Ron Taylor, a former relief pitcher who played a key role in the 1969 World Series and later served as the Toronto Blue Jays’ team doctor for three decades, passed away on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was 87 years old.
In the 1969 World Series, Taylor made a notable impact by securing a save in Game 2 and contributing two scoreless innings during the series against the Orioles. This followed his earlier championship win with the Cardinals in 1964, and he described the Mets as “one of the disgraceful heroes” of that championship season.
“Ron was the only guy on the staff with postseason experience,” remarked Art Shamsky, a fellow teammate from the 1969 roster. “His championship experience with the Cardinals in 1964 brought a winning mentality to the team. We wouldn’t have won the title without him.”
During his 11-year MLB career, Taylor pitched for five different teams, including the Mets, and proved effective during the 1969 regular season, appearing in 59 games with an ERA of 2.72 and achieving 13 saves.
After spending five seasons with the Mets, he concluded his playing career with the Padres in 1972, finishing with a 3.93 ERA across 491 appearances.
Interestingly, near the end of his playing days, a trip to Vietnam inspired him to pursue medicine after he met and befriended various doctors during a USO tour.
Following his playing career, Taylor became the Toronto Blue Jays’ team doctor in 1979, participating in the club’s World Series victories in 1992 and 1993.
“The Toronto Blue Jays are deeply saddened by the passing of our longtime team doctor and former major league player Ron Taylor,” the Blue Jays stated. “The Toronto native, fondly known as the baseball doctor, won four World Series championships, including two with us. His contributions to baseball and the community will always be cherished. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Taylor was honored in 1985 with induction into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and again in 1993 with entry into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. He frequently returned to Mets games over the past 16 years to celebrate the 1969 World Series victory.
“It gave me a whole new life,” Taylor shared in a 2009 interview about his transition to medicine with the Blue Jays. “I feel incredibly lucky because I loved every career—engineering, major league baseball, and medicine.”
