Torey Lovullo
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Salvatore Anthony Lovullo (born July 25, 1965, in Santa Monica, California) was a Major League Baseball infielder and current manager of the AAA Buffalo Bisons. He is an alumnus of the University of California, Los Angeles. His father, Sam Lovullo, was a producer on the television show Hee Haw.
Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 5th round of the 1987 MLB amateur draft, Lovullo would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Detroit Tiger's on September 10, 1988, and appear in his final game on October 3, 1999.
Lovullo was interviewed for the vacant managerial job for the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the 2006 season. He returned to managing in the Minor Leagues when the Dodgers settled on Grady Little for their manager position. In 2007, he was named as a leading candidate for the manager's post in Pittsburgh before the job fell to John Russell.[1]
[edit] Teams
- Detroit Tigers: 1988-1989
- New York Yankees: 1991
- California Angels: 1993
- Seattle Mariners: 1994
- Oakland Athletics: 1996
- Cleveland Indians: 1998
- Philadelphia Phillies: 1999
- Yakult Swallows: 2000
[edit] Buffalo Bisons Career
Torey Lovullo spent parts of three seasons with the Buffalo Bisons, the AAA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. In 1995, Lovullo hit .255 with 16 HR and 61 RBI. Following that season, Lovullo signed a free agent contract with the Oakland A's, where he appeared in 65 games in 1996, his last extended stay in the majors. Lovullo signed a contract with the Montreal Expos heading into the 1997 season but lasted only 28 games with the triple-A Ottawa Lynx before being granted his release.
On May 20, 1997, Lovullo left the Expos chain to return to Buffalo and the Indians organization. In 97 regular season games with the Bisons, Lovullo hit just .227 but provided a steadying, veteran influence on a talent-laden roster that included future MLB all-stars Richie Sexson, Sean Casey, Bartolo Colón, Danny Graves, and several others headed toward big league success. Lovullo rebounded from a statistically sub-par regular season to lead the Bisons on their playoff run in the final season of the American Association. Lovullo hit .440 and was named MVP of the playoffs as the Bisons captured their first American Association crown, retiring that trophy forever.
Lovullo returned to the Bisons in 1998, their first season in newly realigned International League. Lovullo continued his great play from the '97 playoffs, hitting .326 with 17 HR and 65 RBI. And like Lovullo, the Bisons replicated their playoff success by capturing the Governors' Cup, their second consecutive championship.
Lovullo played his last professional games during the 1999 season in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, playing mostly at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In 2001, he broke into the coaching ranks as a roving coordinator with the Cleveland Indians. Lovullo is a rising star in the managerial ranks, who has risen steadily through the ranks of professional baseball. He returned to Buffalo in 2006 after winning back-to-back Manager of the Year Awards with the Carolina League's Kinston Indians and the Eastern League's Akron Aeros in 2004 and 2005, respectively.
In 2003, Lovullo received the highest honor awarded to an alumnus of Buffalo baseball, as he was inducted into the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame. He was inducted alongside his teammate from the 1997 and 1998 championship squad, Jeff Manto.
In the 2006 season, Lovullo came back to Buffalo, but this time as a manager. In the 2006 season, he coached his former Buffalo teamate Einar Diaz. He led the team to a 73-68 season that year. He is the current Bisons' manager in 2007.
