Former Phillies infielder, coach Tony Taylor dies at 84

PHILADELPHIA — Tony Taylor, a former Philadelphia Phillies infielder and coach, died Thursday. He was 84.

The Phillies said in a statement that Taylor died from complications of a stroke suffered in 2019. He batted .261 with 2,007 hits, 1,005 runs and 234 stolen bases in 2,195 career games.

Taylor, an All-Star in 1960, was inducted into the team’s Wall of Fame in 2002. He was inducted into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2004.

“Tony was undeniably one of the most popular Phillies of his or any other generation,” Phillies managing partner John Middleton said. “His baseball talent was second only to his warm and engaging personality, as he would always make time to talk with fans when he would visit Philadelphia for Alumni Weekend. Growing up as a Phillies fan, my favorite memory of Tony is the remarkable play he made to save Jim Bunning’s perfect game. It was the play of the game and it was thrilling to see it back then. It remains equally thrilling today to watch Tony turn a sure hit into an out.”

Of Taylor’s 19 seasons (1958-76) in the majors, 15 of them were with the Phillies. He also played for the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers.

Following his playing career, Taylor served as a major league coach with the Phillies (1977-79, 1988-89) and Marlins (1999-2001, 2004) and as a minor league manager and coach with several organizations.

Shohei Ohtani to be introduced at Dodger Stadium on Thursday

“The World Series is the goal going in,” reliever Joe Kelly said Wednesday.

Ohtani will be introduced during a news conference in Dodger Stadium’s Centerfield Plaza starting 6 p.m. ET. MLB reported Wednesday that Ohtani broke Fanatics’ record for the highest jersey sales within the first 48 hours of a release, topping soccer stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He was out of sight at the stadium on Wednesday, meeting with teammates, including seven-time All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts and Kelly.

“I had a chance to talk to him,” Kelly said, surrounded by kids attending an outdoor holiday party with music blaring. “He was already working out, already grinding, getting bigger and stronger. His arm looked good to me.”

Ohtani last spoke with reporters on Aug. 9, two weeks before a pitching injury that required surgery and will keep him off a mound until 2025. He had the operation on Sept. 19, but the nature of the surgery was not fully announced. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery on Oct. 1, 2018.

A unique two-way star as both a hitter and pitcher, the 29-year-old left the Los Angeles Angels as a free agent after six years.

Kelly is switching uniform numbers after finalizing his $8 million, one-year contract with the team on Monday, opening No. 17 for Ohtani, who thanked him for the gesture.

“I wasn’t going to give it up to just anybody,” Kelly said. “If Shohei keeps performing, he’ll be a future Hall of Famer and I’ll be able to have my number retired. That’s the closest I’ll get to the Hall of Fame.”

Asked what Ohtani was giving him in return, Kelly said, “Oh, there’s a list, but no comment.”

Ohtani spoke infrequently to the media during his years in Anaheim, leaving his teammates to be peppered with questions about the enigmatic superstar.

Kelly said he was prepared to entertain Ohtani questions “maybe once a week.”

Ohtani’s move from Anaheim to Los Angeles has sent fans on both sides of the Pacific Ocean flocking to buy Dodgers merchandise and inquire about tickets on the secondary market. The team has yet to begin single-game ticket sales for next season.

“It’s going to be sold out every game,” Kelly said. “Every game that we’re a part of is going to be like a playoff atmosphere.”

Ohtani will receive just $20 million of his contract over the next 10 years, with $680 million payable from 2034 to ’43 in an unusual structure that gives the team greater payroll flexibility in coming seasons.

“I think all around it’s a good gig for both parties,” Kelly said. “The Dodgers are competitive every year and this is one of those things, he’s the highest-paid player in all of sports, and we’re still going to be able to add to our team every single year he’s a Dodger.”

Ohtani’s contract calls for annual salaries of $70 million. Of each year’s salary, $68 million is deferred with no interest, payable in equal installments each July 1 from 2034 to ’43. The deal includes a full no-trade provision and provides for a hotel suite on road trips, a premium luxury suite for home games and a full-time interpreter.

Ahead of his 30th birthday on July 5, Ohtani has a .274 average with 171 homers, 437 RBIs and 86 stolen bases along with a 39-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481⅔ innings. Ohtani has 34.7 wins above replacement (WAR), per Baseball Reference.

MLB to give top prospects four-day spring showcase in 2024

Major League Baseball will showcase the sport’s best young players during a series of spring training games it’s calling “Spring Breakout,” the league announced Wednesday.

The event, scheduled to take place March 14-17, will pit an organization’s best prospect group against another team’s in a game that’s part of a doubleheader with a regularly scheduled spring game. Although highly regarded prospects often participate in major league spring training games, rosters filled with the best minor league players from each team typically participate on the backfields at spring complexes.

Spring Breakout will bring the top-caliber players over to the big league field and look to leverage the opportunity to better market minor leaguers, an added point of emphasis for MLB since it started running the minor leagues in 2021. All 30 teams will participate in the event — which will combine the game with in-person autograph sessions and other meet-the-prospect opportunities — and the league could televise Spring Breakout games on MLB Network.

“Spring Breakout will provide a new opportunity to showcase the future stars of the game as they continue on their journey to the Major Leagues,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a prepared statement. “Our fans will get unique opportunities to meet our best prospects, get autographs, and see the next generation of Major Leaguers up close. We are thrilled that Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and all of our Clubs are working closer than ever to grow the game and to shine a brighter light on our future All-Stars.”

Farm directors surveyed by ESPN were generally optimistic about the event. While MLB teams have balked at allowing their best players to participate in the World Baseball Classic, the short window for Spring Breakout, along with the ability to keep players near spring facilities, sold them on the concept.

If the event does find success, the ability for it to grow in a second season is limitless. MLB could stage a tournament or turn it into a weeklong event. Already MLB is planning to increase its coverage of the minor leagues on its app and digitally.