Bill Taylor

Who was Bill Taylor?

William Michael Taylor was a Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the New York Giants and Detroit Tigers.

The Giants originally acquired the rights to Taylor from the minor league Oakland Oaks in a transaction during the 1950 season. Taylor was signed by the Giants on January 1, 1953. He spent most of the 1953 season with the Giants' AA-level minor league affiliate, the Nashville Volunteers. After posting a .350 batting average with 22 home runs in 107 games for Nashville, he was promoted to the Giants AAA affiliate, the Minneapolis Millers. He played 47 games for the Millers, batting .223 with 7 home runs.

Taylor made his Major League debut for the Giants on April 14, 1954, pinch hitting for Mario Picone and striking out against Brooklyn Dodgers' pitcher Don Newcombe. For the season, he played in 55 games for the Giants, getting 12 hits in 65 at bats for a .185 batting average. He also hit 2 home runs, had 10 runs batted in and scored 4 runs as the Giants won the National League pennant and the 1954 World Series.