Chuck Taylor (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Charles Gilbert "Chuck" Taylor (born April 18, 1942 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball
relief pitcher who played from 1969 to 1976 for the St. Louis Cardinals
, New York Mets
, Milwaukee Brewers
and Montreal Expos
.
Before being signed by the Cardinals in 1961, Taylor had attended Middle Tennessee State University
.
Taylor spent three years (1961 to 1963) in the Cardinals minor league system before being traded on February 17, 1964 to the Houston Colt .45s with first baseman/outfielder Jim Beauchamp
for outfielder Carl Warwick
.
He spent only one full season in the Colt '45s/Astros
farm system - 1964. Midway through the 1965 season, he was traded back to the Cardinals, this time with pitcher and former All-Star Hal Woodeshick
for pitcher and All-Star Mike Cuellar
and pitcher Ron Taylor
.
Up until 1968, Taylor had had respectable, but not outstanding, statistics in the minors. He had been used both as a starter and reliever, and although he had a good season with the Arkansas Travelers
in 1966 - he posted a 1.31 ERA in 30 games - his success was countered that season with some bad outings with the Tulsa Oilers
, where he had an ERA of 6.48 in 21 games.
1968 was perhaps the best season of his entire professional career. As a starter, he appeared in 34 games for the Oilers, allowing only 202 hits in 230 innings, walking only 38 batters, and posting a record of 18 and 7 with a minute 2.35 ERA. At 26 years of age, he was fairly old prospect-wise, but he still managed to impress the Major League Cardinals enough to put him on their roster for 1969.
On May 27, 1969, Taylor made his big league debut with the Cardinals. He appeared in relief of pitcher Ray Washburn
, and it was ultimately Taylor who gave up the winning run to the opposing team, the Atlanta Braves
. Taylor was used both as a reliever and starter in his debut season, appearing in 27 games total, starting 13 of them, and posting a 7-5 won-loss record. His ERA was exactly a point below the league average: 2.56.
His next two seasons, 1970 and 1971, proved to be successful as well. Both years, he was used almost entirely as a reliever, and he posted ERAs of 3.11 and 3.53, respectively. Following the 1971 season, Taylor was traded with Jim Beauchamp, second baseman Chip Coulter
, and pitcher Harry Parker
to the Mets for outfielder Art Shamsky
, and pitchers Jim Bibby
, Rich Folkers
and Charlie Hudson
.
1972 was not a very successful year for Taylor. In fact, he ended up spending a large portion of it in the minors, where he posted a 4.70 ERA in 26 games. In the Majors that year, Taylor had a 5.52 ERA with the Mets before being selected off waivers by the Brewers in September. In 11 innings with the Brewers that year, he posted a 1.54 ERA, bringing his season ERA down to 4.43.
In March 1973, Taylor was released by the Brewers and signed by the Expos a couple weeks later. In his first year with the Expos, he posted a 1.77 ERA, but appeared in only eight games. That performance, however, was something of a foreshadowing of what would happen in the year to come.
1974 was the best season of his Major League career. He appeared in relief 61 times, posting a 2.17 ERA in 107 2/3 innings. He ranked ninth in the league in game appearances, fifth in the league in saves with 11 and sixth in the league in games finished with 39.
The next two seasons, 1975 and 1976, were not as successful. He posted ERAs of 3.53 and 4.50 respectively. He wrapped his career up following the 1976 season, playing in his final big league game on October 3 of that year.
Overall, Taylor went 28-20 with a 3.07 ERA in 305 big league appearances. Of the 21 games he started, he completed six of them (five of them in one season, 1969) and shutout two. In exactly 607 innings of work, Taylor walked 162 batters and struck out 282. Interestly, only twice did his season ERA measure greater than the overall league ERA - in 1972 and 1976.
At the plate, Taylor hit .158 in 101 at-bats, collecting 16 hits. Of those 16 hits, four were doubles and one was a triple. He struck out 34 times and walked only three times.
In the field, he committed two errors for a .985 fielding percentage
.
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
relief pitcher who played from 1969 to 1976 for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
.
Before being signed by the Cardinals in 1961, Taylor had attended Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University, commonly abbreviated as MTSU, is a public university located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States....
.
Taylor spent three years (1961 to 1963) in the Cardinals minor league system before being traded on February 17, 1964 to the Houston Colt .45s with first baseman/outfielder Jim Beauchamp
Jim Beauchamp
James Edward Beauchamp was a Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder who played from to for the St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Colt .45s/Astros, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Mets. He attended Grove High School in Grove, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University...
for outfielder Carl Warwick
Carl Warwick
Carl Wayne Warwick is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played from 1961 to 1966.He appeared in the 1964 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals, and tied a World Series record with three pinch hits...
.
He spent only one full season in the Colt '45s/Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
farm system - 1964. Midway through the 1965 season, he was traded back to the Cardinals, this time with pitcher and former All-Star Hal Woodeshick
Hal Woodeshick
Harold Joseph Woodeshick was an American left-handed pitcher who spent eleven seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , both Washington Senators , Houston Colt .45s/Astros and St. Louis Cardinals...
for pitcher and All-Star Mike Cuellar
Mike Cuellar
Miguel Ángel Cuellar Santana [KWAY-ar] was a Cuban left-handed starting pitcher who spent fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles and California Angels...
and pitcher Ron Taylor
Ron Taylor (baseball)
Ronald Wesley Taylor is a former professional baseball player. He was a pitcher over parts of 11 seasons with the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, New York Mets and San Diego Padres. Taylor was a member of two World Series-winning teams: the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals and the...
