Boston Red Sox
“There are certain people that have an innate ability to just lift people around them just by seeing them. That’s who he is.”
Payton Tolle has become a fan favorite with the Red Sox in short order, given both his strong results on the mound and his affable, easy-going approach.
The 23-year-old southpaw went viral on Monday during his latest start with Boston after tagging out Seattle Mariners DH Dominic Canzone near first base — via a hug.
The embrace made the rounds on social media, with the 6-foot-6, 250-pound lefty admitting that he didn’t know Canzone prior to the game.
“No,” joked Tolle. “We do now.”
“It just kind of happened,” Tolle said after Boston’s eventual 9-8 win over Seattle. “I was right there in front of him, and I was like, ‘Bring it in for the big one.’”
Speaking a few days later on WEEI, Tolle admitted that he was surprised to see his display drew eyes from more than just baseball audiences across North America.
“The hug was on the stinkin’ ‘Today Show,’ Tolle said on WEEI’s “Jones & Keefe” on Wednesday.
While Tolle’s impromptu embrace was an unorthodox sight in a big-league game, the young starter acknowledged that Monday was not the first time he has doled out hugs against opponents.
“The hug thing, I can go back to high school,” Tolle explained. “I used to hug the opposing coach in high school basketball whenever we would do the high-five lines. So, that took me back to that. High-five your teammates, high-five the opposing coach. I was like, ‘No, I’m gonna make this uncomfortable. I’m gonna give him a nice hug.’
“Most guys started to embrace it,” Tolle added, “but there were some that were like, ‘No, no, no.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m getting a hug here, man. I’m not running away from you until I get this.’”
Tolle’s value on the mound has been evident this year, with the rookie sporting an 8-6 record with a 3.23 ERA over 23 starts — striking out 147 batters over 131 innings of work.
But, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy admitted that the levity and enthusiasm that Tolle brings on the mound, in the dugout, and in the clubhouse also can’t be understated when it comes to his contributions to the team.
“Well, he hugged a guy on the field,” Tracy said with a smile when asked to describe Tolle’s personality. “He’s awesome. He’s obviously a great competitor, but he does it in a different way. He’s been through so much in his own life that he just truly plays the game, when he’s pitching and you watch him, like this guy enjoys what he’s doing.
“He has a full joy in going out there and competing, regardless of how it turns out. And he carries that same personality even when he’s not pitching. He just lifts people up around him, always smiling. Like, when he comes out to the dugout when he’s not pitching, it’s one of the most exciting guys to see him come through and do all the handshakes. The best way I can describe it is, there are certain people that have an innate ability to just lift people around them just by seeing them. That’s who he is.”
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