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A Taylor-made season at the plate
Former Vintage and Napa Valley College player Mike Taylor finished the 2006 season among Menlo College’s Top-10 single-season leaders for batting average (.387, eighth) and home runs (7, sixth). Photo courtesy of Menlo College athletics. | Buy photos
Out of baseball for a year, Mike Taylor returned to the game with a vengeance
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CommentBob Freschi got on the phone when he heard that Mike Taylor, one of his former players at Napa Valley College, was out of baseball.
Freschi went to bat for Taylor, a utility player, who elected to leave Missouri Valley College after his junior year in 2004. Citing elbow and shoulder injuries, his dislike for the weather and wanting to be closer to his family in the Bay Area, Taylor said good-bye to Marshall, Mo., and returned to California.
Freschi went to bat for Taylor, a utility player, who elected to leave Missouri Valley College after his junior year in 2004. Citing elbow and shoulder injuries, his dislike for the weather and wanting to be closer to his family in the Bay Area, Taylor said good-bye to Marshall, Mo., and returned to California.
“When I went to Missouri I tried out as a hitter, but they saw me as a starting pitcher,” said Taylor, a 2001 Vintage High School graduate, who is from American Canyon. “They wanted me to focus on that. But I always knew I could hit.”
Freschi knew about Taylor’s hitting abilities as well, so Napa Valley’s head baseball coach called Ken Bowman at Menlo College, a small NCAA-Division III school in Atherton.
Freschi knew about Taylor’s hitting abilities as well, so Napa Valley’s head baseball coach called Ken Bowman at Menlo College, a small NCAA-Division III school in Atherton.
“I enjoy Mike a lot,” Freschi said Monday. “He’s a very talented person. All he needed was his mental capabilities to catch up with his physical prowess, and he was going to take off. He needed to find the right place for him.
“I really felt that with Mike going into Menlo’s program and working with Coach Bowman would be a great fit. I was right, as Mike had a big year.”
“I really felt that with Mike going into Menlo’s program and working with Coach Bowman would be a great fit. I was right, as Mike had a big year.”
Big is right, as Taylor finished the 2006 season — his final year in college — among Menlo’s Top-10 single-season leaders for batting average (.387, eighth) and home runs (7, sixth). He also led Menlo (13-15 overall) in doubles (9), total bases (66, 26 more than his closest teammate), hits (36), RBIs (26), homers (7) and owned a .980 fielding percentage with just one error.
Additionally, he reached as the leadoff hitter 67 percent of the time, batted .371 with runners in scoring position, and .500 with runners on third and less than two outs.
Not bad at all for a player who hadn’t batted in a game for a couple of years.
“Michael, obviously, had the best year offensively for us,” said Bowman, the Oaks’ coach. “I didn’t know what to expect from Mike because he only had one year to play. He’s a big kid and strong. By his stats you can see that he had a great year.”
It was with Freschi’s recommendation and input that went a long ways in getting Taylor, an All-Bay Valley Conference player for Napa Valley, into Menlo’s baseball program. Kevin Fry, who played at NVC and was an assistant coach for a short time for Menlo, also gave his support and endorsement for Taylor.
“He kept in shape, lifting weights, and stayed active hitting-wise,” said Freschi. “When you’re a good talent you’re going to hit no matter where you’re at. I knew it was going to be a good fit. As soon as Mike told me that he was looking for some where else to play, I said, ‘I think this is a good place for you. Just make sure you represent well.’ And that’s exactly what he did.”
“Bob wants the best for his players, the best fits, and he knows their personalities,” said Bowman. “He thought this was kind of the right place for him.”
Taylor, who played basketball and baseball at Vintage, took part in Menlo’s fall program last year. He was used as the Oaks’ closer early on in the year, and in seven appearances had an 0-3 record with two saves, 10 strikeouts and six walks in 6 2/3 innings.
Taylor was mostly used in the outfield or at first base for Menlo, a non-scholarship school which plays an independent schedule and was rained out of 16 games. Bowman, who is also the associate dean of admissions, plans to put up Taylor, the Oaks’ MVP, for the NCAA Div. III All-Region team.
“He’s a better first baseman than he is in the outfield, but he didn’t hurt us out there by any means,” said Bowman, a former University of San Francisco head coach. “I just needed a place to play him. He’s the type of kid that the first time around maybe they throw the breaking ball and made him look bad, and then the second time they come back with the breaking ball and he hit it. He’s the guy we wanted up. There’s no question about it.”
Taylor was named All-Tournament at the California Invitational, which was held in March in Southern California.
“I wish he had another year left,” said Bowman, who also coached Freschi, a third baseman, at USF. “I think it was a good experience for him.”
Taylor, 22, worked out in the gym, practiced hitting in the batting cages, and got therapy and treatment on his elbow and shoulder last year. The former Napa American Legion player pitched, played first base and was used as a designated hitter as a two-year starter for NVC and got a scholarship to Missouri Valley. He hopes to graduate with a business degree from Menlo next year.
“Coach Freschi has always helped me out,” said Taylor. “He’s always been very supportive. He helped me get into Missouri Valley. He helped me get into Menlo. He’s a very up-front person. At the end of my sophomore year he asked me what I wanted to do. He got me into a place.”
