Billy Taylor (1990s pitcher)

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=gold
bgcolor2=#003831
textcolor1=#003831
textcolor2=gold
name=Billy Taylor


caption=
position=Pitcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1961|10|16
debutdate=April 5
debutyear=1994
debutteam=Oakland Athletics
finaldate=April 8
finalyear=2001
finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
stat1label=Win-Loss Record
stat1value=16-28
stat2label=ERA
stat2value=4.21
stat3label=Saves
stat3value=100
teams=
* Oakland Athletics (by|1994, by|1996-by|1999)
* New York Mets (by|1999)
* Tampa Bay Devil Rays (by|2000)
* Pittsburgh Pirates (by|2001)
highlights=

William (Billy) Howell Taylor (born October 16, 1961 in Monticello, Florida), is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues primarily as a closer from 1994 and 1996-2001.

Early career

Billy Taylor played his first professional game in 1980 after being drafted by the Texas Rangers in the second round (39th overall pick) of the 1980 draft. Initially drafted as a starter, in 1981, he went 4-2 with a 2.72 ERA in Rookie-Level. However, he struggled after a promotion to Single-A, going just 1-7 with a 4.64 ERA. Over the next two seasons, used as a combination reliever/starter, he went 13-18 with a 5.54 ERA. He did strike out 212 batters. In 1984, used in 42 games, he re-established his prospect status with a 5-3 record and a 3.83 ERA in AA. In 1985, he topped 100 innings pitched for the first time in his career, he also had a 3.47 ERA. He then threw 169 innings between AA and AAA and pitched fairly well with a 4.36 ERA between the two stops. He was only 24 years old. The next season, he pitched poorly, going went 12-9 with a 5.61 ERA. Again, he threw about 170 innings. The next year, Billy then got injured and started only 11 games with an ERA of 5.49. Granted free agency by the Rangers, he signed in 1989 with the Padres, who needed depth in their bullpen. He appeared in 49 games in AAA, with again a high ERA of 5.13.

First success

By 1990, Taylor's career appeared to be over. He was 28 years old and had pitched poorly in AAA as both a starter and a reliever. However, the Atlanta Braves signed him in the middle of August 1990, seeing that his walk rate in 1989 was the lowest it had been in his minor league career. He appeared in 7 games that season. In 1991, no one could have predicted that he would go 6-2 in 59 games as a reliever with a 1.51 ERA in AA, morphing into one of the best closers in that league. 1992 was more of the same for Billy. He went 2-3 with a 2.28 ERA and 12 saves. In 1993, at the age of 31, he was an All-Star, saved 26 games, struck out more than a batter an inning, and had a 1.98 ERA, all in AAA. He won the league's reliever of the year award as well.

Major League career

In 1994, a full 14 years after Billy Taylor had been drafted, he was finally playing in the big leagues. With a 3.50 ERA, he was arguably the most important reliever in the A's bullpen. From 1996-1999, Taylor saved 99 games. His best season came in 1998, where he had 33 saves (eighth in the AL), and a 3.58 ERA.

Career pitching stats

* 317 Games
* 16 Wins
* 28 Losses
* 100 Saves
* 307 Strikeouts
* 4.21 ERA

Fast facts

* Taylor made his Major League debut at the age of 32.
* From 1996-1999, Taylor saved 99 games for the Oakland Athletics.
* On July 31, 1999, he was traded by the Oakland Athletics to the New York Mets for Jason Isringhausen and Greg McMichael.

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/t/taylobi04.shtml Baseball Reference]