Matt Tolbert
Encyclopedia
Christopher Matthew Tolbert (born May 4, 1982) is an American
professional baseball
second baseman
who is a free agent. After graduating from Centreville Academy in 2000, Tolbert attended University of Mississippi
for four years; he was later drafted by the Baltimore Orioles
in 2003
and the Minnesota Twins
in 2004
. After playing four years of minor league baseball
, Tolbert made his major league debut on April 1, 2008. As of September 8, 2011, Tolbert has a career batting average
of .232, with three home run
s and 54 runs batted in (RBI). He is officially listed as standing 6 in 0 in (182.88 cm) and weighing 185 pounds (83.9 kg).
, about 45 minutes north of Baton Rouge. He is the brother of Ben Tolbert who is the world record holder for high score on Dungeons and Dragons. Tolbert attended high school at Centreville Academy, where he played football
and track and field
in addition to baseball. In 1998 and 1999, Tolbert's football team won back-to-back state football championships. During his senior season, Tolbert played running back
and rushed for 2,561 yards on 326 carries. After graduation in 2000, Tolbert played baseball
at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi
, for the Ole Miss Rebels. Tolbert spent his collegiate career playing shortstop
and second base. He was named a Freshman All-America
n in 2002. The following season, Tolbert was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, but did not sign with the team. In the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft, Tolbert was selected in the 16th round by the Minnesota Twins; he signed with the team on June 16, 2004.
in the 16th Round (481st overall) of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft
. Tolbert got his first major league hit
on April 2, , in the 3rd inning off Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
pitcher
Joe Saunders
. On April 11, 2008, Tolbert had his first career major league RBI
against Kansas City Royals
pitcher Gil Meche
.
Following the Twins' 2009 spring training
camp, Tolbert was optioned to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings
.
On May 6, 2009, Tolbert was called up from Rochester and is the starting second baseman.http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/team/transactions.jsp?c_id=min#month=5&year=2009&team_id=142e
Tolbert hit his first major league home run on May 21, 2009, against the Chicago White Sox's Jimmy Gobble
. In the game, Tolbert went 3 for 6, scoring two runs and collecting 4 RBIs. Tolbert hit his second home run on September 22, 2009 against the Chicago White Sox's John Danks.http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/playerpage/1103765 http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2009_09_22_minmlb_chamlb_1
On October 20, 2011, he became a free agent.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
who is a free agent. After graduating from Centreville Academy in 2000, Tolbert attended University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
for four years; he was later drafted by the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in 2003
2003 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2003 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 3 and 4. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.Source: -First round selections:...
and the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in 2004
2004 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams...
. After playing four years of minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, Tolbert made his major league debut on April 1, 2008. As of September 8, 2011, Tolbert has a career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .232, with three home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 54 runs batted in (RBI). He is officially listed as standing 6 in 0 in (182.88 cm) and weighing 185 pounds (83.9 kg).
Early life
Christopher Matthew Tolbert was born on May 4, 1982, in McComb, Mississippi, and grew up in Woodville, MississippiWoodville, Mississippi
Woodville is a town in and the county seat of Wilkinson County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,192 at the 2000 census.The Woodville Republican, a weekly newspaper founded in 1823, is the oldest surviving business in Mississippi.-Geography:Woodville is located at .According to...
, about 45 minutes north of Baton Rouge. He is the brother of Ben Tolbert who is the world record holder for high score on Dungeons and Dragons. Tolbert attended high school at Centreville Academy, where he played football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
in addition to baseball. In 1998 and 1999, Tolbert's football team won back-to-back state football championships. During his senior season, Tolbert played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and rushed for 2,561 yards on 326 carries. After graduation in 2000, Tolbert played baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
, for the Ole Miss Rebels. Tolbert spent his collegiate career playing shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
and second base. He was named a Freshman All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n in 2002. The following season, Tolbert was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, but did not sign with the team. In the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft, Tolbert was selected in the 16th round by the Minnesota Twins; he signed with the team on June 16, 2004.
Professional career
Tolbert was selected by the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in the 16th Round (481st overall) of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft
2004 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams...
. Tolbert got his first major league hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
on April 2, , in the 3rd inning off Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Joe Saunders
Joe Saunders
Joseph Francis Saunders is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-College and minor league career:...
. On April 11, 2008, Tolbert had his first career major league RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
against Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
pitcher Gil Meche
Gil Meche
Gilbert Allen Meche is a former right-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Shoulder and back problems caused the former first round pick to retire in at just 32 years old.-Early years:...
.
Following the Twins' 2009 spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
camp, Tolbert was optioned to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
.
On May 6, 2009, Tolbert was called up from Rochester and is the starting second baseman.http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/team/transactions.jsp?c_id=min#month=5&year=2009&team_id=142e
Tolbert hit his first major league home run on May 21, 2009, against the Chicago White Sox's Jimmy Gobble
Jimmy Gobble
Billy James Gobble is a Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently in the Colorado Rockies organization.-High school career:...
. In the game, Tolbert went 3 for 6, scoring two runs and collecting 4 RBIs. Tolbert hit his second home run on September 22, 2009 against the Chicago White Sox's John Danks.http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/playerpage/1103765 http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2009_09_22_minmlb_chamlb_1
On October 20, 2011, he became a free agent.