Luther Taylor

Luther “Dummy” Taylor overcame the handicap of being a deaf mute to become a major league pitcher.

Born in Oskaloosa in 1875, Taylor began attending the Kansas School for the Deaf in Olathe as a child.  During his high school years at KSD, Taylor pitched for the school baseball team and also boxed.  He graduated in 1895 as valedictorian.

Taylor left KSD and played semi-pro baseball with teams in Nevada, Missouri and Lincoln, Illinois.  He moved into minor league baseball and ended up in Albany, New York in 1900.  From there, he was called up to the New York Giants during the 1900 season.  The Giant players learned sign language and the outgoing Taylor enjoyed his teammates.

In 1901, Taylor pitched an incredible 353 innings, compiling an 18-27 record.  He signed with the Cleveland Bronchos for more money for the 1902 season, but the Bronchos players would not learn sign language and he was unhappy.  He managed to return to the Giants after pitching only four games for Cleveland.

Taylor joined Christy Mathewson and Fred McGinnity with the Giants to form one of the greatest pitching rotations of all-time.  Starting in 1903, his win total was in double digits for five consecutive seasons, highlights by 21 wins in 1904.

Taylor began to have arm trouble and his major league career was over 1908, after nine seasons.  He had a career record of 117-103 with 21 shutouts and a 2.75 earned run average.

He returned to the minor leagues for five seasons, then returned to the Kansas School for the Deaf in 1914 as athletic director and coach of the baseball, football and both girls’ and boys’ basketball teams.  He stayed at KSD until 1923 when he moved to the Iowa School for the Deaf.

Taylor died in 1958 and is buried in Baldwin City.  The gymnasium at the Kansas School for the Deaf is named in his honor.

For more, read Luther Taylor’s Society for American Baseball Research bio.