Bob Bailor

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=black
bgcolor2=#005ac0
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Bob Bailor
position=Utility player
birthdate=birth date and age|1951|7|10
bats=Right
throws=Right
debutdate=September 6
debutyear=1975
debutteam=Baltimore Orioles
finaldate=October 6
finalyear=1985
finalteam=Los Angeles Dodgers
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.264
stat2label=Stolen bases
stat2value=90
stat3label=Runs
stat3value=339
teams=
*Baltimore Orioles (by|1975-by|1976)
*Toronto Blue Jays (by|1977-by|1980)
*New York Mets (by|1981-by|1983)
*Los Angeles Dodgers (by|1984-by|1985)
highlights=
*Led AL in At Bats per Strikeout (29.6) in 1978. Toronto Blue Jays single season record.
*Toronto Blue Jays All-Time At Bats per Strikeout Leader (17.6)

Robert Michael Bailor (born July 10, 1951 in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, United States of America) is a former right-handed utility player in Major League Baseball, best known for his speed and for being difficult to strike out. He played his high school baseball at Geibel Catholic High School in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, and attended college at University of California at Berkeley. [cite web|url = http://www.thebaseballpage.com/players/bailobo01.php|title = Bob Bailor|publisher = The Baseball Cube|accessdate = 2007-06-18]

Originally an infielder, Bailor was originally signed by the Baltimore Orioles in 1969 but struggled to break into the big league lineup that included Brooks Robinson, Bobby Grich, and Mark Belanger. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1976 expansion draft as their first pick and would hit the first leadoff home run in Blue Jays' history. [cite web|url = http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/tor/history/club_firsts.jsp|title = History:Blue Jays' Club Firsts|accessdate = 2007-06-18|publisher = Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club] Primarily playing outfield, he hit .310 for the club in 1977 and was named the Jays Player of the Year in his first two seasons there.

By 1980, Bailor began to struggle at the plate and became primarily a utility player. After that season, he was traded to the New York Mets, where he spent three seasons mostly coming off the bench. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Sid Fernandez. After seeing limited playing time in two seasons there, he retired.

During his career, Bailor played significant time at shortstop, second base, third base as well as all three outfield positions. He additionally appeared in ten games as a designated hitter and even in three games as a pitcher for the 1980 Toronto Blue Jays giving up two runs in two and two thirds innings. This flexibility as a position player led to Bailor's reputation as a very versatile player. [Cite news|url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01E4D81638F930A25751C1A965948260|title = Trade of Bailor Is Made Official|date = 1983-12-13|publisher = New York Times|accessdate = 2007-06-18]

After his playing career, Bailor went on to manage teams at the minor league level. The Toronto Blue Jays organization hired him in 1987 to manage the Dunedin Blue Jays. [cite news|title = SPORTS PEOPLE; Comings and Goings|publisher = New York Times|date = 1987-01-28|url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1D8113AF93BA15752C0A961948260|accessdate = 2007-06-18] Bailor later went on to manage the Syracuse Chiefs from 1988 to 1991. [cite web|url = http://www.thebaseballcube.com/teams/team_10404.shtml|title = Syracuse|publisher = The Baseball Cube|accessdate = 2007-06-18] From 1992 until 1995, Bailor served as a coach with the Toronto Blue Jays. [Cite web|url = http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/tor/history/coaches.jsp|title = History: Blue Jays All Time Coaches|publisher = Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club|accessdate = 2007-06-18]

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