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Former Blue Jays doctor and ex-World Series winning pitcher dies at 87

"Dr. Baseball" earned four World Series rings during his fascinating career
ByMatthew Sookram|
Apr 9, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Former pitcher Ron Taylor throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the Boston Red Sox game against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. The Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images
Apr 9, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Former pitcher Ron Taylor throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the Boston Red Sox game against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. The Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images | Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images

Toronto native and World Series champion Ron Taylor has passed away at the age of 87. The Toronto Blue Jays confirmed the news in a statement on Monday, with a cause of death not provided.  

Taylor lived a fascinating life that brought him to Major League Baseball in two very different, but memorable stints. The right hander won a World Series title with the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals and was a key member of the 1969 “Miracle Mets” who were heavy underdogs against a stacked Baltimore Orioles team. Upon retiring he returned to baseball with a medical degree, joining the very young expansion Blue Jays in 1979 as the team doctor. Taylor was with the team through their 1992 and 1993 World Series championships.

Born in Toronto in 1937, Taylor signed a deal with Cleveland in 1955 and worked his way through the minor league system over the next several seasons until he made the Opening Day roster in 1962. In his MLB debut, Taylor threw 11 shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, and went 2-4 at the plate, before giving up a game winning grand slam in the bottom of the 12th inning to future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski. He also

Taylor pitched just 33 innings in the big leagues that season, and was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in the offseason and became a very useful piece out of the bullpen, with a 2.84 ERA in 133.1 IP, and was worth 2.8 bWAR. While he wasn’t as effective the following season, he delivered 4.1 shutout innings against the Yankees in that years World Series.

He won a second ring with the Mets by throwing a combined 5.2 IP and allowing just three hits and no runs with seven strikeouts against the Braves in the NLCS and the Orioles in the World Series.  

Taylor would pitch for the Houston Astros, New York Mets and San Diego Padres before retiring from baseball in 1972. He then pursued a medical degree at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1977 and found his way back to the Majors when he joined the Blue Jays two years later. He performed this role over the next 30-years and earned the nickname “Dr. Baseball.” He also earned two more World Series rings, when the Blue Jays lifted the World Series trophies in both ’92 and ’93.  

Taylor was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He was appointed to the Order of Ontario by Lieutenant Governor James Bartleman in 2005.

From everyone at Jays Journal, we pass along our condolences to the friends and family of Ron Taylor.