Latest news with #CanadianBaseballHallOfFame
New York Times
17-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Ron Taylor, pitcher who won two World Series with Mets and Cardinals, dies at 87
Dr. Ron Taylor, a two-time World Series champion who turned to medicine after ending his 11-season baseball career, died Monday at age 87. A right-handed pitcher who was primarily a reliever, Taylor began his career with the Cleveland Indians in 1962, pitching 11 scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox in his debut. He would play for four other clubs during his time in the big leagues, making his longest stops with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1963 to 1965, and the New York Mets from 1967 to 1971. Taylor won the World Series with both teams. We are saddened to learn of the passing of 1969 World Series Champion Ron — New York Mets (@Mets) June 16, 2025 While not a statistical giant, Taylor's career included numerous clutch performances that helped his teams bring home championship rings. He remains the only Canadian to win the World Series with multiple teams, according to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. His first title came in 1964 with the St. Louis Cardinals, who clawed their way into the World Series in the regular season's final two weeks. Taylor recorded eight wins and eight saves that season, and the Cardinals would knock out the New York Yankees in the World Series in seven games. Advertisement He also made crucial saves for the 1969 Miracle Mets. One year prior, the Mets had gone 73-89 and finished second-to-last in the National League. But Taylor helped break the slump, leading the team with 59 appearances and 13 saves. The Mets, an expansion franchise in its seventh year at the time, went on to win their first World Series in a historic 4-1 upset over a Baltimore Orioles team that went 109-53 that season. In a statement memorializing him, the Mets attributed Taylor's death to a 'lengthy illness' but did not specify a cause. The team called him an 'unsung hero' of their first title run. Taylor built a successful medical career after he retired from baseball in 1972. He received his medical degree from the University of Toronto, his alma mater, in 1977, and joined his hometown Toronto Blue Jays as a physician two years later. 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… — Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 16, 2025 For more than 30 years, Taylor treated the team while also running his private practice in the city. He retired from medicine in 2014, though the Blue Jays still listed him as Physician Emeritus until his death. The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Taylor in 1985, and he entered Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. (Top photo of Ron Taylor, right, receiving a key to the city from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2019 as part of the Mets' 1969 50th Anniversary Celebration: Michael Karas / via Imagn Images)
Reuters
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Former Cardinals, Mets champion Ron Taylor dies at 87
June 16 - Two-time World Series winner Ron Taylor, who became a doctor after his major league career ended, died on Monday. He was 87. Taylor won titles with the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals and the 1969 New York Mets and never allowed a run in postseason play. In 1969, he was a reliever on the team dubbed the "Miracle Mets" and led the club with 59 appearances. The right-hander had 13 saves with a 2.72 ERA that season. He earned a save in Game 2 of that World Series when he got the final seven outs against the Baltimore Orioles. In 11 major league seasons, Taylor was 54-43 with 74 saves and a 3.93 ERA in 491 appearances (17 starts) for the Cleveland Indians (1962), Cardinals (1963-65), Houston Astros (1965-66), Mets (1967-71) and San Diego Padres (1972). During the 1964 World Series against the New York Yankees, Taylor threw 4 2/3 hitless innings and earned a save in Game 4. A native of Toronto, Taylor returned home after his playing days and went to medical school at the University of Toronto. He served as the team physician for the Toronto Blue Jays for three decades before opening a private practice in 2014. Taylor is a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. --Field Level Media
Globe and Mail
08-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Bat-flip king José Bautista's second act is all business
Ask any Blue Jays fan where they were the night of José Bautista's legendary 2015 bat flip, and chances are they'll remember exactly what they were doing. Mr. Bautista's memory of that moment, however, is surprisingly hazy. 'I remember hitting the ball,' he says, 'and then I was just … in the dugout, getting a drink. I kind of blacked out.' The sound, he adds, was overwhelming. 