This is the latest post for an ongoing media project — SoCal Sports History 101: The Prime Numbers from 00 to 99 that Uniformly, Uniquely and Unapologetically Reveal The Narrative of Our Region’s Athletic Heritage. Pick a number and highlight an athlete — person, place or thing — most obviously connected to it by fame and fortune, someone who isn’t so obvious, and then take a deeper dive into the most interesting story tied to it. It’s a combination of star power, achievement, longevity, notoriety, and, above all, what makes that athlete so Southern California. Quirkiness and notoriety factor in. And it should open itself to more discussion and debate — which is what sports is best at doing.
The most obvious choices for No. 60:
= Hardiman Cureton: UCLA football
= Clay Matthews Jr.: USC football
= Dennis Harrah: Los Angeles Rams
The not-so-obvious choices for No. 60:
= Chin-Lung Hu: Los Angeles Dodgers
= Andrew Toles: Los Angeles Dodgers
The most interesting story for No. 60:
Andrew Toles: Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder (2016 to 2018)
Southern California map pinpoints:
Dodger Stadium
Every year since 2019, the Los Angeles Dodgers try to keep it under the radar about the ways they have kept Andrew Toles in their collective hearts and minds.
In his three Major League Baseball seasons, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound left-handed hitting outfielder was in just 96 games and 249 plate appearances. His. 286 batting average factors into a career 1.9 WAR. He will likely never play again, but the Dodgers have never looked at from that lens.
In years past, by renewing him as a player under contract on the restricted list, Toles and his family have had some peace of mind that his MLB health insurance will continue. Toles’ ongoing struggle with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, likely exacerbated by a career-setback knee injury, is a daily concern to his existence.
Media reports have made it appear this is a simple action the Dodgers can take every spring, but there is far more to it. In the spring of 2026, the Dodgers eventually issued a statement of some clarification in a statement:
“We’ve been in contact with the Toles family and have worked together on how to best move forward. Continuing with the previous setup was no longer possible due to eligibility. The Toles family has asked that Andrew’s privacy be respected. Out of respect to the Toles family, we will not comment any further.”
Out of respect to this story and how the Dodgers have proceeded, it is always worthy of our attention.
Continue reading “No. 60: Andrew Toles”
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