Zack Taylor (baseball)

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James Wren Taylor, better known as "Zack" (July 27, 1898 - September 19, 1974), was an American Major League Baseball catcher with the Brooklyn Robins, Boston Braves, New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, and again with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The native of Yulee, Florida, joined the St. Louis Browns as a coach, and when Luke Sewell resigned as manager in 1946, Taylor finished out the season. After a disastrous 1947 campaign, Browns general manager Bill DeWitt re-hired him as manager. He lost 100 games in two of his five seasons as manager, and after the 1951 season, he was fired. Taylor also coached for Brooklyn and the Pittsburgh Pirates, and remained active in baseball as a scout until his death in Orlando, Florida, in 1974.

Taylor was the St. Louis skipper who, upon orders from then-owner Bill Veeck, sent Eddie Gaedel to the plate on August 19, 1951 against Bob Cain and the Detroit Tigers. He also particpated in another Veeck stunt, in which the Browns handed out placards - reading take, swing, bunt, etc. - to fans and allowed them to make managerial decisions for a day. Taylor dutifully surveyed the fans' advice and relayed the sign accordingly. The Browns won the game.

[edit] External links

• Find-A-Grave biography
• Baseball Reference

Preceded by: Luke Sewell	St. Louis Browns Manager 1946	Succeeded by: Muddy Ruel
Preceded by: Muddy Ruel	St. Louis Browns Manager 1948-1951	Succeeded by: Rogers Hornsby