Jelly Taylor
Olan Taylor
(Jelly, Satan)
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 5' 11", Weight 230 lb.
- Debut 1937
- Final Game 1946
- Born July 10, 1910 in London, OH USA
- Died October 1 1976 in Cleveland, OH USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Jelly Taylor was a Negro League first baseman noted for his glove as well as a manager. He made three All-Star teams.
Taylor debuted with the Birmingham Black Barons in 1934, then moved to the Pittsburgh Crawfords in 1935, backing up Oscar Charleston. He moved to the Cincinnati Tigers in 1936 and hit .286 as a starter. He fell to .245 in 1937. The Ohio native joined the Memphis Red Sox in 1938 and would spend the rest of his career with them. He hit .2082 his first year.
In the first 1939 East-West Game, Jelly (whose 404,211 votes were second to Ted Strong among first basemen, ahead of Charleston) started at first base and hit 6th for the West; he went 0 for 2 in a 4-2 win. Strong replaced him at first after moving over from shortstop; Ted played the full game in the second East-West Game of '39.
Taylor hit .270 in 1940. In the 1940 East-West Game, he pinch-hit for Curt Henderson in the 9th inning of a 11-0 loss and was retired by Ray Brown. The left-hander was 2 for 8 in 1941. He got 181,322 votes for the 1941 East-West Game, second to Buck Leonard at first. In the contest, a 8-3 loss for the West, he hit 5th and started at first base. He went 1 for 2 before Lyman Bostock Sr. replaced him.
Jelly batted .286 in 1942 then missed two-plus years while serving in the U.S. Army. He returned as Memphis's player-manager during 1945 and hit .345. He batted .364 as player-manager in his last season, 1946. In the twilight years of the Negro leagues, he managed the Kansas City Monarchs for one season in 1956, replacing Buck O'Neil, and followed by Dizzy Dismukes.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- 3-time NAL All-Star (1939-1941)
Year-By-Year Managerial Record[edit]
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Memphis Red Sox | Negro American League | 28-22 | -- | Memphis Red Sox | replaced by Ruben Jones |
Sources[edit]
- The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway
- The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
- Black Baseball's National Showcase by Larry Lester
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.