Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Don Baylor
Don Edward Baylor (June 28, 1949 – August 7, 2017), nicknamed "Groove," was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. During his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), Baylor was a power hitter known for standing very close to home plate ("crowding the plate") and was a first baseman, left fielder, and designated hitter. He played for six different American League (AL) teams, primarily the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels, but he also played for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and Boston Red Sox. In 1979, Baylor was an All-Star and won the AL Most Valuable Player Award. He won three Silver Slugger Awards, the Roberto Clemente Award, and was a member of the 1987 World Series champion Minnesota Twins.
After his playing career, Baylor managed the expansion Colorado Rockies for six years and the Chicago Cubs for three seasons. He was named NL Manager of the Year in 1995, and was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame.
Baylor reached the World Series three times in his career, in consecutive years with three different teams. Baylor played in the World Series with the Red Sox in 1986, the Twins in 1987, and the A's in 1988, and he was on the winning side in 1987. Baylor is one of three players in history to accomplish this feat, along with Eric Hinske and Will Smith. He set the Red Sox team record for most hit by pitches in a season (35 in 1986); in his career, he was hit by pitches 267 times, fourth-most all time. Baylor retired with 285 stolen bases, 2,135 hits, and 338 home runs.
Born in Austin, Texas, on June 28, 1949, Baylor grew up in Clarksville. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School. After being one of three African Americans to integrate Texas public schools when he was in junior high school, Baylor starred in baseball and football at Austin High, where he was the first African American to play athletics at that school. Baylor was offered a scholarship to play college football for the Texas Longhorns of the University of Texas, which would have made him the first African American to play football at Texas. He opted to pursue a baseball career, enrolling at Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas.
The Baltimore Orioles selected Baylor in the second round of the 1967 MLB draft. He received a $7,500 signing bonus from the team. In 1970, Baylor led the Triple-A level of the minor leagues with 34 doubles, 15 triples, 127 runs, and 140 games-played while playing for the Rochester Red Wings. The following year, he again led the Triple-A level in doubles with 31. Baylor was called up to the major leagues by the Orioles on September 18, 1970. He debuted at home against Cleveland, accruing two hits and three runs batted in across five plate appearances, including a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning. Baylor only played a total of 9 games with the Orioles in the 1970 and 1971 seasons and did not see consistent involvement with the major league roster until 1972.
In his true rookie season in 1972, Baylor posted a .253 batting average, .416 slugging percentage, 11 home runs, and 38 runs batted in across 102 games. Baylor quickly became a respected hitter for the Orioles, averaging .280 at the plate, a .437 slugging percentage, 46 home runs, and 186 runs batted in between 1973 and 1975. He developed a reputation for getting hit by pitches, frequently leaning into off-target pitches and crowding the plate to get on first base without having to get a hit or work a base on balls. In 1973, Baylor led the American League in hit-by-pitches with 13 and he led the major leagues in 1975 with 13.
In a transaction influenced by his imminent free agency after the upcoming season, the Orioles traded Baylor with Mike Torrez and Paul Mitchell to the Oakland Athletics for Reggie Jackson, Ken Holtzman and minor-league right-handed pitcher Bill Van Bommel on April 2, 1976. In 1976, Baylor posted a .247 batting average and .368 slugging percentage with 15 home runs and 68 runs batted in. He once again led the major leagues in hit-by-pitches with 20.
In 1977, Baylor signed with the California Angels as a free agent, joining his former Baltimore teammate Bobby Grich in Anaheim. In 1978, his second season with the Angels, Baylor posted a .255 batting average, .472 slugging percentage, 34 home runs, 99 runs batted in, 22 stolen bases, and a league-leading 18 hit-by-pitches. He placed seventh in AL MVP voting that season. In 1979, Baylor led the majors with 139 runs batted in and 120 runs. He was an AL All-Star, the lone selection of his career. He won the AL's MVP award, gaining 20 of 28 first-place votes and led the Angels to their first-ever AL West Division title. Following his MVP season, Baylor's stats regressed. In 1980, he played only 90 games due to a wrist injury. In those games, he posted a modest .250 batting average and .341 slugging percentage with 5 home runs, the lowest in any of his career seasons with double-digit games played. Baylor again missed time due to an injury in the 1981 season, playing only 103 games with an again-regressed batting average of .239 but an improved slugging percentage of .427 with 17 home runs and 66 runs batted in. Upon the arrival of superstar free agent Reggie Jackson in the 1982 offseason, Baylor took him in as a roommate.
