| Tim Tolman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Outfielder /Bench coach | |
| Born:(1956-04-20)April 20, 1956 Santa Monica, California, U.S. | |
| Died: June 3, 2021(2021-06-03) (aged 65) Tucson, Arizona, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 9, 1981, for the Houston Astros | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 16, 1987, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .168 |
| Hits | 33 |
| Runs batted in | 24 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| As player As coach | |
Timothy Lee Tolman (April 20, 1956 – June 3, 2021) was an American professionalbaseballoutfielder andcoach. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theHouston Astros andDetroit Tigers from 1981 to 1987.
Tolman played his college baseball at theUniversity of Southern California and was drafted by theHouston Astros in the 12th round of the 1978 amateur draft. He reached the major leagues in 1981 after batting .322, hitting 14 home runs and having 99 runs batted in for theTucson Toros of thePacific Coast League. HisOPS was .927.
In his seven major league seasons (with the Astros from 1981 through 1985, and theDetroit Tigers in 1986–1987), Tolman could never gain a regular job and hit only .168 for his career, never batting higher than the .196 he posted in 1983. Defensively, Tolman posted a perfect 1.000fielding percentage in his major league career (135 putouts, 5 assists). He played two more seasons in theInternational League (for theTidewater Tides in 1988 and theSyracuse Chiefs in 1989) before retiring.
After his playing career, Tolman managed from 1991–1996 in the Astros' minor-league system. He was a scout in 1997–1999 and a scouting supervisor for the Astros in 2000–2002, then became minor league field coordinator for theCleveland Indians from 2003 to 2006.
Tolman was thethird base coach for theWashington Nationals in2008 and was the subject of criticism.[1] Tolman was fired on September 28, 2008, after the final game of the 2008 season.
On January 13, 2009, Tolman was named theSeattle Mariners coordinator of instruction.[2]
After the 2009 season, Tolman was hired asbench coach by new Cleveland Indians' new manager,Manny Acta, under whom Tolman had coached in Washington. The relationship between Tolman and Acta goes back to 1991, when Acta played for Tolman, who was managing theBurlington Astros of theMidwest League. Acta later served on Tolman's coaching staff.
"He's a very bright baseball mind. I feel very comfortable with Tim," Acta said. "He managed me in the minor leagues. I feel like he's a guy that can really help me. He's never been afraid to talk to me, and that is very important for a bench coach. He's also very familiar with our system, which we took into consideration."[3]
Tolman retired from coaching following the 2011 season after being diagnosed withParkinson's disease. During the final game of the season, Acta was ejected by home plate umpireDan Bellino in the first inning after arguing balls and strikes, which resulted in bench coach Tolman managing the Indians for the rest of the game in his final game as a major league coach. Speculation was raised that Acta intentionally got himself ejected so Tolman could have the honor of managing the rest of the game, which Acta denied.
On June 3, 2021, Tolman died following a ten–year battle withParkinson's disease.[4]