Cleveland Indians.
Baseball icon, engineer, physician – and Leasider – Dr. Ron Taylor died this past June at the age of 87.
The right-handed pitcher who played 11 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) began his remarkable journey with the Leaside Baseball Association from the age of eight until 17 when he was discovered by a scout and signed by the Cleveland Indians.
Focused on furthering his education while playing baseball, Taylor earned an electrical engineering degree from the University of Toronto during the off seasons.
Taylor played 11 outstanding seasons in the major leagues, winning a World Series with both the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets.
Upon retirement from MLB, Taylor returned to the U of T and earned a medical degree at the age of 39, which at the time made him a very mature student.
Recruited by the Toronto Blue Jays to serve as their team doctor, Taylor spent 35 years with the team earning him the moniker of “Dr. Baseball.” He also garnered two more World Series rings when the Jays won the championships in 1992 and 1993.
For his exceptional career, Taylor was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, Ontario’s Sports Hall of Fame, the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame, and he also received the Order of Ontario for his outstanding contributions to the medical field.
Howard Birnie, also a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and president of the Leaside Baseball Association for almost 58 years, notes that “Taylor’s success, particularly in two World Series, set a standard for those who followed, realizing that it was possible to reach the top from humble beginnings.”
We send our deepest condolences to the Taylor family. Leaside has lost a baseball icon and humanitarian.
