Torey Lovullo
Encyclopedia
Salvatore Anthony "Torey" Lovullo (born July 25, 1965) is a former Major League Baseball
infielder and current first base coach of The Toronto Blue Jays. He was the manager of the Triple-A
Pawtucket Red Sox
. He is an alumnus of the University of California, Los Angeles
. His father, Sam Lovullo, was a producer on the television show Hee Haw
.
Drafted by the Detroit Tigers
in the 5th round of the 1987 Major League Baseball Draft
, Lovullo made his major league debut with the Tigers on September 10, 1988, and appear in his final game on October 3, 1999 for the Philadelphia Phillies
. He played one season in Japan for the Yakult Swallows
in 2000.
Lovullo was interviewed for the vacant managerial job for the Los Angeles Dodgers
prior to the 2006 season. He returned to managing in the Minor Leagues when the Dodgers settled on Grady Little
for their manager position. In 2007, he was named as a leading candidate for the manager's post in Pittsburgh
before the job fell to John Russell.http://www.timesonline.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2305&dept_id=478568&newsid=18893313
, the AAA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians
. In 1995, Lovullo hit .255 with 16 HR and 61 RBI. Following that season, Lovullo signed a free agent contract with the Oakland A's, where he appeared in 65 games in 1996, his last extended stay in the majors. Lovullo signed a contract with the Montreal Expos
heading into the 1997 season but lasted only 28 games with the triple-A Ottawa Lynx
before being granted his release.
On May 20, 1997, Lovullo left the Expos chain to return to Buffalo and the Indians organization. In 97 regular season games with the Bisons, Lovullo hit just .227 but provided a steadying, veteran influence on a talent-laden roster that included future MLB all-stars Richie Sexson
, Sean Casey, Bartolo Colón
, Danny Graves
, and several others headed toward big league success. Lovullo rebounded from a statistically sub-par regular season to lead the Bisons on their playoff run in the final season of the American Association
. Lovullo hit .440 and was named MVP of the playoffs as the Bisons captured their first American Association crown, retiring that trophy forever.
Lovullo returned to the Bisons in 1998, their first season in newly realigned International League
. Lovullo continued his great play from the '97 playoffs, hitting .326 with 17 HR and 65 RBI. And like Lovullo, the Bisons replicated their playoff success by capturing the Governors' Cup
, their second consecutive championship.
Lovullo played the 1999 season in the Philadelphia Phillies
organization, playing mostly at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, then played in Japan in 2000 for the Yakult Swallows. In 2001, he broke into the coaching ranks as a roving coordinator with the Cleveland Indians. Lovullo is a rising star in the managerial ranks, who has risen steadily through the ranks of professional baseball. He returned to Buffalo in 2006 after winning back-to-back Manager of the Year Awards with the Carolina League's Kinston Indians
and the Eastern League's Akron Aeros
in 2004 and 2005, respectively.
In 2003, Lovullo received the highest honor awarded to an alumnus of Buffalo baseball, as he was inducted into the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame. He was inducted alongside his teammate from the 1997 and 1998 championship squad, Jeff Manto
.
In the 2006 season, Lovullo came back to Buffalo, but this time as a manager. In the 2006 season, he coached his former Buffalo teammate Einar Díaz
. He led the team to a 73-68 season that year.
in 1991 and 1992 when the club was the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees
. The Clippers were the International League champions in both seasons Lovullo played in Columbus, winning back-to-back Governor's Cup trophies in 1991 and 1992.
In 106 games in 1991 he batted .271 with 10 HR and 75 RBI. In 1992 Lovullo appeared in 131 games for the Clippers, batted .295, had 19 HR and 89 RBI.
In September, 2008, the Cleveland Indians
moved their Triple-A affiliation from Buffalo to Columbus, OH, signing a 4-year contract with the Columbus Clippers. Lovullo returned to Columbus, following the team, and managed them in 2009. This marked the second time he returned to a club he had played for to serve as manager.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
infielder and current first base coach of The Toronto Blue Jays. He was the manager of the Triple-A
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
Pawtucket Red Sox
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
. He is an alumnus of the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. His father, Sam Lovullo, was a producer on the television show Hee Haw
Hee Haw
Hee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
.
Drafted by the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in the 5th round of the 1987 Major League Baseball Draft
1987 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1987 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-External links:*...
, Lovullo made his major league debut with the Tigers on September 10, 1988, and appear in his final game on October 3, 1999 for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He played one season in Japan for the Yakult Swallows
Tokyo Yakult Swallows
is a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League.The Swallows are named after their corporate owners, the Yakult Corporation. From 1950 to 1965, the team was owned by the former Japanese National Railways and called the Kokutetsu Swallows; the team was then owned by the newspaper Sankei...
in 2000.
