Ron Taylor, reliever on the 1969 Miracle Mets, dies at 87
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio presents a key to the city to 1969 Mets World Series Champion Ron Taylor during the 50th anniversary celebration at Citi Field on June 29, 2019. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Ron Taylor, a reliever who is often called an unsung hero of the 1969 Mets, died on Monday in Toronto at the age of 87 after a lengthy illness, the team announced.
Fans of the '69 Mets, however, remember Taylor’s contributions to that team’s miracle World Series championship quite well.
“Very sad to hear of the passing of 1969 World Champion Met, Dr. Ron Taylor,” longtime Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose posted on X. “A very important piece of the Mets’ bullpen, he recorded the final out of game two of the World Series but was extremely dependable all season. He later became the Toronto Blue Jays team doctor. RIP.”
Taylor, who pitched for the Mets from 1967-71, led the 1969 team with 59 appearances and 13 saves. He went 9-4 with a 2.72 ERA in the regular season, and had a win and a save in the NLCS against Atlanta. His brightest moment as a Met came in Game 2 of the World Series against Baltimore.
With the Mets leading 2-1 and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Taylor relieved starter Jerry Koosman with runners on first and second and faced future Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson. Taylor got Robinson to ground out to third baseman Ed Charles as the Mets tied a series they weren’t supposed to win at one game apiece.
The Mets won the next three games, too, and took home the improbable World Series trophy. Taylor threw a total of 2 1/3 scoreless innings in the five-game series to win his second ring.
“Ron was the only guy on our staff with postseason experience,” teammate Art Shamsky said in statement provided by the Mets. “He had won a championship with the Cardinals in 1964 and brought a winning mentality. We don’t win the title without Ron Taylor.”
Taylor also pitched for four other teams in an 11-year big-league career. His overall record was 45-43 with a 3.93 ERA and 74 saves.
When he retired in 1972, Taylor went on to another career at the age of 34 as he went back to school to become a doctor. He was the team physician for the Toronto Blue Jays for over three decades.
Taylor was a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
