Boston Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle may be a massive human being at 6-6, 250, but he is also just 23-years-old and in the middle of his first season in the Major Leagues. Which is why, unlike many baseball players who have become jaded over the the years, Tolle is still just a big kid who is having the time of his life right now.
Case in point: Monday night during the Red Sox win over the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park, Payton Tolle fielded Dominic Canzone’s swinging bunt, jogged over to tag Canzone, then slowed down before raising his arms to give the designated hitter a hug as he tagged him for the out.
Why did Payton Tolle hug Dominic Canzone to make the out?
When Payton Tolle was asked about the play after the game, he explained, “It just kind of happened. I was right there in front of him, and I was like, ‘Bring it in for the big one.'”
A reporter then asked him if he and Dominic Canzone knew one another before playing him Monday night.
“No,” replied Tolle. “We do now.”
When asked if Canzone was surprised by the hug, Tolle told reporters, “I mean, probably for a second, but then it’s like, ‘Yeah, this is just going to happen.'”
After the game, a reporter asked Tolle’s teammate Trevor Story about the encounter, and he said he wasn’t particularly surprised.
“The guy gives hugs all the time, so I’m not sure which one you’re talking about,” Story said. “But yeah, that was funny, man. Payton’s just a special person. He plays the game like a little kid, which I feel like we all should.”
Why Payton Tolle appreciates where he is so much
Payton Tolle is having the time of his life right now, but part of the reason for that has roots in one of the worst times of his life.
According to MLB.com, just two months before the Red Sox selected her son as the 50th overall choice in the Draft, his mother Jina Tolle passed away in May 2024 after years of fighting (but never complaining about) colon cancer.
“You’re so pretty” is written on the outside of his glove.
Why? Because when he was pitching in high school, Jina would playfully yell that at him to help him relax. Tolle now enjoys the fact that he can still hear her yelling that at him, even if it was awkward at the time. He now has a reassuring understanding of what she was trying to accomplish, thanks to years of perspective.
“So every time I look down and see that, it’s my little reminder, like, ‘Hey, crap happens on the field but you’re still pretty, you’re still good. You’re more than just a baseball player,'” he said.