steel arm taylor
August 12, 1879 – March 25, 1956
steel arm taylor
John Boyce Taylor was the second-oldest of four professional baseball-playing brothers, the others being Charles Taylor, Benjamin Taylor, and James Taylor. In 1899 and 1900, John “Steel Arm” Taylor reportedly won 90 percent of his games as a starting pitcher.
career
John Boyce Taylor was the second-oldest of four professional baseball-playing brothers, the others being Charles Taylor, Benjamin Taylor, and James Taylor.
Taylor or as he would become know, Johnny 'Steel Arm’, began his career as a starting pitcher playing in the professional Negro Leagues from 1903 to 1925.
He was given his nickname, "Steel-Arm Johnny," by a white sportswriter for the Charlotte Observer, a predominantly white newspaper during the time.
They wrote an article about Taylor's incredible speed, when he pitched for Biddle University in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1898.
In the summer of 1898, he played for the Greenwood, South Carolina Red Stockings for the last two months of their season, finishing with the Greenville, South Carolina team. [5]
In 1899 and 1900, Taylor pitched for his home town ball club in Anderson, South Carolina. He reportedly won 90 percent of his games as a starter.
During the spring months of 1899 and later in 1905, he coached the Biddle University team before going back to pitching for the 1903 season, this time for the Birmingham Giants where he pitched around thirty to forty games per season.
Although full game statistics from his time with the Giants have yet to be discovered, he reportedly never lost over seven games per season while at Birmingham.
All four brothers ended up joing the team by 1908, and laid claim to beating Hall of Famer Joe Williams 1-0 in a San Antonio game, where Johnny struck out the side with the bases loaded in the ninth inning.
In the Spring of 1908, John Taylor also coached the M&I College team of Holly Springs, Mississippi.
There he worked with and developed future Hall of Fame Major Leaguer players like Ty Cobb, and catcher Vada Pinson, who went on to become the battery for the Birmingham Giants.
As a pitcher, Taylor started games for the St. Paul Colored Gophers in 1909, helping them claim a share of the western championship, posting a combined record of 37-6 between Birmingham and St. Paul.
He pitched for the Chicago Giants in 1910, the St. Louis Giants in 1911, the West Baden Sprudels in 1912, and the Chicago American Giants in 1913 before reuniting with his four brothers in 1914 on the Indianapolis ABCs. [2]
At the inception of the Negro National League in 1920, Taylor took an extended break from playing in the Negro Leagues.
However, he only remained idle for half a season before rejoining the Indianapolis ABCs again in June of 1920. [4] [3]
At 40 years of age, Taylor pitched at least 3 known games, and continued to pitch professionally until 1925.
During his years of coaching college baseball, it was said he reportedly never used tobacco, and did not drink alcohol and often emphasized to his players the virtues of clean living and hard work.
Taylor laid in an unmarked grave for 51 years, until researchers with the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project put up a proper gravestone in 2007.
players
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charelston
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Cool Papa Bell
Oscar Charelston
Oscar Charelston
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Buck Leonard
Oscar Charelston
Satchel Paige
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Satchel Paige
Cumberland Posey
Satchel Paige
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Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Posey
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Jackie Robinson
Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Posey
Jackie Robinson is the first African American to play Major League Baseball. He broke baseball's color barrier in 1945, by signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella played one season in the Negro Leagues, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers just one season after Jackie Robinson’s debut in Major League Baseball.
Gus Greenlee
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Gus Greenlee was a driving force behind the organization of the Negro National League I. During his time involved with Negro Leagues he owned several profitable side businesses.
Henry AAron
Roy Campanella
Candy Jim Taylor
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Candy Jim Taylor
Cristóbal Torriente
Candy Jim Taylor
Candy Jim Taylor was a professional third baseman, manager, and brother of four professional playing Negro Leaguers. His career in baseball spanned over 40 years.
Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente, often called the Babe Ruth of Cuba, played as an outfielder in the Negro Leagues from 1912-1932. He was most known for his incredible power to all fields.
Rube Foster
Cristóbal Torriente
Cristóbal Torriente
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Larry Doby
Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
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Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
Josh Gibson
Even at the catchers position, Josh Gibson's display of power in his famed Negro Leagues career is something rarely seen in the history of Major League Baseball.
Sol White
Josh Gibson
Ben Taylor
King Solomon "Sol" White played baseball professionally as an infielder, manager and league executive. White is considered to be one of the pioneers of the Negro Leagues.
Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor
Born in July 1888, Ben Taylor was the youngest of 4 professional Negro Leaguers, including Candy Jim Taylor, C.I. Taylor, and Johnny Steel Arm Taylor.
Biz Mackey
Ben Taylor
Biz Mackey
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Nat Strong
Ben Taylor
Biz Mackey
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Monte Irvin
Turkey Stearnes
Turkey Stearnes
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Turkey Stearnes
Turkey Stearnes
Turkey Stearnes
Norman Turkey Stearnes played professionally in the Negro Leagues, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Willie Mays
Turkey Stearnes
Steel Arm Taylor
A can’t miss five-tool player, Mays began his professional baseball career with the Black Barons, spending the rest of his career playing MLB for the Giants and Mets.
Steel Arm Taylor
Steel Arm Taylor
Steel Arm Taylor
John Boyce Taylor was the second-oldest of 4 baseball-playing brothers, the others being Charles, Ben and James. For the 1899-1900 seasons, Taylor won 90% of his games starting pitcher for the Giants.
Buck O'Neil
Steel Arm Taylor
Martín Dihigo
Buck signed with the Memphis Red Sox for their first year of play in the newly formed Negro American League (NAL). His contract was sold to the Kansas Monarchs the following year.
Martín Dihigo
Steel Arm Taylor
Martín Dihigo
Martín Magdaleno Dihigo Llanos called The Immortal, was a Cuban professional baseball player. He played in the Negro Leagues and Latin American leagues from 1923 to 1936.