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Tony Taylor played his first and last games in the major leagues at St. Louis against the Cardinals. In between, he had two splendid series against them, one in 1960 and the other in 1970.

An infielder who had 2,007 hits in 19 seasons in the big leagues, Taylor primarily played for the Phillies, but entered the majors with the Cubs and was mentored by former Cardinals standout Rogers Hornsby.

Late in Taylor’s career, the Cardinals tried to acquire him, but he opted to return to the Phillies.

Deep in Dixie

Born and raised in Cuba, Taylor liked to study chemistry in school. “If I didn’t go into baseball, I would have become a chemist for a sugar company,” he told The Sporting News.

A friend, Felix Gomez, had played for Texas City, an independent club in the minor leagues, and persuaded Taylor to start a pro baseball career there. Taylor was 18 when he signed with Texas City in 1954. During the season, the franchise was shifted to Thibodaux, La.

On the field, Taylor thrived, playing third base and batting .314, but “off the field, he was confused, anxious and lonely,” The Sporting News reported.

“I was so homesick,” Taylor said.

Taylor said he would have quit during the season, but lacked the money for a plane ticket to Cuba.

The Giants bought his contract after the 1954 season and he spent the next three years (1955-57) in their farm system.

Success at St. Louis

In December 1957, the Cubs chose Taylor in the minor-league draft and he went to spring training in 1958 as a candidate for the third base job. At training camp, Cubs manager Bob Scheffing was impressed with Taylor’s fielding range and moved him to second base, even though Taylor never had played the position. “He’ll get a lot of balls nobody else would reach,” Scheffing said.

Two of the Cubs’ coaches, Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby and George Myatt, were former big-league second basemen and they helped Taylor make the transition from third base, The Sporting News reported.

As Opening Day neared, the Chicago Tribune reported Taylor “has done slick work at second, ” but added he “has become a controversial figure in camp. There are those who believe he can’t miss but others rate him lacking in big-league ability.”

Scheffing’s confidence in Taylor never wavered. On April 15, 1958, when the Cubs opened the season at St. Louis, Taylor was the second baseman and batted in the leadoff spot. In his first at-bat in the majors, Taylor opened the game with a double against Vinegar Bend Mizell and went on to score, giving the Cubs a 1-0 lead in a game they won, 4-0. Boxscore

In 1960, Taylor was 8-for-14 for the Cubs in a three-game series at St. Louis. Taylor capped the weekend by going 4-for-5 with three RBI in the series finale in what the Chicago Tribune called “a Taylor-made victory” for the Cubs. Boxscore

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch described Taylor as “the quiet man with the loud bat.”

A right-handed batter, Taylor had a powerful build on a 5-foot-9 frame. Rogers Hornsby, who had become a Cubs batting instructor, told The Sporting News he believed Taylor would be a .300 hitter. “If he ever learns to stride into the the ball and pull it,” Hornsby added, “he’ll be a home run slugger.”

Two weeks after his big St, Louis series, Taylor was traded to the Phillies.

Popular with Phillies

Taylor became a Phillies favorite. In 1963, he led National League second basemen in fielding percentage, produced 180 hits and scored 102 runs. Taylor six times had 20 or more stolen bases in a season.

Taylor was the Phillies’ second baseman from 1960-65, moved to a utility role in 1966-67 when Cookie Rojas became the starter, and took over at third base in 1968-69.

In 1970, the Phillies moved Don Money from shortstop to third base and went with rookies Denny Doyle at second and Larry Bowa at shortstop. Taylor, 34, opened the season in left field, but returned to second base when Doyle slumped.

Taylor time

On May 21, 1970, Philadelphia was abuzz with anticipation when the Cardinals opened a four-game series with the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium. Slugger Richie Allen was playing in Philadelphia for the first time since being traded by the Phillies to the Cardinals.

In the Thursday night series opener, the focus was on Allen, but Taylor, his former road roommate, stole the show.

Cardinals starter Steve Carlton struck out 16 batters in eight innings, but the Phillies led, 3-0, entering the ninth. The Cardinals came back with three runs in the top of the ninth, including two on a home run by Allen, tying the score.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Phillies had runners on first and second, two outs, when Taylor came to the plate. “He was the right guy in the right spot,” Phillies manager Frank Lucchesi told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Facing reliever Sal Campisi, Taylor told the Philadelphia Daily News, “I try to hit the ball up the middle in a spot like that. I was looking for a strike, a ball I could handle.”

Taylor grounded a single into center field, scoring John Briggs from second and giving the Phillies a 4-3 walkoff victory. Boxscore

Cardinals catcher Bart Zeller, making his big-league debut, told the Post-Dispatch, “Taylor hit a slider up, and we were trying to keep it away, but it got the middle of the plate.”

Tribute for Taylor

The next night, Taylor moved to third base to replace Don Money, who was injured in the series opener when a ball he was about to field struck him in the right eye. Taylor had two hits, scored a run and swiped a base, but the Cardinals won, 6-3. Boxscore

Game 3 of the series was Tony Taylor Night in Philadelphia and he was honored in ceremonies before the game. Standing at home plate with family, including his mother, who arrived from Cuba in March, Taylor was presented with gifts, including a trip to Spain for he and his wife.

Unfazed by the show of affection for Taylor, Bob Gibson struck him out three times in the game and finished with 16 in a 3-1 victory. Taylor did get one of the four hits Gibson allowed. Richie Allen drove in all the Cardinals’ runs with a pair of home runs versus Jim Bunning. Boxscore

The series finale on Sunday afternoon gave Taylor the chance to produce another game-winning hit, and he delivered.

In the 10th inning, with the score tied at 5-5, the Phillies loaded the bases with none out before Taylor lined a single to right on a fastball from Chuck Taylor, scoring Grant Jackson from third and giving the Phillies a 6-5 walkoff triumph. Richie Allen struck out five times in the game. Boxscore

Taylor finished the season with a .301 batting mark. He hit .411 with runners in scoring position.

Tony the Tiger

The Phillies traded Taylor to the Tigers in June 1971. He made the only postseason appearance of his career with them in 1972.

Released by the Tigers in December 1973, Taylor, 38, was pursued by the Cardinals, who wanted him for a utility role, United Press International reported, but he returned to the Phillies and played three more seasons for them.

On Sept. 29, 1976, Taylor ended his major-league playing career where it began, at St. Louis. Batting for pitcher Tug McGraw, Taylor grounded out to second versus John Curtis. Boxscore

Taylor went on to manage in the Phillies’ farm system for five seasons, coached for the Phillies and Marlins and was an instructor for the Giants.