Earl Taborn
Nickname: Mickey
Career: 1946-1950
Position: c
Teams: Kansas City Monarchs (1946-1951), minor leagues (1949), Mexican League (1951-1961)
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6' Weight: 175
Born: July 21, 1911, Carrie Mills, Illinois
As a receiver Earl Taborn was outstanding behind the plate, with a strong and accurate arm, but he was slow on the bases and, although a tough out for some pitchers, he was generally an average hitter for both consistency and power, usually hitting in the eighth slot for the Kansas City Monarchs. Joining Kansas City in 1946, he shared the catching duties with Joe Greene for the Monarch's last pennant winning ballclub but hit only .206. While Greene was a better hitter, Taborn was the top receiver on the squad and was charged with handling the Monarchs' superb mound corps. After another year of sharing the catching spot with Greene, Taborn took over sole possession of the starting position in 1948, and responded with a batting average of .301. Two years later he batted .345.
Between these two prime seasons with the Monarchs, he spent some time with Newark in the International League, batting only .247. Beginning in 1951, when he hit .247 with Mexico City, he began eleven straight seasons in the Mexican League. His best year was in 1957 with Nuevo Laredo, when he hit .314 with 27 home runs. The next year was also a good year with the club, and he hit .274 with 17 home runs. Prior to joining Nuevo Laredo he played with Veracruz, compiling marks of .289 with 15 home runs and .279 with 12 home runs in 1955-1956. He finished his career in 1961 with Puebla, hitting .267. During his years in Mexico, the light-complexioned catcher was sometimes mistaken for a Mexican.
Source: James A. Riley, The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues, New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 1994.
Earl Taborn