Texas Rangers
The Pittsburgh Pirates chose Tolleson in the 12th round of the 1977 Major League Baseball Draft, but he decided to return to school for his senior year rather than sign with Pittsburgh. The Texas Rangers chose Tolleson with the 202nd pick of the 1978 Major League Baseball Draft, and this time he signed.
After batting .261 with 36 stolen bases for the Wichita Aeros in 1981, Tolleson received a call up to the majors when rosters expanded that September. He debuted with the Rangers on September 1 against the Toronto Blue Jays, pinch hitting in the seventh inning and remaining in the game at shortstop. He split 1982 between the Rangers and their triple A affiliate, the Denver Bears, and earned the starting second baseman job in 1983 and 1984. He displayed excellent speed and good defense, totaling 55 stolen bases in the two seasons, but he also struggled to maintain an acceptable batting average and he never hit for much power.
In 1985, he shifted into a utility infielder role, receiving most of his playing time at short as the Rangers reacquired Toby Harrah to play second during the off season. Tolleson responded by batting .313 with a solid .733 On-base plus slugging Percentage, both career bests by far.
Read more about this topic: Wayne Tolleson
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