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The Extraordinary 93-Year Baseball Journey of Taylor Phillips
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Among the living, few who wore woolen jersey's, baggy pants, stirrups, sanitary socks, and spikes remain. They were the Atlanta boys of summer. The beloved minor league Crackers who played in Ponce de Leon Park for generations.
Saturday in Hiram, Georgia, a public birthday celebration at Bethel Methodist Church (1-3 p.m. 1444 Bethel Church Road) for 93-year-old Taylor “T-Bone” Phillips, an Atlanta Crackers standout pitcher.
It's been a remarkable life of baseball and community, touching all the bases in his long impactful life.
It was my dad’s (Amos Phillips) goal to see me play in Atlanta."
A father living vicariously through his athletic son, Taylor.
“Ponce de Leon Ballpark was our Yankees Stadium, our Fenway — if you grew up here, this was it," said Mr. Phillips, “Sept. 10, 1964, I threw the final pitch and got the final out in the old ballpark before its demolition.”
Mr. Phillips then asked the Ponce de Leon groundskeeper and his crew for the infield turf, with a laugh telling me, "they rolled up the sod, put it in baskets, and loaded it into my car.”
Mr. Phillips had moved (1964) into a Lithia Springs ranch home in 1964. It had everything except grass in the front yard.
“We mixed in some centipede with the ballpark turf and it took root and has grown ever since.”says Phillips. 62 years growing in a Lithia Springs front yard rooted with Atlanta history.
The ballpark turf and Mr. Phillips still flourish today. “I’m doing well, still walking daily.”
The Douglasville native resides in assisted living in Dallas, Georgia.
Toward 80 years ago, young Taylor was a boy schooling a team of men. His uncle, a Cobb County warden had his nephew pitch in a men’s league. He was striking out every adult batter.
The future was obvious.
After graduating from Douglas County High School in 1950, it was on to the University of Georgia and a baseball scholarship.
MLB was calling.
“The Yankees wanted to sign me. The Crackers (Southern League) would be my team, it wasn’t a hard decision.”
In 1953, Taylor was drafted by the U.S. Army and played on a great military team at Fort McPherson/Atlanta (130-game schedule).
11 of the players had MLB contracts.
Mr. Phillips made his MLB debut June 8, 1956, in Milwaukee County Stadium before 35,000 fans.
“I had never seen so many people at a game in my life. I entered in relief of Ernie Johnson against the New York Giants.”
One of the first batters he would face — Willie Mays.
Welcome to the big leagues.
Mr. Phillips recalled every pitch he threw to the legendary center fielder, Hall of Famer, and 20th century icon.
“The scouting report said don’t give him anything slow. FB, CB for a strike, FB for a strike, then I got him on a change up, he swung hard three times. Gone.”
Mr. Phillips pitched 2⅓ innings, yielding one hit, walking none, and striking out three.
He couldn’t wait to call his parents in Georgia.
Taylor Phillips and Willie Mays would meet again later that summer, this time in the NY Polo Grounds.
“I tried to slip a pitch past Mays, and he crushed it out the ballpark," Phillips said. "As he is rounding the bases, he is shouting, 'Got you, homeboy!' Such a great player and one of the really good guys of the game.”
Mr. Phillips' favorite MLB memory would come four weeks later against the Cardinals in Milwaukee.
“I was really sharp that day.”
He made his first start on Aug. 9, 1956, and pitched a three-hitter, winning 4-1, with the Cardinals’ only run scoring on an error.
The left-handed pitcher was selected as the Braves Rookie of the Year. Mr. Phillips was a member of the 1957 World Champion Braves.
The years ahead would present arm trouble, being dealt to the Cubs and then Phillies, and winter ball in Puerto Rico with Sandy Koufax.
“Sandy was a really good person and teammate.”
Then Atlanta and AAA to close out his career.
“I’ve always said, around that time, I was in the twilight of a mediocre career, so I quit,” said Mr. Phillips, laughing on his cellphone. “There are so many stories from those Atlanta Crackers years — and some are true.”
There was the sports gambling along the left field line at Ponce de Leon Ballpark.
“It was the first illegal/legal casino in Georgia.”
Crackers Owner Earl Mann would appear in the clubhouse after a win, shaking hands with money affixed to his palm for those who played well.
“Mr. Mann’s bills were always welcome.”
Mr. Phillips tells a Crackers story that could only happen in baseball.
“When (Crackers infielder) Poochie Hartsfield died, he wanted his ashes spread underneath the magnolia tree that’s still standing from the ballpark (below the beltline, above the Home Depot loading dock). The minister said a prayer to close the memorial service, and we could see a thunderstorm coming. It rained so hard, all the dirt including Poochie’s ashes washed into the Home Depot parking lot.”
Taylor Phillips retired after 28 years with the Austell Post Office; the job allowed him to pitch batting practice for the Atlanta Braves in the late 1960s.
He also coached thousands of kids in the community, with more than 100 receiving baseball scholarships.
“I had a little talent and I took it as far as I could, I’ve had a great life."
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