Former Phillies All-Star infielder Tony Taylor dies at 84

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tony Taylor, a former Philadelphia Phillies infielder and coach, died Thursday. He was 84.

The Phillies said in a statement that Taylor died from complications of a stroke suffered in 2019. He batted .261 with 2,007 hits, 1,005 runs and 234 stolen bases in 2,195 career games.

Taylor, an All-Star in 1960, was inducted into the team’s Wall of Fame in 2002. He was inducted into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2004.

“Tony was undeniably one of the most popular Phillies of his or any other generation,” said Phillies managing partner John Middleton. “His baseball talent was second only to his warm and engaging personality, as he would always make time to talk with fans when he would visit Philadelphia for Alumni Weekend. Growing up as a Phillies fan, my favorite memory of Tony is the remarkable play he made to save Jim Bunning’s perfect game. It was the play of the game and it was thrilling to see it back then. It remains equally thrilling today to watch Tony turn a sure hit into an out.”

Of Taylor’s 19 seasons (1958-76) in the majors, 15 of them were with the Phillies. He also played for the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers.

Following his playing career, Taylor served as a major league coach with the Phillies (1977-79, 1988-89) and Marlins (1999-2001, 2004) and as a minor league manager and coach with several organizations.