Carl Taylor

Carl Means Taylor

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 207 lb.
• High School Key West High School
• Debut April 11, 1968
• Final Game September 29, 1973
• Born January 20, 1944 in Sarasota, FL USA

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Biographical Information

Step-brother of Boog Powell and Charles Powell, Carl Taylor came up through the Pittsburgh Pirates organization as a catcher and outfielder. He made the Pirates team out of spring training in 1968 after playing only 3 games in AAA. Taylor served as a back-up catcher and pinch-hitter in 1968 and also made two appearances in the outfield. The rookie saw limited action and batted only .211. Taylor began the 1969 season as a pinch-hitter and back-up outfielder. By July 1st, Taylor was hitting so well as a pinch-hitter (11 for 22), that he began to find himself frequently in the starting lineup, either at first base or the outfield. By the end of the 1969 season, Taylor had started 51 games and accumulated 221 at-bats. Never a power hitter, he had 4 home runs and 33 RBIs. But his BA/OBP/SLG were an impressive .348/.432/.457 in a season during the second dead-ball era. His .348 batting average was exactly the same as the National League batting champ Pete Rose, except that Taylor was far from the required number of plate appearances to qualify for the title.

Taylor's outstanding hitting in 1969 led the St. Louis Cardinals to trade pitcher Dave Giusti to the Pirates in order to acquire him in the winter of 1969. But Taylor did not sustain his good hitting in 1970 for the Cardinals. Despite a career high 245 at-bats, he hit only .249 and was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers after the season. The Brewers traded Taylor to the Kansas City Royals prior to the 1971 season. After hitting just .179 through June 6th, the Royals sent Taylor to AAA, where he stayed until being sold back to the Pirates in September of that same year. He was used mainly as a pinch-hitter during that month for the Pirates. The Pirates then sold Taylor back to the Royals prior to the 1972 season. He served as a back-up catcher for the Royals in 1972 and 1973 but never again showed the hitting prowess that earned him attention in 1969.

Taylor played more games at catcher in the majors than at any other position, mainly because the Royals used him primarily as a catcher in 1973. The 1969 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1970 St. Louis Cardinals used him exclusively in the outfield and infield.

He played in the 1954 Little League World Series as a teammate of Boog Powell; the Series set a record with five future major leaguers. Taylor and Powell's Florida team failed to make the finals.

Carl graduated from Key West High School in the Florida keys.

He was a video coordinator for the New York Yankees starting in 1990. He also pitched batting practice and was the club's "resident barber."

Sources: 1993 New York Yankees Media Guide