Wheelin’ and Dealin’
Phils trade 3 for Tony Taylor
GM John Quinn pulled off another trade that benefited the Phillies long term when he acquired second baseman Tony Taylor, 24, from the Chicago Cubs for three players, catcher Cal Neeman, 31; first baseman Ed Bouchee, 27, and right-handed pitcher Don Cardwell, 24, on May 13, 1960.
Following the trade, Taylor turned into the starting second baseman for 12 years, developed into a steady lead-off hitter and became one of the most popular players Phillies ever.
During his 15-year career (1960–71; 1974–76) in Philadelphia, “TT” played in 1,669 games, fifth on the Phillies all-time list. He also coached on the major league level twice (1977–79; 1988–89) and also managed in the Phillies minor league system (1982–83; 1985–87). He was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2002. Twice the Phillies honored him with a “Tony Taylor Night,” 1963 at Connie Mack Stadium and 1975 at Veterans Stadium.
He played 1,003 games at second base, a Phillies record that was broken by Chase Utley in 2011.
Originally signed by the Giants out of Cuba in 1954, Taylor was a Rule 5 draft by the Cubs three years later. He hit .261 over 19 big-league seasons, same average for his Phillies career.
A long-time Miami resident, Taylor also coached for the Marlins. He has three World Series rings, Phillies (1980) and Marlins (1997 and 2003).
