Skip to main content

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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ricky Jordan

  Ricky Jordan  In the spring of 1983 just before the start of the baseball season, Grant coach Mike Alberghini convinced his prized student athlete Ricky Jordan that baseball, rather than football, was the right sport for his future. “Ricky”, the decorated coach counseled, “There are little defensive backs out there who will take your knees right out.” Ricky took the advice and had a monster senior year hitting .356 with 4 home runs and 43 RBI’s. He made the All-City team and was the 22nd overall pick in the 1983 MLB draft. Ricky had a number of college offers, but the infamous scout Eddie Bockman made a nice offer on behalf of the Philadelphia Phillies, and soon Ricky was off to Butte, Montana in the Pioneer League. Ricky quickly established himself as one of the organization’s top prospects as he climbed the ladder towards the majors. In 1987 Rickey hit .318 with 16 home runs and 95 RBIs. In 1988 he was called up to the Phillies. Few players have ever enjoyed a mo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Francis Frank (Mugs) McNamara Obituary, Sacramento Bee

 McNamara, Francis Thomas (Mugs) passed gently into the morning light of November 7, 2020, 43 days short of his 87th Birthday surrounded by his family. He was the youngest and the last surviving child of John and Josephine McNamara and was preceded in death by his beloved siblings Mary, James, Anne, and John.  The son of an Irish immigrant, Mugs was bread and buttered in the town he loved so well attending Christian Brothers High School, Sacramento City College, and Sacramento State University. He graduated from Chico State University in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in education followed by a master’s degree in the same subject.   He was a lifelong learner devoted to his books and the arts. He would spend 47 years as a teacher and principal beginning with the Sacramento City Unified School District, commencing with the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, with indelible tenures at Joseph Bonham, Caleb Greenwood, John Bidwell, St. Ann’s, and St. Patrick’s. With quiet stre...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grilled Chicken on the Weber

King Henry and his Weber. I want there to be no peasant in my kingdom so poor that he cannot have a chicken in his Weber every Sunday. King Henry IV (fabricated slightly) My wife and I throw a lot of dinner parties. Indeed, it is our favorite way to spend an evening. While guest lists, menus, and dinner topics vary, one question seems to consistently find its way into the conversation --- what would your final meal be? Given that I adore just about everything if it is cooked right, my answer sometimes surprises dinner guests. It is simply roast chicken on a grill. No beer cans. No rotisserie. Just a trusty piece of Americana called the Weber Charcoal Barbecue.  A few years ago, I bought my dream barbecue: The Weber Performer. It combines the ease of gas with the results of charcoal. Oh, how I love it. However, you do not need the Performer for this recipe. Any old Weber will do. A Word About Chicken The Weber Performer. Proof there is ...
Post a Comment
Read more