This post is part of a media project called 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 consider the list of athletes attached to it. Who wore it best? Or, what’s the most compelling story linked to it? Any person, place or thing is in play with Southern California connections. Star power, transformational achievement, longevity, notoriety and quirkiness all factor in. Whatever leads to a lively discussion and interpretation.
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 keep it relatively under the radar about the ways the organization has kept Andrew Toles in its collective heart.
In his three Major League Baseball seasons, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound left-handed hitting outfielder made just 249 regular-season plate appearances in 96 games. His .286 batting average factored into a career 1.9 WAR.
Toles will likely never play again because of an ongoing struggle with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety, but the Dodgers have never looked at from that perspective.
Quietly, by renewing Toles as a player under contract put on the restricted list, the team could give his family some peace of mind that his MLB health insurance continued. His anxiety, a daily concern to his existence, was likely exacerbated by a career-setback knee injury just at a point in time when he was making strides to be an every-day, reliable player.
One battle after another.
In the spring of 2026, the Dodgers eventually issued a statement of some clarification in a statement about how it would go forward in support of Toles: “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 attention.
Continue reading “No. 60: Andrew Toles”
