real estate business with Canyon Country Realty in Acton, California. He passed away in September 2011 at age 81.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Former Mets Broadcaster: Fran Healy ( 1984-2005)

-
Image
Francis Xavier Healy was born on September 6, 1946 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The big six foot five catcher, attended American International University at Springfield. In 1964 he was signed by the Cleveland Indians, spending five years in their minors leagues. In 1968 he was drafted as the 56th pick in the expansion draft, chosen by the Kansas City Royals. He would make his MLB debut playing six games there in 1969 & spending the next year in the minors. In October of 1970, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Bob Garibaldi. Healy played in 47 games for the 1971 Western Division Champion Giants, as the backup catcher to Dick Dietz. He hit .280 with two HRs & 11 RBIs. He did not play in the NLCS & after hitting just .152 the next year in 45 games, he was traded back to Kansas City. He became the Royals main catcher in 1973 playing solid behind the plate, throwing out 44% of would be base stealers. That year he had the distinction of catching Steve Busb
Read more

Remembering Mets History: (1977) The Felix Millan / Ed Ott Brawl In Pittsburgh

-
Image
Friday August 12th, 1977: Joe Torre's last place Mets (47-66) traveled to Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh for a double header with Chuck Tanner's second place Pirates (66-49). The bad times were underway for the late seventies Mets and tonight marked the end of another key player's career from the 1973 NL Champion team. In the first game of a double header, Jerry Koosman (8-13) took a 3-1 loss to Jim Rooker (10-6) & the Pirates. Both pitchers went the distance, with Koosman giving up three runs on six hits & Rooker giving up the lone Met run on nine hits. In the night cap Mets started Bob Myrick against Pittsburgh's  Bruce Kison.  In the 2nd inning Myrick himself added an RBI base hit making it 1-0 Mets. Lee Mazzilli added a two run HR in the 4th putting the Mets up 3-2. The Mets were battling, but the Pirates tied it up at 3-3 in the sixth inning.  Met Manager; Joe Torre made a double switch bringing in Felix Millan to play second base, as Do
Read more

The 1970's Oakland A's Ball Girls- (MLB's First)

-
Image
In the days of the early seventies the Oakland A's won three straight Championships & changed the face of baseball forever.  The team's controversial owner was known to be cheap in paying his star players & known to meddle in the teams on field affairs. He drove managers crazy & even had Dick Williams resign after winning his second straight World Series. But Finley also revolutionized baseball in many other ways. He was instrumental in getting the designated hitter in the American League & have the World Series played at night, so fans could attend after work. He gave his players fancy names like Catfish, Blue Moon & True Blue.  When his star Reggie Jackson refused to shave his beard, he encouraged the whole team to grow facial hair by paying them $200 each.  The A's team even grew their hair long, a sign of the times. But before that baseball players had not had facial or long hair since the 1800's.  He introduced bright colored yello
Read more

Remembering Bobby Ojeda's Tragic Boating Accident (1993)

-
Image
Steve Olin, Tim Crews & Bob Ojeda March 22 nd 1993: was an off day from Spring Training, for three Cleveland Indians pitchers; Former Mets 1986 World Champion pitcher; Bobby Ojeda, Tim Crews & Steve Olin. The three friends, took out an 18-foot open-air bass boat & went out fishing & gator hunting in the darkness of the evening on Lake Nellie in Clermont, Florida. Tragedy struck, when the boat rammed into a private dock that jutted out some 250 feet into the still waters. Two other Cleveland Indians personnel had arrived to meet the fishing party just as the horror took place. They heard Bob Ojeda saying they needed help. The two men jumped into the water and called out for someone to call 911. 27 year old pitcher; Steve Olin was killed instantly. 31 year old pitcher; Tim Crews was alive but was struggling to breathe suffering from massive head wounds. Bobby Ojeda was in & out of shock, he was suffering from head lacerations but was coherent. The
Read more

Remembering Vixen Founder / Guitarist; Jan Kuehnemund (1961-2013)

-
Image
centerfieldmaz was shocked to learn of the sudden passing of Jan Kuehnemund, the founding member of the all female metal band Vixen. Jan was a fantastic guitarist, song writer & women pioneer in Heavy Metal. I am a huge fan of hard rock all girl bands & Vixen were one my long time favorites. Janice Lynn Kuehnemund was born November 18th, 1961 in St. Paul Minnesota. The female guitarist formed one of the first all female Metal bands in Minnesota with singer Janet Gardner while in high school in 1980. By 1985 they moved the band to Los Angles California, to be part of the Heavy Metal scene. In 1987 the classic Vixen line up of Jan Kuehnemund (lead guitar) Janet Gardner (vocals/ guitar) Share Pederson (bass) & Roxy Petrucci (drums) formed & released their debut album the following year. Vixen 1988 In a world of all male Heavy Metal bands during its heyday, Vixen were groundbreaking in being an all female metal band. The Runaways, with Joan Jett & Lita Ford
Read more