Jerome Tolliver opened up, saw 6 pro seasons, single-A
Jerome Tolliver hit a dramatic grand slam late in his American Legion team's championship game in June 1989, giving his team the lead and sending them on to victory, The Springfield News-Leader wrote.
He explained the at bat to The News-Leader afterward, including a taken first pitch and a brushback fourth pitch.
"The fifth one was a curve and I opened up on it," Tolliver told The News-Leader.
Tolliver went on opening up on pitches in the pros. He saw a total of six seasons. He made single-A and three seasons in independent ball.
Tolliver's career began in 1990, taken by the Mets in the 35th round of the previous year's draft out of Bacone College in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
Tolliver started with the Mets in 1990 in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He saw 55 games and hit .272.
He moved to short-season Pittsfield for 1991. He got into 73 games there and hit .272. He also hit six home runs.
For 1992, he made single-A Columbia. That August, he hit a bloop single to for the game-winner, The Columbia State wrote.
"I was hoping and praying it would drop," Tolliver told The State afterward of the hit.
Tolliver got into 94 games with Columbia and hit .222, his last year with the Mets. He didn't play in 1993, but returned for independent ball in 1994 with Marshall.
He went 3 for 5 in a June 1994 game with Marshall, knocking in three, The Brainerd Dispatch wrote.
"He struggled early but he's finding his stroke," Marshall manager Mike Tayler told The Dispatch afterward. "He had a couple big hits in this series."
Tolliver hit .296 in 62 games for Marshall that year. He saw 17 games with independent Will County in 1995, then 59 with independent Albany in 1996 to end his career.
- Springfield News-Leader, June 26, 1989: Dramatic homer gives K.C. team Legion title
- Columbia State, Aug. 30, 1992: Columbia socks it to Rangers
- Brainerd Dispatch, June 21, 1994: Mallards edge Bears 5-4 in 4-hour marathon
Made the Majors:1,472-31.8%
Never Made Majors:3,164-68.2%-X