Bob Taylor (taylobo01)

Robert Lee Taylor

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 170 lb.
• High School Colonial Heights High School
• Debut April 9, 1970
• Final Game September 26, 1970
• Born March 20, 1944 in Leland, MS USA

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Biographical Information

Outfielder Bob Taylor was signed as an amateur free agent by the San Francisco Giants before the 1962 season. Unknown at the time, Robert Lee Taylor would spend his entire twelve-season professional baseball career with that same organization, with the exception of three years spent in Japan, with the Japanese Professional Baseball League, from 1973 to 1975.

Taylor opened his career with the 1962 class D Salem Rebels and Lexington Giants, hitting a combined .247 in 50 outings. Bob spent until 1970 in the minor leagues, all in A ball or higher, hitting over .300 in three seasons, .364 with the Fresno Giants in 1964, .314 with the Amarillo Giants in 1968 and .331 with the Phoenix Giants in 1969.

The San Francisco Giants invited Taylor to Candlestick Park for the 1970 season and Bob appeared in 63 games, hitting just .190. He was used mostly as a pinch-hitter and late-innings substitute in his only chance at becoming a major league player. He then returned to Phoenix for the next two seasons (1971-1972), hitting .318 and .345 respectively, but did not receive an invite back to Candlestick Park.

Taylor decided at this time to journey to the Land of the Rising Sun and played the next three years (1973-1975) in Nippon Professional Baseball. The first year, he was with the Chunichi Dragons, and the next two with the Hanshin Tigers, both in the Central League. Bob did not play in any professional league in 1976, then returned to the U.S. minor leagues in 1977. He finished out his minor league baseball career with the Waterbury Giants hitting .257 in 1977 and .303 in only 21 games in 1978. This gave Taylor minor league career numbers of .301 at the plate with 398 RBIs in 1,236 games.

Robert Lee Taylor was 34 years of age when he left the game.