Pitcher, Chicago
Cubs
4th season
with Orphans/Cubs
Bats – Right,
Throws – Right
Height: 5’10” Weight: 170
Prior to 1902:
A native of
southeastern Ohio, Taylor began pitching for semipro teams in Marietta, Ohio
and Parkersburg, West Virginia. In 1897, he joined Milwaukee of the Western
League where he produced an 8-7 record and 2.54 ERA during a season cut short
by a broken arm. Still with Milwaukee in 1898, Taylor posted a 28-13 tally with
40 complete games. Joining the NL’s Chicago Orphans in September, he went 5-0
with a 2.20 ERA. Taylor’s performance with the 75-73 Orphans in 1899 produced a
less impressive 18-21 record with a 3.76 ERA, 39 complete games, and 67
strikeouts over 354.2 innings. Throwing a variety of pitches from a sidearm
motion, most notably a fastball, he pitched well for a woeful Chicago club that
tied for fifth in 1900 and finished with a 10-17 mark, a 2.55 ERA, 25 complete
games, and 57 strikeouts over 222.1 innings. The club placed sixth in 1901 but
Taylor improved his record to 13-19 with a 3.36 ERA, 30 complete games, and 68
strikeouts over 275.2 innings pitched. With the rebuilding Orphans becoming
known (then and ever after) as the Cubs in 1902, Taylor had an outstanding
season.
1902 Season Summary
Appeared in 56
games
P – 37, 3B –
12, RF – 3, 1B – 2, 2B – 1, PH – 1
[Bracketed
numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]
Pitching
Games – 37 [4]
Games Started –
34 – [6]
Complete Games
– 34 [4, tied with Doc White]
Wins – 23 [4,
tied with Noodles Hahn]
Losses – 11
PCT - .676 [7]
Saves – 1 [5,
tied with eleven others]
Shutouts – 8 [1,
tied with Jack Chesbro & Christy Mathewson]
Innings Pitched
– 333.2 [3]
Hits – 273 [10]
Runs – 86
Earned Runs – 48
Home Runs – 2 [13,
tied with eleven others]
Bases on Balls
– 45
Strikeouts – 88
[16, tied with Ed Doheny]
ERA – 1.29 [1]
Hit Batters – 12
[9, tied with Mal Eason, Mike O’Neill & Bill Duggleby]
Balks – 0
Wild Pitches – 10
[4]
League-leading
ERA was -0.48 lower than runner-up Noodles Hahn
Midseason
Snapshot: 13-6, ERA – 1.06, SO – 56 in 194.2 IP
---
Most
strikeouts, game – 8 (in 9 IP) vs. Bos. Beaneaters 5/20
10+ strikeout
games – 0
Fewest hits
allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) vs. NY Giants 5/7
Batting
PA – 207, AB – 189,
R – 18, H – 44, 2B – 6, 3B – 1, HR – 0, RBI – 18, BB – 8, SO – 23, SB – 6, CS –
N/A, AVG - .233, GDP – N/A, HBP – 1, SH – 9, SF – N/A
Fielding (P)
Chances – 127
Put Outs – 15
Assists – 106
Errors – 6
DP – 3
Pct. - .953
---
The Cubs went 68-69 to finish fifth in the NL, 34 games behind the pennant-winning Pittsburgh Pirates. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (2.19) and complete games (134). The Cubs started well and were in second place with a 23-12 record by the end of May following a split of a doubleheader with the Pirates in Pittsburgh. The club dropped off the pace in the summer. A six-game August win streak was followed by an eight-game losing streak which knocked them down to fourth, and they were unable to finish in the first division while Pittsburgh ran away from the pack.
Aftermath of 1902:
Taylor went on to another fine season in 1903, producing a 21-14 record and a 2.45 ERA, again completing all his starts (33), and recording 83 strikeouts over 312.1 innings. In the postseason City Series against the American League’s White Sox he started and easily won the first game but lost three other starts, which led to charges of his having been paid off by gamblers to throw the games. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals along with catcher/first baseman Larry McLean for RHP Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown and catcher Jack O’Neill. Taylor co-led the NL with 39 complete games to go with a 20-19 record and a 2.22 ERA with 103 strikeouts over 352 innings. Following the 1904 season, Taylor was called before baseball’s ruling National Commission which was investigating the game-throwing charge coming out of the 1903 Chicago City Series due to his allegedly having been overheard saying that he was paid $500 to lose. Following his testimony that he had been out drinking and gambling the night before the game in question, he was acquitted on the charge of throwing games but was fined $300 for bad conduct. Together with allegations of having thrown a game against Pittsburgh during the 1904 season, his reputation was further sullied. He did pitch again for the Cardinals in 1905 and went 15-21 with a 3.44 ERA and 102 strikeouts over 309 innings pitched. He started 34 games and completed them all once again. Off to an 8-9 start in 1906, Taylor was dealt back to the Cubs. He performed excellently for the pennant-winning club and finished with a combined tally of 20-12 with a 1.99 ERA. His complete games streak ended at 187 in August when he was finally relieved during a loss to the New York Giants. He ended up with 32 complete games for the year and struck out 61 batters over 302.1 innings. He played one more season with the Cubs in 1907 in which he posted a 7-5 record and 3.29 ERA. For his major league career, Taylor produced a 152-139 record and 2.65 ERA with 279 complete games, 20 shutouts, and 662 strikeouts over 2626 innings. With the Cubs he was 109-90 with a 2.65 ERA, 189 complete games, 14 shutouts, and 430 strikeouts over 1810 innings. Taylor did not appear in World Series play. Following his major league career, he went on to pitch in the minors with six different teams, winding up his playing career in 1913. The one time “iron man” pitcher became a coal miner and died at age 64 in 1938.
---
Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league
in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum
of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who
led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a
minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between
the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category will also include
Misc. players who don’t otherwise qualify but received MVP votes or were
contributors to teams that reached the postseason.
No comments:
Post a Comment