Wyatt Toregas

{{Short description|American baseball player and coach (born 1982)}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Wyatt Toregas

| image = Wyatt Toregas.jpg

| caption = Toregas during his tenure with the Cleveland Indians in 2009

| image_size =

| team =

| number =

| position = Catcher / Manager

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1982|12|2}}

| birth_place = Fairfax, Virginia, United States

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = August 1

| debutyear = 2009

| debutteam = Cleveland Indians

|finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = June 12

| finalyear = 2011

| finalteam = Pittsburgh Pirates

|statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Batting average

| stat1value = .164

| stat2label = Home runs

| stat2value = 0

| stat3label = Runs batted in

| stat3value = 6

| awards =

| teams =

Cleveland Indians ({{by|2009}})
Pittsburgh Pirates ({{by|2011}})

}}

Wyatt Reeder Toregas (born December 2, 1982) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher who played for the Cleveland Indians in 2009 and for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011. He is also the former manager of the Mississippi Braves, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, and previously managed the West Virginia Black Bears, West Virginia Power, and Bradenton Marauders.

Playing career

=Amateur career=

==High school==

He attended South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia where he excelled in wrestling, golf, and baseball.{{cite news |title=CHICKASAW MANAGER LEADS MLB PIRATES' CLASS A AFFILIATE |url=http://www.chickasawtimes.net/Web-Exclusives/Chickasaw-manager-leads-MLB-Pirates%E2%80%99-Class-A-affil.aspx |access-date=17 January 2020 |work=Chickasaw Times |date=January 2020}}

==College==

After graduation from high school in 2001, Toregas played college baseball at Virginia Tech. In 2003, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League.{{cite web|author= |url=http://capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2012website/archives/Current%20Year/All_Time_MLB_CCBL_Alumni.pdf |title=Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |date= |access-date=September 25, 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/college/summer/stats.asp?Y=2003&T=Harwich_Mariners |title=2003 Harwich Mariners |publisher=thebaseballcube.com |accessdate=September 23, 2021}}

=Pro career=

==Cleveland Indians==

File:Wyatt Toregas on May 2, 2009.jpg, triple-A affiliates of the Cleveland Indians, in {{By|2009}}]]

After being drafted by the Indians in 2004, Toregas played for the minor league teams Mahoning Valley Scrappers, Lake County Captains, Kinston Indians, Akron Aeros, and Columbus Clippers. A catcher and a {{mlby|2007}} non-roster invitee to spring training with the Indians, Toregas throws and bats right-handed. He also attended Indians spring training in 2009 but returned to the Columbus Clippers on March 24, 2009.[https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/03/24/sports/AP-BBA-Indians-Moves.html?_r=1 Indians Send Sowers, 6 Others to Minors] New York Times, March 24, 2009 Toregas made his Major League debut and got his first hit in his first Major League at bat on August 1, 2009. Toregas was released by the Indians after the 2010 season.

==Pittsburgh Pirates==

Toregas signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates on January 18, 2011. The Pirates purchased his contract on June 9, adding him to the active roster.{{cite web|last=Brink|first=Bill|title=Pirates DL Snyder, call up Toregas|url=http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/pro-sports/pbc-blog/110201-pirates-dl-snyder-call-up-toregas|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|access-date=9 June 2011|archive-date=July 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721150819/http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/pro-sports/pbc-blog/110201-pirates-dl-snyder-call-up-toregas|url-status=dead}} He was designated for assignment on June 13.{{cite web|last=Links|first=Zach|title=Pirates Designate Wyatt Toregas For Assignment|url=http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/06/pirates-designate-wyatt-toregas-for-assignment.html|work=MLBTradeRumors.com|date=June 12, 2011 |access-date=13 June 2011}} After the 2011 season, he elected for free agency.{{cite web|last=Axisa|first=Mike|title=22 Triple-A Players Elect Free Agency|url=http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/10/22-triple-a-players-elect-free-agency.html|work=MLBTradeRumors.com|date=October 2011 |access-date=1 October 2011}}

Coaching career

In November 2011, Toregas signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a player-coach;{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Tim|title=Pirates Sign Six Minor League Free Agents|url=http://www.piratesprospects.com/2011/11/pirates-sign-six-minor-league-free-agents.html|date=November 9, 2011}} he served as the first base coach for the 2012 Indianapolis Indians. In January 2015, Toregas was named as the first manager in the franchise history of the Pirates' Short-Season-A affiliate, the West Virginia Black Bears.{{cite web|url=http://triblive.com/sports/pirates/7571001-74/holdzkom-pirates-richard#axzz3Od0aF5IZ|title=Pirates Notebook: Assignments Finalized|first=Rob|last=Biertempfel|date=January 15, 2015}} In March 2021, he was named as the manager of the Mississippi Braves, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.{{Cite news|author=Staff reports|title=Braves name minor-league managers, staffs|url=https://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-braves/braves-name-minor-league-managers-staffs/QJIO2Y4ULVHUDNYV4LLA3EBNCQ/|access-date=2021-04-04|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|language=English}}{{cite news |title=Atlanta Braves announce Mississippi coaching staff for 2021 |url=https://www.milb.com/mississippi/news/m-braves-announce-2021-coaching-staff |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330211758/https://www.milb.com/mississippi/news/m-braves-announce-2021-coaching-staff |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 30, 2021 |access-date=September 30, 2021 |publisher=Minor League Baseball |date=March 30, 2021}} On June 11, 2021, Toregas resigned as manager of the Mississippi Braves. No reason or replacement has been announced.{{cite web|last=Vedak|first=Guarav|title=Mississippi Braves Manager Wyatt Toregas Resigns|date=June 11, 2021 |url=https://www.talkingchop.com/2021/6/11/22530169/mississippi-braves-manager-wyatt-toregas-atlanta-braves}}

Personal life

Toregas was raised in Ashburn, Virginia.[http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball/players/2004/toregas.html hokiesports.com :: Football] Retrieved 2018-05-08.

Toregas is a member of the Chickasaw Nation."[http://www.chickasawtimes.net/Web-Exclusives/Chickasaw-manager-leads-MLB-Pirates%E2%80%99-Class-A-affil.aspx Chickasaw manager leads MLB Pirates’ Class A affiliate]", The Chickasaw Times, December 2015 issue. He has Chickasaw heritage through his grandmother Jalna Wenonah Wolf Toregas, and his memories of her stories about the tribe led him to pursue official membership near the end of his playing career.

References

External links

{{baseballstats |mlb=444430 |espn=29935 |br=t/toregwy01 |fangraphs=7471 |brm=torega001wya}}

[https://www.baseballamerica.com/today/stats/player.php?id=444430 Wyatt Toregas] at Baseball America
[http://www.letsgotribe.com/story/2006/9/26/164717/467 Toregas article from letsgotribe.com]

Category:1982 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Native American people

Category:Akron Aeros players

Category:Baseball players from Fairfax County, Virginia

Category:Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players

Category:Chickasaw Nation people

Category:Cleveland Indians players

Category:Columbus Clippers players

Category:Harwich Mariners players

Category:Indianapolis Indians players

Category:Kinston Indians players