Ron Taylor (baseball)
A reliable relief pitcher who clinched two World Series titles, then traded his baseball glove for a stethoscope to become a team doctor.
1937–2025 (age 88)·Canadian baseball player·Birthday: December 13·The Silent Generation
Biography
Ron Taylor’s story unfolds in two distinct, remarkable acts. In the first, he was a dependable right-handed reliever, a calm presence on the mound for teams like the St. Louis Cardinals and the 'Miracle' New York Mets. He recorded the final out for the Cardinals in the 1964 World Series and was a crucial bullpen piece for the astonishing 1969 Mets, pitching scoreless ball in the Fall Classic. When his playing days ended, he didn't linger in the game as a coach. Instead, he embarked on a second career that was equally demanding. He returned to his native Canada, entered medical school at the University of Toronto, and became a physician. For three decades, he served as the Toronto Blue Jays' team doctor, bridging his two worlds and becoming one of the very few to win a World Series ring and later care for the players chasing one.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Ron was born in 1937, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1937
#1 Movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Picture
The Life of Emile Zola
Ron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1937Born
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1942Started school
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Became a teenager
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Could drive
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1955Could vote
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Turned 21
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1967Turned 30
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 40
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 50
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 60
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 70
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 80
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2025Died at 88
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
Key Achievements
- Earned a save by pitching the final innings to secure the St. Louis Cardinals' victory in the 1964 World Series.
- Pitched 4.2 scoreless innings of relief across two appearances for the World Series-winning New York Mets in 1969.
- After becoming a physician, served as the team doctor for the Toronto Blue Jays for 30 years.
Did You Know?
He is one of only a handful of people to have both played in a World Series and later served as a team doctor in Major League Baseball.
He graduated from the University of Toronto's medical school in 1977, a decade after his last MLB pitch.
His medical specialization was in industrial and sports medicine.
“From the mound to the medical office, my purpose was always to serve.”
