Andrew Toles

Andrew Toles
Toles taking batting practice with the Dodgers, at Wrigley Field before Game 6 of 2016 NLCS
Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 60
Outfielder
Born: (1992-05-24) May 24, 1992
Decatur, Georgia
Bats: Left Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 8, 2016, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
MLB statistics
(through 2018 season)
Batting average .286
Home runs 8
Runs batted in 35
Teams

Alvin Andrew Toles (born May 24, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Toles played college baseball for the University of Tennessee, but was dismissed from the team in 2011. He then played for Chipola College, but was suspended from the team in 2012. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the third round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, and played for the organization, but was released prior to the 2015 season for disciplinary reasons. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization after the 2015 season, and made his major league debut in 2016.

Amateur career

Toles attended Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia. After he graduated, the Florida Marlins selected him in the fourth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. He chose not to sign with the Marlins.[1]

Toles enrolled at the University of Tennessee to play college baseball for the Tennessee Volunteers. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2011. However, he was dismissed by the Volunteers baseball team later that year.[2][3] Tennessee coach Dave Serrano did not specify a reason for Toles' dismissal, but noted "a certain standard of accountability to which every member of the team must be held."[2][3]

Toles then transferred to Chipola College in northern Florida.[4] He was suspended from Chipola's baseball team in 2012, for breaking team rules.[5][4]

Minor leagues

Tampa Bay Rays organization

The Tampa Bay Rays selected Toles in the third round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. He signed, receiving a $369,700 signing bonus. After his first professional season, with the Princeton Rays of the Rookie-level Appalachian League in 2012 in which he batted .281, Baseball America named Toles the Best Athlete and the Fastest Baserunner in the organization.[6][7] In 2013, playing for the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Class A Midwest League, Toles led the league in batting average and hits and was named a Mid- and Post-Season All-Star, a Topps Class-A All-Star, a MiLB.com Organization All-Star, and the Rays' Minor League Player of the Year.[8][9]

In 2014, playing for two months with the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League, Toles was criticized by manager Jared Sandberg. He was admonished first for not running hard to first, and was then pulled from a game for not hustling.[10] His manager said: "If you don’t play hard, you don’t play.... I watched Andrew play last year, and he came out of the game last year, too. So this isn’t the first time."[10] Toles left the team days later, and was eventually placed on the inactive list for "personal reasons," missing two months of the season.[6][4][11][2][12] He batted .261/.302/.337 for Charlotte.[13] He played six games in August for the Gulf Coast Rays of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.

In 2015, Toles attended spring training with the Rays. However, he was released prior to the season for disciplinary reasons, and did not play professional baseball that year.[2][14][5]

Los Angeles Dodgers organization

Toles signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers after the 2015 season.[2] He began 2016 with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the Class A-Advanced California League, and was promoted to the Tulsa Drillers of the Class AA Texas League and Oklahoma City Dodgers of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League during the season.[15][16]

Major leagues

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers called him up on July 8, 2016. Toles made his MLB debut as the starting center fielder that night against the San Diego Padres and had one hit in four at bats, a double in his first plate appearance, off Andrew Cashner.[17][18][19] He hit his first home run on August 22 off Josh Smith of the Cincinnati Reds.[20] He hit his first grand slam on August 31 off Adam Ottavino of the Colorado Rockies.[21] Toles finished the season with a .314 batting average in 48 games, along with three home runs and 16 RBIs.[22] Manager Dave Roberts likened Toles's rookie season to a "dream".[23] In the postseason, he hit .364 in 22 at bats.[24]

Toles returned to the Dodgers in 2017, making their Opening Day starting lineup. For the first month of the season he was the Dodgers primary leadoff hitter and starting left fielder against right-handed pitching. However, on May 9 he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee as he pulled up on the warning track at Dodger Stadium, was placed on the disabled list, and had season-ending surgery.[25][26] In 31 games he batted .271 with five home runs and 15 RBIs.[24] Toles was promoted to the majors on July 9, 2018 to make his season debut.

