Don Baylor, longtime major league player and manager, passed away on Monday at the age of 68.
Baylor, who battled multiple myeloma during the final years of his life, was known for his toughness on and off the baseball diamond. The Austin, Texas native grew up fighting racism in his segregated home town, overcoming his challenging upbringing by making it big as a second-round draft pick and eventual American League MVP award winner.
Baylor’s toughness on the field is shown in the 267 pitches by which he was hit during his career. But Baylor was as talented as he was tough; in addition to being the 1979 MVP winner, he hit 338 career home runs, was selected to an All-Star Game, and earned three Silver Slugger awards.