Books and articles about Don Baylor

A durable power hitter, Don Baylor will probably be most noted as the major league record holder for being hit by a pitch. Unafraid to crowd the plate, he was hit a major league-high 28 times in 1987, setting the career record (244) when plunked by Rick Rhoden on June 28. He was fast in the first half of his career, and retired with 285 stolen bases to go with his 338 HR. Known for his leadership as a player, Baylor played for seven first-place teams and made a fine manager after retirement.

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Baylor was named The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year in 1970 while playing for the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester. He eventually joined the big-league club in 1972, when he played 102 games behind the O’s everyday outfield of Merv Rettenmund, Paul Blair, and Don Buford. By 1974 Baylor was a steady mainstay in Earl Weaver’s outfield, filling an offensive hole that had existed ever since the Orioles traded Frank Robinson to Los Angeles in 1971.

Sent to the A’s before the 1976 season as part of the blockbuster trade which brought Reggie Jackson to the Orioles, Baylor slumped slightly with a .247 average and only 15 homers but stole a career-high 52 bases. Baylor blossomed after signing with the California Angels after the season as a free-agent. In 1979 he won MVP honors after hitting .296 with 36 HR and leading the league with 139 RBI and 120 runs scored, leading California to their first AL West title ever.

Baylor’s production dropped after suffering both a broken wrist and dislocated toe in 1980, but by 1982 he had recovered and returned to form, hitting .263 with 24 homers with 80 RBIs. Now a slugger more than a speedster, he was lured to the Yankees (along with fellow free-agent Steve Kemp) by George Steinbrenner’s millions. After three successful but unhappy seasons in New York, he went to the Red Sox in exchange for Mike Easler.

Voted the AL's top DH in 1985 and 1986, Baylor reached the 2,000-hit plateau the latter year. Although his offensive skills were declining, Baylor remained a top performer in the clutch and as a result reached the World Series three years in a row for three different teams -- Boston in 1986, Minnesota (who traded for him halfway through the season) in 1987, and Oakland (where he had signed as a free-agent) in 1988.

After retirement, Baylor worked as a hitting coach for the Brewers and Cardinals until he was named manager of the expansion Colorado Rockies for the 1993 season. By the end of the 162-game season Baylor had used 136 lineups, but after ending the season 31-21 his Rockies had won more games than any previous NL expansion team and even finished ahead of the San Diego Padres. By 1995 the Rockies had not only posted a winning record (77-67) but made the postseason as a wildcard team -- as a result, Baylor won his first Manager of the Year award. After two straight 83-79 seasons in 1996 and 1997, Baylor’s team held the best five-year record (363-384) of any expansion club in history.

