In 1969, man walked on the moon, Woodstock rocked the world, and Joe Namaith guaranteed a Super Bowl win. In addition, the “Miracle Mets” won their first World Series in franchise history, one of the most improbable runs in all of sports. 

One of their members, relief pitcher Ron Taylor, died on Monday at the age of 87, per John Sparaco of Sports Illustrated. Taylor had been battling a serious illness. 

Taylor was born in 1937 in Toronto, Canada. He played 11 seasons (1962-1972) in MLB as a relief pitcher. He played for the Mets, the then Cleveland Indians (now Guardians), the St. Louis Cardinals, the Houston Astros, and the San Diego Padres. 

He finished with an overall record of 45-43. Plus, Taylor had a 3.93 ERA, 464 strikeouts, and 47 saves. 

In his post-baseball years, Taylor enrolled in medical school at the University of Toronto. 

In 1977, he became a physician and served in the Royal Canadian Air Force. In 1979, Taylor was the team physician for the Toronto Blue Jays. He served in that role for more than three decades and was part of the Blue Jays winning back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993. 

In 1985, Taylor was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. He had quite the career, but his most significant legacy was being a part of that magical run in 1969. 

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Who were the 1969 “Miracle Mets”?

The “Miracle Mets” went from seven years in last place to 100 wins in '69. They overcame a huge deficit against the Chicago Cubs to win the National League East Division by eight games. 

The Mets were led by a talented group of starting pitchers, including Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, and Jerry Koosman. Not to be outdone, Taylor was an integral part of the bullpen. 

That year, he had a 2.72 ERA in 59 appearances and had 13 saves. Taylor recorded a save in a 2-1 win during Game 2 of the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. 

The Mets went on to win the series in five games, cementing their place in the history books.