Tolleson Has an Admirer in Kershaw

If you weren't too familiar with Texas Rangers reliever Shawn Tolleson, you certainly are by now. That's because, of course, Tolleson has recorded five saves in the last week since the team shifted its bullpen to a "no-roles" unit with Tolleson quickly taking on the "non-role" of closer.

This isn't much of a surprise, as Tolleson put together a great year in 2014 for the Rangers as one of the few bright spots in a disastrous season. Last year, the Allen High School grad and Baylor-ex compiled a 2.76 in 71 2/3 innings as a trusted seventh-inning and setup reliever.

Now, he's the hottest reliever on the hottest team in baseball, but he was a virtual no-name at this point last year after the Rangers had claimed him off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers just before the Rangers' season began.

One well-known Dodger wasn't too pleased with the team's decision to let Tolleson go, as The Dallas Morning News' Gerry Fraley pointed out Wednesday morning during an interview with KTCK The Ticket's morning show, The Musers.

Fraley said Kershaw, a Dallas native, told him prior to last season that letting Tolleson go was the "dumbest move" the Dodgers had "ever made."

Hyperbole? Quite possibly, but it speaks volumes about what such a valuable member of the Dodgers organization thought of Tolleson, and now the Rangers are seeing what he saw.

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