Said Freschi: “Between his freshman and sophomore year he made a big difference maturity-wise. But he still had a ways to go. You’ve got to find the place that fits you the best, and I think Mike found his place. Hopefully he’ll get his degree soon and move on.”
Taylor (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) said he wasn’t expecting to have the kind of year he had. He had a .710 slugging percentage in his lone season with Menlo.
“It was probably the best year I could have asked for statistics-wise for my senior year,” said Taylor. “I hit the ball well for some reason.”
“As far as the team, we bonded real well,” he added. “And that made it very easy to adapt to Menlo. I met pretty much all the guys right when I came here. I put in a lot of work. It was pleasing to me that I could help out the team in the 13 wins that we had. I always knew that I could hit. I hit in high school and then I hit at the JC. That was my main priority.
“As a starting pitcher you pitch one out of every four games. I’ve always been a hitter. I was stroking the ball pretty well. I was seeing the ball well. All in all, it was a good year. It was a family environment, just like I wanted it to be. It was a great way to close my college career, with this team here. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. My family got to see me as much as they could and they got to see my last college games.”
Additionally, he reached as the leadoff hitter 67 percent of the time, batted .371 with runners in scoring position, and .500 with runners on third and less than two outs.
Not bad at all for a player who hadn’t batted in a game for a couple of years.
“Michael, obviously, had the best year offensively for us,” said Bowman, the Oaks’ coach. “I didn’t know what to expect from Mike because he only had one year to play. He’s a big kid and strong. By his stats you can see that he had a great year.”
It was with Freschi’s recommendation and input that went a long ways in getting Taylor, an All-Bay Valley Conference player for Napa Valley, into Menlo’s baseball program. Kevin Fry, who played at NVC and was an assistant coach for a short time for Menlo, also gave his support and endorsement for Taylor.
“He kept in shape, lifting weights, and stayed active hitting-wise,” said Freschi. “When you’re a good talent you’re going to hit no matter where you’re at. I knew it was going to be a good fit. As soon as Mike told me that he was looking for some where else to play, I said, ‘I think this is a good place for you. Just make sure you represent well.’ And that’s exactly what he did.”
“Bob wants the best for his players, the best fits, and he knows their personalities,” said Bowman. “He thought this was kind of the right place for him.”
Taylor, who played basketball and baseball at Vintage, took part in Menlo’s fall program last year. He was used as the Oaks’ closer early on in the year, and in seven appearances had an 0-3 record with two saves, 10 strikeouts and six walks in 6 2/3 innings.
Taylor was mostly used in the outfield or at first base for Menlo, a non-scholarship school which plays an independent schedule and was rained out of 16 games. Bowman, who is also the associate dean of admissions, plans to put up Taylor, the Oaks’ MVP, for the NCAA Div. III All-Region team.
“He’s a better first baseman than he is in the outfield, but he didn’t hurt us out there by any means,” said Bowman, a former University of San Francisco head coach. “I just needed a place to play him. He’s the type of kid that the first time around maybe they throw the breaking ball and made him look bad, and then the second time they come back with the breaking ball and he hit it. He’s the guy we wanted up. There’s no question about it.”
Taylor was named All-Tournament at the California Invitational, which was held in March in Southern California.
“I wish he had another year left,” said Bowman, who also coached Freschi, a third baseman, at USF. “I think it was a good experience for him.”
Taylor, 22, worked out in the gym, practiced hitting in the batting cages, and got therapy and treatment on his elbow and shoulder last year. The former Napa American Legion player pitched, played first base and was used as a designated hitter as a two-year starter for NVC and got a scholarship to Missouri Valley. He hopes to graduate with a business degree from Menlo next year.
“Coach Freschi has always helped me out,” said Taylor. “He’s always been very supportive. He helped me get into Missouri Valley. He helped me get into Menlo. He’s a very up-front person. At the end of my sophomore year he asked me what I wanted to do. He got me into a place.”
Said Freschi: “Between his freshman and sophomore year he made a big difference maturity-wise. But he still had a ways to go. You’ve got to find the place that fits you the best, and I think Mike found his place. Hopefully he’ll get his degree soon and move on.”
Taylor (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) said he wasn’t expecting to have the kind of year he had. He had a .710 slugging percentage in his lone season with Menlo.
“It was probably the best year I could have asked for statistics-wise for my senior year,” said Taylor. “I hit the ball well for some reason.”
“As far as the team, we bonded real well,” he added. “And that made it very easy to adapt to Menlo. I met pretty much all the guys right when I came here. I put in a lot of work. It was pleasing to me that I could help out the team in the 13 wins that we had. I always knew that I could hit. I hit in high school and then I hit at the JC. That was my main priority.
“As a starting pitcher you pitch one out of every four games. I’ve always been a hitter. I was stroking the ball pretty well. I was seeing the ball well. All in all, it was a good year. It was a family environment, just like I wanted it to be. It was a great way to close my college career, with this team here. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. My family got to see me as much as they could and they got to see my last college games.”
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