He had a monster year in 1979, winning the AL MVP while with the Angels. Won a championship with the Twins. But I will always remember him as an Oriole...
Posted on 08/07/2017 9:04:09 AM PDT by Rummyfan
Baseball great Don Baylor, the 1979 American League Most Valuable Player, who played for six teams and later managed two, died Monday morning after a long battle with multiple myeloma, The Austin-American Statesman reported. He was 68.
Baylor, a Texas native, died at 4:25 a.m. at St. David’s South Hospital in Austin, his son told the Statesman.
Baylor hit .260 with a .342 on-base percentage and 338 home runs during a 19-year career with the Orioles, Athletics, Angels, Yankees, Red Sox and Twins. He finished with 2,135 hits and 118 OPS+.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
He had a monster year in 1979, winning the AL MVP while with the Angels. Won a championship with the Twins. But I will always remember him as an Oriole...
Baylor hit .260 with a .342 on-base percentage and 338 home runs during a 19-year career
He was a good player, I’m surprised he didn’t hit for higher career average
RIP. Still a young man. I remember him being a very dangerous hitter in the 1980’s. Sad to read about the greats passing on.
I lived in Red Sox country back then and that loss was devastating at the time. Yet I'm sure most have forgotten in light all all the Boston sports titles since then (Patriots, Sox, Bruins, etc.). Still, doesn't seem like 1986 was all that long ago - time flies.
What I remember about Don Baylor with the Red Sox was that he struck out a lot but still hit a good amount of homers. Would have been nice if he was playing 1B that night instead of Bill Buckner. Usually Baylor was used in the DH position by then.
Buckner was the goat, but he was playing with an injury. When the Sox won in 04, I forgave Buckner...
I saw Don Baylor when he played for the AAA Rochester Red Wings in 1970 and 1971. From another article
“In ‘70, he batted .327 with 22 home runs, 107 RBI and 26 stolen bases en route to Minor League Player of the Year honors. He followed up that performance with a .313 average, 20 home runs, 95 RBI and 25 steals for the 1971 Governors’ Cup and Junior World Series champs.
That 1971 Red Wings team is considered the greatest of all for the Red Wings! I was just a kid and went to at least 20 games that year!
RIP Don Baylor! Cancer sucks!
A lot of people talk about how tough Don Baylor was, but he had a soft side too. In Buena Park when Don Baylor first put on an Angels uniform, he wanted to help his new team on the field and his new community off of it. So he, and a few other Angels created an annual golf tournament, the 65 Roses Golf Classic for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
This year, now in its 32nd year, Baylor and some other ex-Angels got it teed it up for the charity again, adding to the over $5 million they’ve raised to fight the disease, with the money going to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
“Life expectancy (for someone with cystic fibrosis) back in 1977 was eight years. Now, it’s into the 30’s,” Baylor said. “All the guys that have helped me out, we feel like we may have made a small difference. No way would that have been possible years ago. That’s what keeps me coming up. I’ll stay until we find a cure.”
And he did his best. And the tournament still goes on today.
http://www.65rosesgolfclassic.org/
A tough man with a heart of gold. Hard to find them anymore.
rwood
He had a big homer during the 1987 World Series. RIP.
Damn. He was a great guy.
I met him several times.
His wife at one time ran for Congress as a Republican in Austin.
Don was one of the first African American to integrate Austin High School.
RIP.
RIP Don, you were a fierce hitter, fun to watch on the field and a lifetime baseball guy.
Buckner was more the scapegoat than the goat, in my opinion.
Red Sox entered the inning up 5-3. They got two quick outs, then two relief pitchers (Schiraldi and ?) proceeded two give up 3 straight base hits and wild pitch to tie the game.
Then with Knight on 2nd, the grounder by Mookie Wilson went through Buckner’s leg. Even if he fields the ball, I doubt he gets the out at first. Knight would not have scored of course, but the point is, the Red Sox bullpen had already blown the lead when the fatal play occurred.
I lived in Red Sox country back then and that loss was devastating at the time. Yet I’m sure most have forgotten in light all all the Boston sports titles since then (Patriots, Sox, Bruins, etc.). Still, doesn’t seem like 1986 was all that long ago - time flies.
I remember it well too (even though no dog in the Series) but it keeps being brought back, at least on Classic replays and documentaries.
Maybe I’ve watched the Steve Bartman documentary too much, as much of it featured Buckner’s miscue
He played for the Red Sox in 1986, which was the infamous “Bill Buckner” year in which the Red Sox were one strike away from the World Series title only to have a routine grounder go between his (Buckner’s) legs.
I get what you’re saying, but wasn’t the score tied at that point?
Wow - I really liked him, especially as Rockies manager.
RIP, Don - you did great.
Multiple Myeloma should become a routinely curable disease in the future, ala Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Baylor was frequently hit by pitches. He’s #4 on the all time list being hit an amazing 267 times.
The Os couldn't hold on to Grich and Baylor - they left for the Angels and Gene Autrey's money (Grich being a native Southern Californian too both I believe...). Baylor had a long career and was on a lot of winners, finally getting his World Series ring with the '87 Twins. He played in three consecutive Word Series with three different teams: the '86 Sox, the '87 Twins, and the '88 As. He must have been some sort of charm (even though only two of those teams won it all).
Terry Crowley was one of the best pure hitters of his era.
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