Friday, June 19

BOSTON – When Payton Tolle made his debut for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs in a game played in Binghamton, N.Y. on June 28, 2025, he certainly didn’t expect to see his father Chad there.

Nothing against the fine folks of Binghamton, but Chad had a trip to Europe already planned with Payton’s younger brother Charlie.

There would be far bigger debuts ahead for Payton Tolle, such as the big enchilada at Fenway Park almost exactly two months later (Aug. 29) when he faced off against some guy named Paul Skenes.

Nobody would have questioned Chad if he went ahead with the trip. But Chad had no hesitation in pushing Europe back to some other time to see the next step in his oldest son’s rapid ascension through the Red Sox’ Minor League system.

“Even a little promotion like that, he was always there,” said Payton. “My first time pitching in Triple-A, he was there, and then obviously with the [Major League] debut, he was there too. Like if he could find a flight, and I could call him right now, he would be here tonight. He's always ready to be there for me.”

Just like on Mother’s Day, when Payton had the chance to pitch at Fenway Park for the Red Sox against the Rays and emotionally honored his late mother Jina who died of cancer in May of 2024 at the age of 48, the power lefty – by luck of the way Boston’s rotation is spinning – will be on the bump again for Father’s Day on Sunday in Seattle.

Perhaps Chad will join in the fun and make the trip west. But if not, there are plenty of other times he will be there that don’t involve holidays or milestones.

“He's always there for me. If it's a drivable spot, like, even in Kansas City, he drove five hours over to Kansas City to spend 15 minutes with me,” said Payton. “Yeah, it was pretty special. I just couldn’t thank him enough.”

And Payton didn’t even pitch during that series in Kansas City.

But that’s just what Chad does for his kids. Payton’s younger brother Charlie is currently playing college baseball at Seminole State in Oklahoma.

Meanwhile, Chad’s arm is about to fall off after years of throwing to his boys.

“He coached a little bit when I was young, but I think he wanted to stay out of it, especially as we got older, but we spent countless hours in the cage, at the field, every Sunday during high school. We would be up there for three hours,” said Payton. “He needs Tommy John surgery, but he's gonna keep throwing BP to Charlie right now, but he's like, ‘My arm hurts so bad.' He’s been saying for the past two years, throwing to us, playing catch with us. There's never been a closed cage or weight room or with him. He's always trying to get into somewhere with us.”

In addition to being an all-in father, Chad enjoys his job as a facilities manager for a church in his hometown of Oklahoma.

While mourning the loss of his mom was certainly hard for Payton – especially with her passing just two months before the Red Sox made him the 50th overall pick in the 2024 Draft – having a father like Chad has been comforting.

“I get to call him every day,” said Payton. “He doesn't want me to worry about him. He got hit in the head with a piece of plywood the other day but he's like, ‘Don't worry about me, I'm good.’ It's like, well, Dad, I want to worry about you. But it's been good to have him. He went through it with his mom as well, and he knows what I need and what my brother needs.”

Chad’s mom died when he was 16, giving him unique perspective on how tough it is for Payton and Charlie to soldier on without their mom.

“It was definitely a really hard experience for all of us, and we knew that we had each other,” said Payton. “We were all going through it together. It was difficult, but we had each other.”

While there was a void for Payton on Draft Day, his dad did all he could to fill it.

“I immediately hugged him, a pretty big hug, and there were a lot of tears and stuff, but it was a very emotional day, but I was happy,” said Payton. “We went golfing before and got our mind off it. It was a great day.”

And sooner or later, Chad will even take that trip to Europe.

“I owe him that one,” joked Payton.

As the Red Sox held their 13th Pride Night at Fenway Park on Tuesday, they celebrated members of Boston’s LGBTQ+ community in ceremonies and pregame entertainment before the game against the Blue Jays.

The Femmes, an all-woman and non-binary band, performed the National Anthem.

Jarron Collins, brother of Jason Collins, the first openly gay NBA player who passed away from brain cancer in May 2026, not only threw the first pitch, but fired a perfect pitch from 60 feet and 6 inches away. 

Jason spent part of the 2012-13 season with the Boston Celtics. Jarron, who was proud to honor his brother on the Fenway mound, played 542 games in the NBA.

Lou Merloni, a familiar face to all Red Sox fans as a hometown kid who played for Boston and now a NESN analyst, spent the pregame hours on Wednesday as part of a program that was spreading awareness on the dangers of high, bad cholesterol.

In conjunction with Playing with Heart, which is a major cardiovascular health awareness campaign launched by Merck in collaboration with Major League Baseball and the WomenHeart patient organization, Merloni spoke with fans, including about his personal experiences.

“It’s one of the leading factors in building plaque and causing a stroke and heart attack. So, I think a lot of people just are unaware of their numbers,” said Merloni. “I remember I was in Spring Training, I was 27 years old, in the best shape in my life, got a blood test, and the doctor was like, 'Listen, your cholesterol is high and you're in really good shape. So, when you get old, when you retire, this is something you have to keep an eye on.’ So, for me, that's exactly what it's been all about my entire life.”

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