Don Baylor
A product of the plentiful Orioles organization, Don Baylor learned the game of baseball at the foot of Frank Robinson, a player he had much in common with. Like Robby, Baylor was big and strong, but also long-legged and fast. He was one of the most feared baserunners of his time, breaking up double plays with reckless abandon and disdain for middle infielders. After testing the free agent market, Baylor signed a lucrative deal with the Angels, for whom he won the 1979 Most Valuable Player Award. Over the second half of his career, he helped teach many young players the proper way to play the game, while bouncing from contender to contender as pennant insurance. He hit 20 homers in a season for four different teams, and retired with more than 300 homers, 1,200 RBI, 200 stolen bases, and 2,000 hits.
Played For
Baltimore Orioles (1970-1975)
Oakland Athletics (1976)
California Angels (1977-1982)
New York Yankees (1983-1985)
Boston Red Sox (1986-1987)
Minnesota Twins (1987)
Oakland Athletics (1988)
Managed
Colorado Rockies (1993-1998)
Chicago Cubs (2000-2002)
All-Time Rankings
Don Baylor ranks #6 among the Top 50 all-time at DH. Rankings ⇒
Where He Played
Designated hitter (1,285), left field (623), right field (195), first base (148), center field (37)
Born
Don Edward Baylor was born on June 28, 1949, in Austin, TX.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: DH
Primary Team: CAL
College: Blinn JC
Major League Debut
September 18, 1970
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1970
Dave Concepcion
Jose Cruz
Don Baylor
Larry Bowa
Ken Singleton
Bobby Grich
Cesar Cedeno
Bert Blyleven
Charlie Hough
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1994 |
BBWAA |
12 |
2.6% |
1995 |
BBWAA |
12 |
2.6% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1973 American League Championship Series
1974 American League Championship Series
1979 American League Championship Series
1982 American League Championship Series
1986 American League Championship Series
1986 World Series
1987 World Series
1987 American League Championship Series
1988 American League Championship Series
1988 World Series
Awards and Honors
1979 AL MVP
Batting Feats
All-Star Selections
1979 AL
Learn More about Don Baylor
Search Amazon.com for Books about Don Baylor ⇒
Search for Don Baylor at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