.
Up until 1968, Taylor had had respectable, but not outstanding, statistics in the minors. He had been used both as a starter and reliever, and although he had a good season with the Arkansas Travelers
Arkansas Travelers
The Arkansas Travelers, also known informally as The Travs, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Little Rock, Arkansas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Major League club....
in 1966 - he posted a 1.31 ERA in 30 games - his success was countered that season with some bad outings with the Tulsa Oilers
Tulsa Oilers (baseball)
The Tulsa Oilers, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were a minor league baseball team that existed on-and-off in multiple leagues from 1905 to 1976. For most of their history, they played at Oiler Park, which opened on July 11, 1934, and was located on the Tulsa County Fairgrounds at 15th Street and...
, where he had an ERA of 6.48 in 21 games.
1968 was perhaps the best season of his entire professional career. As a starter, he appeared in 34 games for the Oilers, allowing only 202 hits in 230 innings, walking only 38 batters, and posting a record of 18 and 7 with a minute 2.35 ERA. At 26 years of age, he was fairly old prospect-wise, but he still managed to impress the Major League Cardinals enough to put him on their roster for 1969.
On May 27, 1969, Taylor made his big league debut with the Cardinals. He appeared in relief of pitcher Ray Washburn
Ray Washburn
Ray Clark Washburn is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Washburn, a right-hander, pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals from to and the Cincinnati Reds in ....
, and it was ultimately Taylor who gave up the winning run to the opposing team, the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. Taylor was used both as a reliever and starter in his debut season, appearing in 27 games total, starting 13 of them, and posting a 7-5 won-loss record. His ERA was exactly a point below the league average: 2.56.
His next two seasons, 1970 and 1971, proved to be successful as well. Both years, he was used almost entirely as a reliever, and he posted ERAs of 3.11 and 3.53, respectively. Following the 1971 season, Taylor was traded with Jim Beauchamp, second baseman Chip Coulter
Chip Coulter
Thomas Lee "Chip" Coulter is a former switch hitting, right-handed throwing Major League Baseball second baseman who played in 1969 for the St...
, and pitcher Harry Parker
Harry Parker (baseball player)
Harry William Parker was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1970 to 1976 who appeared in 124 games. Parker was born in Highland, Illinois and pitched right-handed. He was an integral contributor to the New York Mets 1973 pennant run, going 8-4 with a 3.35 ERA in the regular season...
to the Mets for outfielder Art Shamsky
Art Shamsky
Arthur Louis Shamsky is a former Major League Baseball player. He played right field, left field, and first base from to for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Oakland Athletics. In he was the manager of the Modi'in Miracle of the Israel Baseball League.-Early life:Shamsky...
, and pitchers Jim Bibby
Jim Bibby
James Blair Bibby was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 12-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1984 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he was a member of its 1979 World Series Champions...
, Rich Folkers
Rich Folkers
Richard Nevin Folkers is a former left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to for the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers....
and Charlie Hudson
Charlie Hudson
Charles Hudson is a former left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1972 to 1975 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers and California Angels. He was 6'3" tall and he weighed 185 pounds. He attended Tupelo High School in Tupelo, Oklahoma.Hudson was originally drafted by the...
.
1972 was not a very successful year for Taylor. In fact, he ended up spending a large portion of it in the minors, where he posted a 4.70 ERA in 26 games. In the Majors that year, Taylor had a 5.52 ERA with the Mets before being selected off waivers by the Brewers in September. In 11 innings with the Brewers that year, he posted a 1.54 ERA, bringing his season ERA down to 4.43.
In March 1973, Taylor was released by the Brewers and signed by the Expos a couple weeks later. In his first year with the Expos, he posted a 1.77 ERA, but appeared in only eight games. That performance, however, was something of a foreshadowing of what would happen in the year to come.
1974 was the best season of his Major League career. He appeared in relief 61 times, posting a 2.17 ERA in 107 2/3 innings. He ranked ninth in the league in game appearances, fifth in the league in saves with 11 and sixth in the league in games finished with 39.
The next two seasons, 1975 and 1976, were not as successful. He posted ERAs of 3.53 and 4.50 respectively. He wrapped his career up following the 1976 season, playing in his final big league game on October 3 of that year.
Overall, Taylor went 28-20 with a 3.07 ERA in 305 big league appearances. Of the 21 games he started, he completed six of them (five of them in one season, 1969) and shutout two. In exactly 607 innings of work, Taylor walked 162 batters and struck out 282. Interestly, only twice did his season ERA measure greater than the overall league ERA - in 1972 and 1976.
At the plate, Taylor hit .158 in 101 at-bats, collecting 16 hits. Of those 16 hits, four were doubles and one was a triple. He struck out 34 times and walked only three times.
In the field, he committed two errors for a .985 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
.