'It felt like the stadium was shaking.' Over a decade with the Jays, Mr. Bautista became one of the most iconic figures in Canadian sports – not just for his home runs or six All-Star appearances, but for the intensity and swagger he brought to the field. These days, he's busy building a quieter second act. Since retiring, Mr. Bautista has acquired a professional soccer team, backed a coffee farm in his native Dominican Republic, opened a fitness facility and taken stakes in multiple brands. He's invested in Canadian companies like Flow Water and is now the national face of Mary Brown's Chicken. He's also remained connected to his Canadian fanbase, supporting grassroots sports and raising funds for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted on Saturday. He sat down beforehand to talk about what life is like post-MLB, his evolution as an entrepreneur, and how he sees his legacy. What parts of your baseball career show up in your business life? The biggest thing is situational awareness – reading the environment and adjusting on the fly. You've got to understand the economic cycles, what engagement with your fans (or customers) looks like, and what you're really offering. That same thinking applies in business. Things are always shifting, so you have to stay resilient and adapt. You won't turn a business around overnight. But if you keep showing up, stay thoughtful, surround yourself with good people and put in the work consistently, small gains add up. Were you always interested in business? Yeah, I'd been investing for almost two decades at that point. When you're making money in pro sports, you get introduced to the wealth management world pretty quickly. I used it as a learning opportunity. I carved out a little side pot – money I could put into direct investments where I could meet the founders, ask questions and really understand the business. One of the first was Marucci Sports, a baseball equipment company. I joined their board in 2010. We sold the company right before COVID. Why go hands-on? I wanted a chance to roll the dice on things that felt interesting or personal. And even then, I wasn't replacing the advisers – I just became more active in a portion of what they were managing. I was the annoying client who came in with a lot of questions. Like, 'What's in this fund? Who runs it? How do they pick companies? What are the fees? What's the holding period?' I wanted to learn. Legendary Blue Jay Jose Bautista chats chicken, Netflix, and dishes on his Dominican hero Can you walk me through your biggest investments since then? Marucci was by far the biggest. Endy, a Canadian mattress company, was probably number two. I also got involved in a few pre-IPO and early-round opportunities. Some of them didn't work out – one was kind of like a WeWork concept that flopped, but we rolled that into something else that's doing okay now. Overall, I've probably done five or six, with about a 50-per-cent success rate, which feels lucky. What makes you say 'yes' to a brand or company now? For me, it has to serve a purpose, because I'm not just chasing returns. Giving back is a big one. Not harming the environment is another. I like companies that are thinking about the future, especially using technology to do things better or more efficiently. But even more than that, I want to work with good people who stick to their values. Because when things get tough – and they always do – you don't want to be involved with someone who's going to start cutting corners. Tell me about Bella Aldea, the Dominican coffee company you're backing. I grew up drinking espresso with my grandma on weekends in the Dominican Republic, so it's definitely personal. Most people don't associate Dominican Republic with coffee, even though we're one of the top-producing countries. So when I met my partners – fifth-generation coffee growers in a small mountain village called Juncalito – I felt like I could help tell that story. How do you handle the challenges of doing business in the DR? Having great partners is essential, and controlling the supply helps. We're vertically integrated – we own the farm, do the processing and roasting, and handle export. That lets us control consistency and quality from the source. Let's talk about the Las Vegas Lights FC. What made you want to own a soccer team? I've always wanted to invest in professional sports. But when you look at leagues like MLB or MLS, the valuations are so high that, even if you do invest, you don't really get a seat at the table. With the United Soccer League, I saw an opportunity to actually be involved. This is a long-term play. But the league has come a long way in the last 10 to 15 years, and with promotion and relegation on the horizon, it's about to become a lot more dynamic. Baseball gives you instant feedback – hits, errors, the scoreboard. Was it strange adjusting to a world where results can take longer to show up? A little, yeah. In baseball, maybe I make an adjustment to my swing, and by my next at-bat, I'll see a change. In business, you might change a strategy and not know if it worked for six months. But it also forces you to be more thoughtful. You look for patterns. You rely on data. You talk to customers, partners, investors, whoever can give you insight. And it teaches you patience, which isn't always easy for someone wired like me. What's the biggest business mistake you've made? Early on, I was afraid to dig deep into financial statements. I'd get these investor updates and just kind of skim the parts I didn't fully understand – I didn't want to look like I didn't know what I was doing. Now? I ask everything. I don't care how dumb it sounds. If I don't get it, I want to figure it out. I'd rather look a little clueless and learn something than pretend and miss something important. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Still investing, for sure. Still giving back. I've already helped 62 kids through college with my foundation. But I have a lot more energy and curiosity to offer. I want to keep building – whether it's businesses, relationships, or maybe something bigger in the sports world. If I can add a few more stories to that list, help a few more people, and still have time to be present for my daughters … I'll be happy with that. This interview has been edited and condensed.
