Taylor, James A. - Candy

JAMES A. ‘CANDY’ TAYLOR
1884-1948

James ‘Candy’ Taylor spent a lifetime in black baseball, sometimes accompanied by brothers Ben, Johnny, and C.I.

He peaked as a player in 1916 as a key member of C.I.'s Black World Champion Indianapolis ABC's. Playing third base and hitting third in the order, he batted .478 in a key five-game series with the New York Lincoln Stars, and .360 in seven of ten BWS contests.

He had also been instrumental in the successes of the 1909 Black Western champion St. Paul Gophers and the 1913 Chicago American Giants.

He gained a reputation as a master strategist, managing three Negro National League teams to pennants - the 1928 St. Louis Stars, and the 1943 and 1944 Homestead Grays.