Hub AI
Don Baylor AI simulator
(@Don Baylor_simulator)
Don Baylor
Don Edward Baylor (June 28, 1949 – August 7, 2017), nicknamed "Groove," was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. During his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), Baylor was a power hitter known for standing very close to home plate ("crowding the plate") and was a first baseman, left fielder, and designated hitter. He played for six different American League (AL) teams, primarily the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels, but he also played for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and Boston Red Sox. In 1979, Baylor was an All-Star and won the AL Most Valuable Player Award. He won three Silver Slugger Awards, the Roberto Clemente Award, and was a member of the 1987 World Series champion Minnesota Twins.
After his playing career, Baylor managed the expansion Colorado Rockies for six years and the Chicago Cubs for three seasons. He was named NL Manager of the Year in 1995, and was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame.
Baylor reached the World Series three times in his career, in consecutive years with three different teams. Baylor played in the World Series with the Red Sox in 1986, the Twins in 1987, and the A's in 1988, and he was on the winning side in 1987. Baylor is one of three players in history to accomplish this feat, along with Eric Hinske and Will Smith. He set the Red Sox team record for most hit by pitches in a season (35 in 1986); in his career, he was hit by pitches 267 times, fourth-most all time. Baylor retired with 285 stolen bases, 2,135 hits, and 338 home runs.
Born in Austin, Texas, on June 28, 1949, Baylor grew up in Clarksville. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School. After being one of three African Americans to integrate Texas public schools when he was in junior high school, Baylor starred in baseball and football at Austin High, where he was the first African American to play athletics at that school. Baylor was offered a scholarship to play college football for the Texas Longhorns of the University of Texas, which would have made him the first African American to play football at Texas. He opted to pursue a baseball career, enrolling at Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas.
The Baltimore Orioles selected Baylor in the second round of the 1967 MLB draft. He received a $7,500 signing bonus from the team. In 1970, Baylor led the Triple-A level of the minor leagues with 34 doubles, 15 triples, 127 runs, and 140 games-played while playing for the Rochester Red Wings. The following year, he again led the Triple-A level in doubles with 31. Baylor was called up to the major leagues by the Orioles on September 18, 1970. He debuted at home against Cleveland, accruing two hits and three runs batted in across five plate appearances, including a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning. Baylor only played a total of 9 games with the Orioles in the 1970 and 1971 seasons and did not see consistent involvement with the major league roster until 1972.
In his true rookie season in 1972, Baylor posted a .253 batting average, .416 slugging percentage, 11 home runs, and 38 runs batted in across 102 games. Baylor quickly became a respected hitter for the Orioles, averaging .280 at the plate, a .437 slugging percentage, 46 home runs, and 186 runs batted in between 1973 and 1975. He developed a reputation for getting hit by pitches, frequently leaning into off-target pitches and crowding the plate to get on first base without having to get a hit or work a base on balls. In 1973, Baylor led the American League in hit-by-pitches with 13 and he led the major leagues in 1975 with 13.
In a transaction influenced by his imminent free agency after the upcoming season, the Orioles traded Baylor with Mike Torrez and Paul Mitchell to the Oakland Athletics for Reggie Jackson, Ken Holtzman and minor-league right-handed pitcher Bill Van Bommel on April 2, 1976. In 1976, Baylor posted a .247 batting average and .368 slugging percentage with 15 home runs and 68 runs batted in. He once again led the major leagues in hit-by-pitches with 20.
In 1977, Baylor signed with the California Angels as a free agent, joining his former Baltimore teammate Bobby Grich in Anaheim. In 1978, his second season with the Angels, Baylor posted a .255 batting average, .472 slugging percentage, 34 home runs, 99 runs batted in, 22 stolen bases, and a league-leading 18 hit-by-pitches. He placed seventh in AL MVP voting that season. In 1979, Baylor led the majors with 139 runs batted in and 120 runs. He was an AL All-Star, the lone selection of his career. He won the AL's MVP award, gaining 20 of 28 first-place votes and led the Angels to their first-ever AL West Division title. Following his MVP season, Baylor's stats regressed. In 1980, he played only 90 games due to a wrist injury. In those games, he posted a modest .250 batting average and .341 slugging percentage with 5 home runs, the lowest in any of his career seasons with double-digit games played. Baylor again missed time due to an injury in the 1981 season, playing only 103 games with an again-regressed batting average of .239 but an improved slugging percentage of .427 with 17 home runs and 66 runs batted in. Upon the arrival of superstar free agent Reggie Jackson in the 1982 offseason, Baylor took him in as a roommate.