Personal life

Toles was born in Decatur, Georgia. He is the son of Alvin Toles, who played college football at the University of Tennessee and then played in the National Football League.[27]

Toles spent two weeks between the 2015 and 2016 Major League Baseball seasons working in the frozen-foods section of a Georgia Kroger grocery store.[28][12][29]

References

  1. ↑ Rodriguez, Juan C. (August 17, 2010). "Marlins, first-rounder Yelich agree just before deadline: Left-handed hitting OF will receive a $1.7 million signing bonus". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Grauer, Scott (October 6, 2015). "Dodgers sign former Rays prospect Andrew Toles". Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Andrew Toles Dismissed from Baseball Team". Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Have the Rays Lost Top Prospect Andrew Toles?"
  5. 1 2 "Andrew Toles released by Rays". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Grauer, Scott (2015-10-06). ""Dodgers sign former Rays prospect Andrew Toles"". DRaysBay. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  7. ↑ "2013 Tampa Bay Rays Top 10 Prospects". November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Rays announce 2013 Minor League award winners". Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  9. ↑ "2014 Tampa Bay Rays Top 10 Prospects". Baseball America. December 11, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  10. 1 2 by SunCoast Sports Now (2014-05-25). ""Crab Cakes: Andrew Toles removed from game vs. Bradenton" | ''SunCoast Sports Now''". Suncoastsports.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  11. ↑ by SunCoast Sports Now (2014-05-25). "Crab Cakes: Andrew Toles removed from game vs. Bradenton | SunCoast Sports Now". Suncoastsports.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  12. 1 2 "Talented but troubled Andrew Toles gets a second chance with Dodgers", LA Times.
  13. ↑ "Andrew Toles Stats, Highlights, Bio | MiLB.com Stats". Milb.com. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  14. ↑ ""Projecting Dodgers Left Fielder Andrew Toles" | FanGraphs Baseball". Fangraphs.com. 2016-10-07. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  15. ↑ "Andrew Toles breaks out of slump, helps Drillers defeat RoughRiders 6-4". Tulsa World. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  16. ↑ "OKC Dodgers journal: Outfielder Andrew Toles nearly hits for cycle in win over Colorado Springs". July 4, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  17. ↑ Hoornstra, J.P. (July 8, 2016). "Sources: Dodgers calling up Andrew Toles, who was out of baseball last year". LA Daily News. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  18. ↑ Stephen, Eric (July 8, 2016). "Andrew Toles starts in center field for his major league debut". SB Nation. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  19. ↑ "July 8, 216 San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers play-by-play and box score". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  20. ↑ Sheldon, Mark and Cody Pace (August 22, 2016). "Seventh wonder: Dodgers trounce Reds". mlb.com. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  21. ↑ Gurnick, Ken and Ben Weinrib (September 1, 2016). "Toles' slam caps LA's huge rally at Coors". mlb.com. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  22. ↑ "2016 Los Angeles Dodgers Batting, Pitching & Fielding Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  23. ↑ Pedro Moura (2016-09-22). ""Andrew Toles could garner a spot in Dodgers' postseason starting lineup"". Latimes.com. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  24. 1 2 "Andrew Toles Statistics & History". Baseball Reference.
  25. ↑ Gurnick, Ken (May 10, 2017). "Toles to undergo surgery, out for season". MLB.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  26. ↑ Gurnick, Ken (2018-05-24). ""Dodgers' Andrew Toles undergoes knee surgery"". MLB.com. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  27. ↑ "Driller to watch: Andrew Toles". Tulsa World. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Andrew Toles Goes From Frozen Foods to Dodgers' Outfield". The New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  29. ↑ J.P. Hoornstra. ""Andrew Toles' second chance in baseball culminates in promotion to LA Dodgers" – ''Daily News''". Dailynews.com. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
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