Cardinals HOF Should Honor Taylor And His ‘64 Moment
Heroes from Game 4 of the 1964 World Series. Ron Taylor (left), Ken Boyer (middle) and Roger Craig (right) all played key roles in the Cardinals’ comeback 4-3 win.
Ron Taylor passed away a few days ago, at age 87. That news probably doesn’t move the needle for younger baseball fans, but it made this party sad.
If you worked as a sportswriter for 35 years, if you were blessed enough to cover the Cardinals and World Series teams through those years, there were lots of memorable moments and memorable players in between.
But Ron Taylor was part of the 1964 Cardinals, the team that beat the New York Yankees of Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Elston Howard, Whitey Ford, etc.
You were just a kid when the ’64 team won that improbable pennant. You faked being sick to stay home from school and watch some of those World Series games. Each was played during the day, when setting suns and stretching shadows split the field, when the air was crisp and the sounds were popping of paper cups, shouting vendors and bustling crowds.
They were ballpark sounds, no speakers required. It was all slightly magical, because you weren’t covering baseball at that point, you were soaking in it, the heroic nature of it, the wholesome quality of it, the milky uniforms, the tailored grass … and the fantastic notion that - one day - you might actually play it.
You weren’t cynical, self-absorbed or tied to a keyboard crunching. You were a kid. Your dreams were still intoxicating, your values were unwavering and your imagination freely wondered.
No matter how many clubhouses you visit as an adult, how many champagne sprays you dodge, how many household names you meet, the ones you didn’t talk to are the ones you still revere.
And remembering Ron Taylor also reinforces an idea you have for the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame “suggestion box.” The administrators of the program should adopt some type of “Hall of Fame Achievement,” or “Magic Moment” award.
For one, it would solve the awkward issue that recently occurred with the HOF election of David Freese - better known as the “I am not worthy situation. Most importantly, it would be a terrific way to celebrate players and memories that are codified in Cardinals history, episodes that need not be certified by “career” numbers, performances that rise to Hall of Fame recognition on their own.
For example, Freese was being inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame based largely on his unforgettable performance in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series. The St. Louis native is unpretentious enough to recognize as much, to know his career - while admirable - is not in the same ballpark with Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Stan Musial, etc. The red jacket doesn’t fit.
With a refreshing amount of humility and integrity, Freese respectfully declined the HOF selection in 2023.
That’s a shame, in that fans would love to recognize Freese and what he did in 2011. Presumably, if the Cardinals wanted to honor him during their Ballpark Village festivities by presenting him with a “Magic Moment Award,” he would be happy to accept and be part of the ceremonies.
And there are many more performances and players that could be celebrated in the same manner:
Ray Washburn and his iconic no-hitter at Candlestick Park on Sept. 18, 1968 - the day after San Francisco’s Gaylord Perry no-hit the Cardinals. It is the only time in MLB history consecutive no-hitters were thrown in the same series at the same ballpark.
Glenn Brummer and his insane steal of home on Aug. 22, 1982: Bottom of the 12th, bases loaded, David Green at the plate - WITH TWO OUTS AND TWO STRIKES! Who wouldn’t love to see Brummer on stage to tell that story?
Ken Oberkfell and his walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the 1982 National League Championship Series. It would be special to toast “Obie” alongside ’82 teammates who are already HOFers. Perhaps HOFer Joe Torre - who managed the Braves that night - could present.
Jack Clark and his legendary home run in the ninth inning of NLCS Game 6 that punched the Cardinals’ ticket to the 1985 World Series. “The Ripper” certainly has a place in the Cardinals HOF. Presumably, he would be done rounding the bases in time to receive the recognition.
Those are just a few of the performances in club history that deserve consideration. Ron Taylor brings all of this to mind because he represents another, he and Roger Craig to be precise.
Of course, Ken Boyer already is a part of the Cardinals HOF, and some argue he belongs in Cooperstown. Most St. Louis fans know of Boyer’s home run in Game 4 of that ’64 World Series. The grand slam is one of the most famous blows in franchise history.
The romance of that clout also overshadows the performances of Craig and Taylor. The Yankees had a 2-1 Series lead when Game 4 began - after Mickey Mantle launched a Barney Schultz knuckleball into orbit to win Game 3.
Momentum was drenched in pinstripes the next day when they chased 20-game winner Ray Sadecki in the first inning. Sadecki departed with one out, leaving a 2-0 deficit and a runner at third behind. The Cardinals were on the ropes when manager Johnny Keane lifted Sadecki for Craig.
The journeyman right-hander allowed a run-scoring single to Elston Howard, making it 3-0. But retired the next two to close the wound, then held New York scoreless over the next four frames, striking out eight.
That laid the foundation for Boyer, who flipped the scoreboard with one swing of the bat in the top of the sixth, giving the Cardinals a 4-3 lead. Enter Taylor.
Protecting that one-run margin at jam-packed Yankee Stadium, Taylor mowed down 12 of the last 13 Yankees to bat. The only imperfection was a walk to Mantle with two outs in the eighth. No worries, Taylor dispatched the last four in succession to close the game.
Boyer was the home run hero, but the work of Craig and Taylor made it so. Mindful Game 5 was in New York the next day, Shannon told me once: “There’s no question that, if we didn’t win that game, we were not going back to St. Louis.”
Taylor, the first Toronto native to play in the major leagues, was a remarkable man. From 1963-64, he made only 11 starts for the Cardinals but he came out of the bullpen 106 times. He accumulated a 17-11 record with 19 saves and a 3.61 ERA. After a rough start in 1965, he was traded to Houston.
Later in his career, Taylor was 9-4 with 13 saves for the “Miracle Mets” of 1969, helping them win a championship. In all, he pitched 10.1 World Series innings, struck out nine and didn’t allow a run.
But baseball is only part of Taylor’s story. After making USO trips to Guam, Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam, touring military hospitals and seeing the wounded soldiers, he put baseball behind and entered medical school at the age of 35. Five years later, the Toronto native was a doctor. He then became the team doctor for the Toronto Blue Jays, as well as their batting practice pitcher.
His sons, Drew and Mathew, made a movie about their father’s remarkable life entitled Dr. Baseball. The film features interviews with former Cardinals teammates like Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and Tim McCarver. See the link below.
The point is, Ron Taylor would be a prime candidate for an achievement award during a Cardinals Hall of Fame weekend. He might share the award with Craig, who died in 2023 at age 93.
Wouldn’t it have been special to celebrate those moments and those former Cardinals while they were with us? Well, many still are.