Contact Us

Brien Taylor Former Top Pick by the Yankees Gives Rare Interview

From #1 Pick to Bust to Prison, Brien Taylor Joins Jeff Jackson's Podcast and Talks Career

January 12, 2022

Brien Taylor 1992 Yankees

Remember Brien Taylor? The can't-miss fireballer of a pitcher taken number one overall in the 1992 draft by the New York Yankees. An injury sustained in a fistfight ruined his career before even reaching the majors. You probably wondered what ever happened to Brien Taylor after chasing his 1992 Topps baseball card! Taylor sat down for a rare interview on the Jeff Jackson podcast.

Brien Taylor was a legend in the making. In his Senior year of High School, Taylor pitched 88 innings to a microscopic ERA of 0.48 and struck out 213 batters. For comparison, Jacob deGrom, a two-time Cy Young winner, pitched 92 innings in 2021 and struck out 146 batters. Taylor was drafted first overall in the 1992 MLB draft; the future of the New York Yankees. A then-record 1.5-million dollar signing bonus came and the hype was on. You chased his 1992 Topps rookie card from packs that season, stockpiling for the day Taylor makes the Hall of Fame. Then - it was gone. One thrown punch derailed his entire career before he ever made it to the Major Leagues. Twenty years later, long after you forgot about Taylor, he was in the public eye again for a prison sentence in 2012. Another decade on top of that and you still have no idea what ever happened to Brien Taylor.

In a rare sit-down, Taylor joined The 1st Round Experience with Jeff Jackson. Jackson himself is a former top pick for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1989 draft. Taylor focuses on his baseball career both before and after the injuring including topics of:

What did he buy with the 1.5 million dollar signing bonus the Yankees gave him?
When he'll talk about the fight that injured his shoulder and ruined his career.
Where did he work after his baseball career ended?
Congestive Heart Failure at 29.
Is he friends with Derek Jeter?

The heart failure at 29 was shocking for me to hear. I always thought Brien never made a comeback because of his shoulder but illness was the ultimate factor.

Albany Colonie Yankees Ticket

To this day I can't walk by a 1992 Topps card of Brien Taylor and NOT buy it. The card you see in the picture is my signed gold rookie where Taylor inked his name on the front. He's in the pinstripes in this card, too, and looking like he's ready to throw 100 MPH fastball. Growing up here in Albany, NY., I had the chance to see Brien (and chase him down for an autograph) with the Albany-Colonie Yankees back 1993 while he was here. I recall my neighbor was lucky enough to get the free AC Yankees t-shirt on promo day before the game and had it signed by Brien - was so envious! I also miss those days when a baseball ticket, even to the minor league games, were only $6.50. Brien Taylor - what could have been...

You can listen to the entire interview with Brien Taylor HERE.

Our sister company, Vintage Breaks, does card breaks and has packs of 1992 Bowman you can buy into. While the "hit" of the pack another Yankee, Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, Taylor has a card you can scoop up here, too. Check out the pack break here:

WE ARE ALWAYS BUYING

While I may have enough Brien Taylor rookie cards, I can never have enough vintage sports cards! Recently we purchased a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card discovered with jars of pickles, 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth cards, and rare 1914 T222 Fatima cards. Check out some our recent purchases HERE. If you're interested in selling your card collection, we are buying!

Just Collect is always buying vintage sports and non-sports cards from 1879 to 1979 as well as select modern cards. If you have a collection that you are considering selling, contact us today to discuss or get our industry-leading purchase offer. If you have a collection that you want appraised, please contact us and we would be happy to discuss your collection and help you understand the real cash value of your collection in the current marketplace. Check out the

OUR BUYING PHILOSOPHY

We've run into a wide range of people and collections over the last 25 years. Although Just Collect is known for buying vintage sports cards and especially vintage baseball cards, we are also extremely interested in buying non-sports cards, too!

Every collection and every collector is different and we treat EVERY collection with the respect and attention that we show for our own collections. We understand that many have put their heart and souls into building their collections. So when you're ready to sell, we understand the feelings that you're going through and will work with you to help you reach a decision that is a WIN/WIN, because if you're not happy, we're not happy.

Whether you have vintage cards or modern wax you want to sell, you can reach out to us any time!