A deteriorating relationship with Rockies GM Bob Gebhard and a disastrous 1998 campaign ended Baylor's tenure in Colorado, but solid work in Atlanta as the Braves' hitting coach in 1999 (especially with emerging star Chipper Jones) prompted the Chicago Cubs to hire him as their new skipper for the 2000 season. Baylor, whose reputation for honesty convinced Cubs GM Ed Lynch that he was the right man to replace Jim Riggleman, beat out former Cub Billy Williams for the job and promptly announced that star right fielder Sammy Sosa needed to work on his defense. (ME/JGR)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » June 7, 1967: The last-place Yankees have the first pick in the free-agent draft and use it to take Ron Blomberg. With the next pick, the Cubs tap SS Terry Hughes, who will have just 86 ML at bats. All 20 first-round picks are high school players, and only 11 will eventually reach the major leagues, including John Mayberry (#6, Astros), Jon Matlack (Mets), Wayne Simpson (#8, Reds), Ted Simmons (#10, Cards), and Bobby Grich (#20, Orioles). The O's take Don Baylor with their 2nd pick, then in the secondary phase, select P Mike Adamson. Adamson will leap directly to the O's, debuting July 1, the first player in draft history to bypass the minors. Other selections today include Dusty Baker (26th round, Braves), Matlack (1st round, Mets), Steve Yeager (3rd round, Dodgers) and Richie Zisk (3rd round, Pirates), The Phils strike out as none of their picks will reach the majors. » April 6, 1973: At Baltimore, Dave McNally fires a three-hitter as the Orioles roll over the Brewers, 10–0. Don Baylor has three doubles, a homer, and four RBIs, while Brooks Robinson bangs two homers for four RBIs. » August 14, 1973: Don Baylor is 5-for-5 to lead the Orioles to a 1210 win over Texas. Baylor has nine hits in his last two games. » June 15, 1974: Baltimore beats the White Sox, 4–3, in 11 innings. Don Baylor enters the game in the 9th as a pinch runner and makes the record books with a steal and twice getting caught stealing, thanks to misplays by the Sox. Bobby Grich opens with a single and Tommy Davis singles him to 3B. Davis is then picked off, but an error by Dick Allen at 1B allows both runners to move up. After an out, Ellie Hendricks singles Davis home and Baylor pinch runs. Baylor gets caught stealing second but 2B Ron Santo drops the throw from Ed Herrmann. Baylor then swipes 3B and, following a intentional walk to Brooks Robinson, he is caught stealing home, Herrmann unassisted. Andy Etchebarren strikes out to end the unique frame. Baylor's mark is a ML record, but will be matched four times in the National League between 1987 and 1992. » July 2, 1975: In a 13–5 win over Detroit, Baltimore's Don Baylor homers his first three times up, giving him four consecutive home runs over two games to tie the ML record. » April 2, 1976: The A's trade prospective free agents Reggie Jackson and Ken Holtzman, together with a minor league pitcher, to the Orioles for OF Don Baylor and pitchers Mike Torrez and Paul Mitchell. » November 4, 1976: The first mass-market free-agent reentry draft is held at New York's Plaza Hotel. Among those available are Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi, Don Gullett, Gene Tenace, Rollie Fingers, Don Baylor, Bobby Grich, and Willie McCovey. McCovey and Nate Colbert are the only two players not selected, but McCovey will catch on with the Giants in spring training and have a banner year at his old position. » May 11, 1977: Frank Tanana applies the calcimine in California's 6–0 win over Baltimore and teammates Bobby Bonds, Don Baylor, and Ron Jackson provide the offense with consecutive homers in the 2nd inning. » August 25, 1979: Angel Don Baylor ties a club-record by knocking in eight runs during a 24–2 slaughter of the Blue Jays. The 24 runs the 26 hits are both Angels record. After the first three Jays pitchers are cuffed around, 1B Craig Kusick takes the mound in his only ML pitching appearance. He does a creditable job, pitching three 2.3 innings, allowing three hits and two runs. No walks or K's. » November 14, 1979: California's Don Baylor, who led the AL in runs and RBI, is named the league's MVP. » October 5, 1982: Angels Don Baylor collects five RBI, tying an LCS record, as California takes Game One 8–3 over Milwaukee. Tommy John picks up the win. » December 1, 1982: Free-agent slugger Don Baylor signs a reported 5-year, $5 million contract with the Yankees. » August 29, 1985: In the Yankees 4–0 win over the Angels, Don Baylor is hit by a pitch (from Kirk McCaskill) for the 190th time, breaking the American League record of 189 set by Minnie Minoso. » March 28, 1986: The Yankees and Red Sox swap designated hitters: Mike Easler goes to New York for Don Baylor. » August 12, 1986: Boston's Don Baylor sets an American League record when he is hit by a pitch for the 25th time, breaking the season record he held with Bill Freehan (1968) and Kid Elberfeld (1911). The Royals Bud Black does the plunking in a 5–1 win. Baylor will end the season being hit 35 times: the major-league record is 50 by Ron Hunt. » October 12, 1986: One loss away from elimination and trailing 5–2 entering the 9th, the Red Sox stage one of the most improbable comebacks in post-season history winning 7–6 over the Angels in 11 innings. After Don Baylor's 9th-inning home run reduces the deficit to 5–4, reserve outfielder Dave Henderson slugs a 2-out, 2-run home run off Donnie Moore to give Boston a 6–5 lead. California ties the score with a run in the bottom of the 9th but Henderson, who had appeared to be the goat when he dropped Bobby Grich's long fly ball over the fence for a home run in the 7th inning, delivers a sacrifice fly in the 11th for the winning run. » April 27, 1987: Boston's Don Baylor collects his 2,000th ML hit, a single off Curt Young in a 5–2 loss to the A's. » June 1, 1987: Dwight Evans hits his 300th career home run in Boston's 9–5 loss to the Twins, joining teammates Jim Rice and Don Baylor in the 300-HR club. » June 28, 1987: Don Baylor moves ahead of Ron Hunt on the all-time hit-by-pitch list when the Yankees Rick Rhoden plunks him during a 6–2 loss to the Red Sox. It is the 244th time that Baylor has been hit by the pitch. He'll end with 267, putting him 3rd on the list behind turn-of-the-century star Hughie Jennings. » September 1, 1987: The Red Sox trade two heroes from their 1986 American League Championship team, sending DH Don Baylor to the Twins and OF Dave Henderson to the Giants for players to be named later. » February 9, 1988: Don Baylor signs a one-year contract with the A's. » July 3, 1988: Oakland's P Gene Nelson steals a base while pinch running for Don Baylor in a 9–8, 16-inning win over Toronto, becoming the first American League pitcher to steal a base since John "Blue Moon" Odom in 1973. Jose Canseco's three home runs are not quite enough, and the game is not decided until Mark McGwire connects in the 16th inning to end it. McGwire will hit another 16th-inning home run tomorrow. » October 27, 1992: The Rockies hire Don Baylor as the team's 1st manager. » November 16, 1992: The Rockies sign free agent 1B Andres Galarraga who rejoins Don Baylor, his hitting coach with the Cards. Galarraga is coming off his second injury-plagued year, having missed 44 days of the season after being hit on the wrist by a Wally Whitehurst pitch in the 3rd game of the season » September 28, 1998: The Rockies fire manager Don Baylor, the only manager they've ever had. » November 1, 1999: The Cubs hire Atlanta Braves coach Don Baylor as their new manager. » July 5, 2002: The Cubs fire manager Don Baylor and hire Bruce Kimm in his place. » September 29, 2002: The Cubs fire manager Bruce Kimm, who took over from Don Baylor on July 5. Kimm requested that the announcement be made prior to the game, a 7–3 Cubs win. Kerry Wood (12-12) strikes out nine in six innings, and the Cub relievers add six more. The Cubs end the season leading the majors in strikeouts by batters (1,269) and pitchers (1,333), the first team to accomplish the feat since Boston (UA) in 1884. Sammy Sosa hits his 49th to lead the NL; it is 499th career homer (45 have come in starts by Wood). Pluses for the Bucs include two homers, one by Tony Alvarez, his first in the majors. Josh Fogg (12-12) sets a modern club record for starts by a rookie (33); Sam Leever had 39 in 1899.