Saturday, February 1, 1992

Eddie Taylor, onetime Seattle coach and longtime baseball scout, died Thursday in Chula Vista, Calif., after an extended illness. He was 90 on Nov. 17.

Taylor's greatest discovery was former New York Yankee pitching great Mel Stottlemyre. He also signed Steve Kline, a 16-game winner with the Yankees in 1972, during a long scouting career with the Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia, St. Louis and the Major League Scouting Bureau.

He played second base with the Boston Braves and the Seattle Indians and served as coach with the Indians, Seattle Rainiers and Vancouver Mounties. He also was a manager and general manager in the Western International League.

"Eddie was a very loyal and hardworking guy," former Chicago Cub scout Dave Kosher said. "He was great for the Northwest."

"He was very conscientious," longtime Boston Red Sox scout Earl Johnson said. "He wanted to make sure he saw every prospect."

Longtime scout Jimmy Robertson recalled Taylor's scouting career with several major league teams, "but his greatest success was with the Yankees."