Lovullo was interviewed for the vacant managerial job for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
prior to the 2006 season. He returned to managing in the Minor Leagues when the Dodgers settled on Grady Little
Grady Little
William Grady Little is a former manager in Major League Baseball. He managed the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2003 and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2007...
for their manager position. In 2007, he was named as a leading candidate for the manager's post in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
before the job fell to John Russell.http://www.timesonline.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2305&dept_id=478568&newsid=18893313
Buffalo Bisons
Lovullo spent parts of three seasons with the Buffalo BisonsBuffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
, the AAA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. In 1995, Lovullo hit .255 with 16 HR and 61 RBI. Following that season, Lovullo signed a free agent contract with the Oakland A's, where he appeared in 65 games in 1996, his last extended stay in the majors. Lovullo signed a contract with the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
heading into the 1997 season but lasted only 28 games with the triple-A Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
before being granted his release.
On May 20, 1997, Lovullo left the Expos chain to return to Buffalo and the Indians organization. In 97 regular season games with the Bisons, Lovullo hit just .227 but provided a steadying, veteran influence on a talent-laden roster that included future MLB all-stars Richie Sexson
Richie Sexson
Richmond Lockwood "Big Sexy" Sexson is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for five teams from 1997 to 2008...
, Sean Casey, Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He played in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2009 and again in 2011...
, Danny Graves
Danny Graves
Daniel Peter Graves is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Born to an American serviceman father and a Vietnamese mother, he is the only Vietnam-born player in the history of the major leagues, and one of the few Vietnamese-American players...
, and several others headed toward big league success. Lovullo rebounded from a statistically sub-par regular season to lead the Bisons on their playoff run in the final season of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
. Lovullo hit .440 and was named MVP of the playoffs as the Bisons captured their first American Association crown, retiring that trophy forever.
Lovullo returned to the Bisons in 1998, their first season in newly realigned International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. Lovullo continued his great play from the '97 playoffs, hitting .326 with 17 HR and 65 RBI. And like Lovullo, the Bisons replicated their playoff success by capturing the Governors' Cup
Governors' Cup
The Governors' Cup is the trophy awarded each year to the champion of the International League, one of the two current Triple-A level minor leagues of Major League Baseball.-Governors' Cup history:...
, their second consecutive championship.
Lovullo played the 1999 season in the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
organization, playing mostly at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, then played in Japan in 2000 for the Yakult Swallows. In 2001, he broke into the coaching ranks as a roving coordinator with the Cleveland Indians. Lovullo is a rising star in the managerial ranks, who has risen steadily through the ranks of professional baseball. He returned to Buffalo in 2006 after winning back-to-back Manager of the Year Awards with the Carolina League's Kinston Indians
Kinston Indians
The Kinston Indians were a minor league baseball team of the Carolina League , and the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. They were located in Kinston, North Carolina, and were named for their parent club...
and the Eastern League's Akron Aeros
Akron Aeros
The Akron Aeros are a minor league baseball team based in Akron, Ohio, USA. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.The Aeros play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 9,097 fans...
in 2004 and 2005, respectively.
In 2003, Lovullo received the highest honor awarded to an alumnus of Buffalo baseball, as he was inducted into the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame. He was inducted alongside his teammate from the 1997 and 1998 championship squad, Jeff Manto
Jeff Manto
Jeffrey Paul Manto is a former journeyman Major League Baseball player.-Early career:Manto attended Temple University, where he played baseball. Manto was drafted in the 35th round of the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft by the New York Yankees, but opted not to sign with them...
.
In the 2006 season, Lovullo came back to Buffalo, but this time as a manager. In the 2006 season, he coached his former Buffalo teammate Einar Díaz
Einar Diaz
Einar Antonio Díaz is a former Major League Baseball catcher.Díaz was called up in by the Cleveland Indians to back up then-starting catcher Sandy Alomar, Jr. He played sparingly from 1996-, and in he got his first starting job with the Indians due to an injury to Alomar...
. He led the team to a 73-68 season that year.
Columbus Clippers
Lovullo played for the Columbus ClippersColumbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio....
in 1991 and 1992 when the club was the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. The Clippers were the International League champions in both seasons Lovullo played in Columbus, winning back-to-back Governor's Cup trophies in 1991 and 1992.
In 106 games in 1991 he batted .271 with 10 HR and 75 RBI. In 1992 Lovullo appeared in 131 games for the Clippers, batted .295, had 19 HR and 89 RBI.
In September, 2008, the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
moved their Triple-A affiliation from Buffalo to Columbus, OH, signing a 4-year contract with the Columbus Clippers. Lovullo returned to Columbus, following the team, and managed them in 2009. This marked the second time he returned to a club he had played for to serve as manager.