After a 14 year fight against Multiple Myeloma, a rare kind of cancer found in plasma cells, Don Baylor has passed away at the age of 68. During his long career as a player and manager in Major League Baseball, the man nicknamed Groove according to Baseball Reference managed to win both awards in the game, an intangible praise for his character on the field.
After playing for the Baltimore Orioles in the early 1970s and a one year stop with the Oakland Athletics in 1976, Baylor signed as a free agent with the California Angels, now known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This move led him to his most memorable accomplishment when in 1979 Baylor smashed 36 home runs and drove in an MLB high 139 runs. This feat combined with scoring an MLB high 120 runs won him the American League Most Valuable Player Award and led the Angels to their first October baseball as they lost the League Championship Series to Baltimore.
Postseason glory would not evade Baylor forever however as from 1986 to 1988 he played on three different teams; the Boston Red Sox, the Minnesota Twins, and the Athletics and won the pennant each of those years, winning the World Series in 1987 with the Twins. In doing so he became one of only two players to make three consecutive World Series with three different clubs (Eric Hinske joined him in the distinction in 2009). Baylor also had an uncanny knack for getting hit by pitches in his career, getting on base the hard way 267 times, ranking him fourth all time.
Following his retirement as a player, Baylor became a coach as well as the first manager in Colorado Rockies history from 1993 to 1998 which was highlighted when he led Colorado to the 1995 postseason which won him National League Manager of the Year. At the end of his stint in Colorado, Baylor managed the Cubs for 2 1/2 seasons from 2000 to 2002 as well as being the hitting coach for a number of teams, the last of these jobs being for the Angels.
Rest in Peace, Don.
Featured Image via Getty Images
