Dr. Ron Taylor, a former World Series-winning pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets who later served as the Toronto Blue Jays’ team physician, has passed away at age 87.
The Mets announced that Taylor died Monday in his hometown of Toronto after a prolonged illness.
Taylor, a right-handed reliever, spent 11 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1972. He debuted with the Cleveland Indians before being traded to the Cardinals, where he played for over two seasons and was part of the team that defeated the New York Yankees in the 1964 World Series.
In 1965, Taylor was dealt to the Houston Astros, a then-recent expansion team that joined MLB in 1962. He played for Houston through 1966 before the Mets acquired his contract in early 1967.
Taylor went on to pitch five seasons for the Mets, another 1962 expansion team. In 1969, he led the team with 59 appearances and 13 saves, playing a key role in the “Miracle Mets” World Series championship run.
After his stint with the Mets, Taylor appeared in four games for the San Diego Padres in 1972 before retiring. Over his MLB career, he posted a 45-43 record with a 3.93 ERA and 464 strikeouts in 800 innings across 491 games—474 of them in relief.
After retiring from baseball, Taylor earned a medical degree from the University of Toronto in 1977 and became the Blue Jays’ team physician in 1979.
He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Canada Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. Taylor retired from his medical career in 2014.
“The Toronto Blue Jays are saddened to learn of the passing of long-time team doctor and former Major League Baseball player, Ron Taylor,” the team said in a statement. “Known to many as Dr. Baseball, the Toronto native won four World Series Championships during his illustrious career, including two with the Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993. His impact on the game, in the community, and on our organization will be remembered forever. Our thoughts are with his loved ones.”
