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Taylor Duncan

 Taylor Duncan 

Taylor Duncan was one of the finest athletes to ever come out of Sacramento. He was a three-year varsity starter at shortstop for Grant High School, earning KFBK/Sacramento Bee All-Star status in 1970 and 1971. During his senior year, Taylor stole 26 bases, drove in 23 runs, and finished the season with a league leading .514 average. Future baseball star, Robert “R.J.” Reynolds remembers shagging batting practice balls for Taylor and his

good friend and teammate Leon Lee. Robert said: “These guys were only 17 years old, but to us young kids, they were men. Grown men.”

Taylor was the tenth overall pick in the 1971 draft by the Atlanta Braves, and he tore through rookie ball with a blistering .446 average until a horrific injury on July 4th paused his meteoric quest for the big leagues. Taylor never gave up, and he eventually reached the majors in 1977 with the St. Louis Cardinals. The following year, he signed with the Oakland A’s and hit .257 as a utility infielder. He played 13 seasons in professional baseball, including stints in Japan and Mexico. 

Taylor left us far too early, passing away at the young age of 50 years old. There are so many people in Sacramento that remember him not only as a great ballplayer, but as an incredibly kind man, and very worthy of his induction into the Sacramento Baseball Hall of Fame.

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