C. I. Taylor

Charles Isham Taylor (January 20, 1875 – February 23, 1922) was an American second baseman, manager^[2] and executive in Negro league baseball. Born in Anderson, South Carolina, he was the oldest among four sons of a Methodist minister—including Candy Jim, Ben and Johnny—who made a remarkable impact on black baseball.

C. I. Taylor
(January 1922)
2nd Baseman / Manager
Born: (1875-01-20)January 20, 1875 Anderson, South Carolina, U.S.
Died: February 23, 1922(1922-02-23) (aged 47) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Teams
As player Birmingham Giants (1904–1909) West Baden Sprudels (1910–1913)^[1] Indianapolis ABCs (1914–1921) ^[2] As manager Birmingham Giants (1907–1909) West Baden Sprudels (1910–1913) Indianapolis ABCs (1914–1918, 1920–1921)

After serving in the 10th Cavalry during the Spanish–American War^[3] in the Philippines, Taylor attended Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1904 he started the first black professional baseball team in Birmingham, Alabama, the Birmingham Giants, recruiting from Southern colleges.

In 1914 he became half-owner, along with Thomas Bowser, and manager of the Indianapolis ABCs,^[4] and over the next several seasons developed the team into a power rivaled only by Rube Foster's Chicago American Giants.

When World War I drew off many players from his roster, he personally toured Washington, D.C., with them, pointing out the various government institutions and instilling in them a sense of their duty to their nation.

He was also a co-founder and vice president of the Negro National League before his death at age 47 in Indianapolis, Indiana.^[5] His widow, Olivia Taylor, continued to operate the ABC's for three years, with his brother Ben as manager for the first year, before the team folded in 1926.

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum awards The C.I. Taylor Legacy Award to the best manager of each MLB league annually.^[6]

References

1. "Take One From Sprudels" Loogootee Sentinel, Loogootee, IN, Tuesday, August 22, 1911, Page 1, Column 1 and 2
2. "Cuban Stars Will Meet A.B.C.s in Two Games Today" Indianapolis Freeman, Indianapolis, IN, Sunday, May 19, 1918, Part 4 Sports Section Page 1, Column 5
3. Revel, Layton; Munoz, Luis. "Forgotten Heroes: Charles Isham "C.I." Taylor" (PDF). cnlbr.org. Center for Negro League Baseball Research. p. 1. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
4. "The A.B.C. Ball Club Sold" Indianapolis Freeman, Indianapolis, IN, Saturday, February 21, 1914, Page 8, Column 4
5. "Colored Star Dies". Decatur Daily Review. February 25, 1922. p. 5. Retrieved February 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
6. . Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2011-07-21.

Bibliography

• Riley, James A. (1994). The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues. New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-0065-3.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference and Baseball-Reference Black Baseball stats and Seamheads
• C. I. Taylor managerial career statistics at Baseball-Reference.com and Seamheads
• C. I. Taylor at Find a Grave