The MLB Community And St. Louis Cardinals Receive Another Heart-breaking News Following The Death Of A Historic Legend Monday Evening
Ron Taylor, a former Major League pitcher and two-time World Series champion who later became known as “Dr. Baseball” after pursuing a career in medicine, passed away Monday in Toronto after a long illness. He was 87.
The 6-foot-1 right-hander was part of championship teams with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964 and the New York Mets in 1969. Over six postseason appearances in those two title runs, Taylor threw 10 1/3 scoreless innings, giving up just three hits and two walks while striking out nine. He posted a perfect 3-0 record and earned three saves.
“Ron was the only member of our staff with postseason experience,” said former Mets teammate Art Shamsky in a statement released by the team. “He brought the mindset of a champion from his time with the ’64 Cardinals. We wouldn’t have won the title without him.
Ron Taylor (left) is seen greeting Tom Seaver during a 1969 Mets reunion held at Citi Field in 2009. (Getty Images)
Ron Taylor, a former Major League pitcher who won two World Series titles and later became a physician—earning the nickname “Dr. Baseball”—died Monday in Toronto following a long illness. He was 87.
Standing 6-foot-1, the right-hander captured championships with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964 and the legendary “Miracle Mets” in 1969. Over six postseason outings across those two title runs, Taylor threw 10 1/3 shutout innings, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out nine. He compiled a 3-0 record and notched three saves.
“Ron was the only pitcher on our staff with playoff experience,” said Mets teammate Art Shamsky in a team-issued statement. “He had already won it all with the ’64 Cardinals and brought a championship mindset. We couldn’t have done it without him.”
Born Ronald Wesley Taylor on December 13, 1937, in Toronto, he was the younger of two children to Wesley and Maude (Evans) Taylor. Naturally left-handed, he was trained to throw right-handed after his mother feared left-handed throwing might affect his heart. “Insist?” Taylor once joked in a SABR biography. “She tied my left hand behind my back!”
Evangelist Billy Graham (left) chats with Ron Taylor, Mike Jorgensen and Tug McGraw at Shea Stadium in 1970. (AP)
Taylor signed with the Cleveland organization at age 18 and enjoyed a breakout year in 1956, winning a career-high 17 games for Class D Daytona Beach. He spent six years progressing through the minors before debuting in the majors on April 11, 1962. That year, he appeared in eight games, starting four, while also going 12-4 with a 2.62 ERA at Triple-A Jacksonville. Over his seven Minor League seasons, he recorded a 79-60 mark with a 3.38 ERA in 183 appearances—153 as a starter.
Traded to the Cardinals in late 1962, Taylor made the jump to a full-time big leaguer. Between 1963 and 1964, he logged 11 starts and 101 relief appearances, going 17-11 with a 3.61 ERA and 19 saves.
In the 1964 World Series, with St. Louis trailing two games to one against the Yankees, Taylor delivered a pivotal performance in Game 4 at Yankee Stadium. Entering in the sixth inning with a 4-3 lead, he threw four hitless innings, surrendering only a walk to Mickey Mantle, helping the Cardinals even the series. The teams split the next two games before Bob Gibson sealed the championship in Game 7.
“We shut down that powerful Yankee club,” recalled teammate Mike Shannon in Bob Elliott’s 2005 book The Northern Game: Baseball The Canadian Way. “If we don’t win that game, I don’t even know if we’re going back to St. Louis.”
Taylor’s performance declined in 1965, and he was traded to the Houston Astros midseason in 1966. He struggled there, posting a 6.40 ERA in 57 2/3 innings in ’65 and a 5.71 ERA the following year.
After being sent down to Oklahoma City, Taylor’s career got a second wind when the Mets purchased his contract in February 1967. He made the big-league roster out of spring training and went on to lead the team with eight saves while posting a career-best 2.34 ERA in 50 appearances for a last-place Mets squad that finished 61-101.
Things started to turn around in 1968 when Gil Hodges took over as manager of the Mets. Under his leadership, the team improved by 12 wins, finishing 73-89 and climbing out of last place to finish ninth. Taylor contributed by recording 14 saves across 58 appearances, posting a 2.70 ERA.
The following year, the Mets made a dramatic leap. They shocked the league with a 100-62 record, capturing the NL East title. Taylor was a key part of the bullpen, going 9-4 with 13 saves and a 2.72 ERA over 59 games. In the first-ever National League Championship Series against the Braves, he saved Game 1 with two shutout innings and earned the win in Game 2 with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, helping the Mets sweep the series in three games.
In the World Series against the Orioles, Taylor wrapped up the Mets’ Game 1 loss with two scoreless innings. In Game 2, he was called upon with two outs in the ninth inning, runners on first and second, and the Mets holding a narrow 2-1 lead. He secured the win by getting Brooks Robinson to ground out to third, evening the Series at one game each. The Mets went on to win the next three games, claiming their first championship without needing Taylor again.
Taylor remained with the Mets for two more seasons, though his performance declined. His ERA rose to 3.93 in 1970 and improved slightly to 3.65 in 1971. After that season, his contract was sold to the Montreal Expos, but he never played for them. The Expos released him five days into the 1972 season, and he subsequently signed with the San Diego Padres.
The Toronto Blue Jays are saddened to learn of the passing of long-time team doctor and former Major League Baseball player, Ron Taylor.
Known to many as Dr. Baseball, the Toronto native won four World Series Championships during his illustrious career, including two with the… pic.twitter.com/UKPepsuD70— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 16, 2025
After giving up five home runs over just four appearances with the Padres, Taylor chose to retire at age 34. Fittingly, the final pitch of his career was thrown in Montreal.
He soon transitioned to a new path—medicine. Despite the odds, Taylor gained admission to the University of Toronto’s medical school. As noted in his SABR biography, an associate dean initially warned him, “We rarely accept people over 30. We don’t want people changing careers.” Taylor was advised to complete an honors course and prove himself through strong grades in the pre-med curriculum. He moved back in with his parents—“I was single then and didn’t have any responsibilities,” he recalled—and met the academic requirements. He officially earned his medical degree in 1977.
Two years after earning his medical degree, Taylor was hired by his hometown Toronto Blue Jays as the team physician—occasionally throwing batting practice as well. He also opened a private medical practice in the city and performed surgeries at the S.C. Cooper Sports Medicine Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital. In 1981, he married Rona Douglas, a nurse at Mount Sinai, and the couple went on to have two sons, Drew and Matthew.
Taylor retired from medicine in 2014 at the age of 76. During his tenure with the Blue Jays, he earned two more World Series rings when the team won championships in 1992 and 1993. He was honored with induction into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, and was awarded the Order of Ontario in 2006 for his contributions to medicine. In 2016, his sons created a documentary about his life, fittingly titled Dr. Baseball.
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