Ron Taylor, ex-MLB pitcher and longtime Blue Jays doctor, dead at 87

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Dr. Ron Taylor, a two-time World Series-winning pitcher and longtime Toronto Blue Jays team physician, has died. He was 87.

The Blue Jays confirmed Taylor’s death in a statement Monday. A cause of death was not provided.

Taylor, who was born in Toronto on Dec. 13, 1937, played 10 seasons in the majors from 1962 to 1972 after signing with the Cleveland Indians in 1955.

He threw 11 scoreless innings at Fenway Park in his big-league debut on April 11, 1962, before surrendering a 12th-inning grand slam in a 4-0 defeat.

He joined the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963 and helped them win a World Series the following year.

He was a key member of the 1969 “Miracle Mets” championship team. He earned a win out of the bullpen against Atlanta in the National League Championship Series, then surrendered no hits in 2 1/3 innings with a save in two appearances in the World Series against the favoured Baltimore Orioles.

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Taylor also pitched with Houston and San Diego. He had a career 45-43 record with a 3.93 earned-run average, 464 strikeouts and 74 saves.

After retiring in 1972, he returned to Toronto and received a medical degree from the University of Toronto in 1977.

He joined the Blue Jays as team physician in 1979 and earned the nickname “Dr. Baseball” as he served in the role for 30 years, a span that included the team’s World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.

Taylor was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He was appointed to the Order of Ontario by lieutenant governor James Bartleman in 2005.