Matt Tolbert #20

Matt enters his ninth season in professional baseball and his first with the Cubs...he signed a minor league contract with Chicago, December 22, 2011, and is a non-roster invitee to big league camp for 2012...Has seen major league action in each of the last four seasons (2008-11) with Minnesota, batting .230 (139-for-605) with 27 doubles, nine triples, three homers and 54 RBI in 247 contests...Saw post-season action with the Twins in the 2009 and 2010...In 510 minor league contests, owns a .277 batting average (519-for-1,877) with 169 walks, 98 doubles, 29 triples, 23 homers and 218 RBI since being drafted in 2004...Attended the University of Mississippi and was named Freshman All-American in 2002...Graduated from Centreville (Miss.) Academy in 2000, where he participated in track and field, football and baseball...named All-State in baseball and football as a senior. Was the 2000 South State long jump champion. Won back-to-back state football championships in 1998 and 1999, rushing for 2,561 yards on 326 carries as a running back...Originally drafted by the Orioles in the 19th round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft, but did not sign.

2011

Matt made the Twins Opening Day roster for the second time in his career, first since 2008...hit .198 (41-for-207) with 10 doubles and 11 RBI in a career-high 87 games during three stints for Minnesota...Had three stints with the Twins: Opening Day through July 17, July 28-August 27 and September 6 through the remainder of the season...Hit a monthly-best .294 (5-for-17) with one run and one walk in seven July contests...Appeared in 53 games and hit .180 (24-for-133) before being optioned to Triple-A Rochester, July 17...Batted .467 (7-for-15) with four runs, three doubles, one triple, five RBI and three multi-hit games in a four-contest span, June 2-6...During his second stint with Minnesota, July 28-August 27, hit .260 (13-for-50) in 19 games...Collected a career-high tying three knocks, August 15 at Detroit, going 3-for-4 with a run and a double...it marked the fifth three-hit game of his career...Rejoined the Twins, September 6, going 3-for-19 (.158) with three runs in 13 contests...In 17 games with the Red Wings, posted a .136 average (8-for-59) with 10 walks, seven runs, one double, one triple and three RBI.

2010

Started the season at Triple-A Rochester and played in 27 games before being recalled by Minnesota, May 11...appeared in three games for the Twins before being optioned back to Rochester, May 18...Played in 12 games for the Red Wings before being recalled, June 1...appeared in 20 games for the Twins in his second stint...Drove in the game-winning run with an rbi single in the ninth inning, June 5 at Oakland...Hit his third career home run (first career left-handed) off Rafael Betancourt, June 15 vs. Colorado...Disabled list with a contusion to his right middle finger, July 1-August 15 (missed 37 games)...Optioned to Rochester after returning from his rehab assignment, August 16...appeared in three games for the Red Wings and was recalled, August 20...finished the season at Rochester batting .283 (49-for-173) with nine doubles, three triples, one home run, 11 rbi and 19 runs in 42 games...Recorded two triples and a career-high five rbi, September 4 vs. Texas...second time in his career in which he recorded two triples...Collected 10 rbi in a 10-game span, September 4-22...reached base in six of those 10 games, with four extra-base hits and four walks...Played 42 games in the field for the Twins: 20 at second base (14 starts), 14 at third base (seven starts), four at first base and three at shortstop.

2009

Began season at Triple-A Rochester...played in a total of 56 games for the Red Wings, spending time at second base, third base, shortstop, left field and right field...hit first home run, April 18 at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre...had four-hit game, May 4 at Louisville...recalled by Minnesota, May 6...went 3-for-6 with four RBI and his first career home run (off Jimmy Gobble) May 21 at Chicago (AL)...reached base safely in six straight games, June 24-July 1...optioned to Rochester, July 12...four-hit game, July 26 at Charlotte...hit .345 (10-for-29) in eight July games...batted .314 (32-for-102) with five doubles, three triples, two home runs, 16 runs scored, 10 RBI and 10 multi-hit games in 23 August games...recalled by Minnesota, September 4...batted .333 (23-for-69) with four doubles, one triple, one home run, nine runs scored and seven RBI in 21 games from September 11 until the end of the season (October 6)...played in the Twins final 20 games as the regular third baseman while the Twins went 16-4 in those games...played in 71 games for the Twins, 36 at second base, 27 at third base, three at shortstop, and one at first base.

2008

Made the Twins Opening Day Roster...made Major League debut as pinch-hitter, April 1 vs. Los Angeles (AL)...singled off Joe Saunders for first career hit, April 2 vs. Los Angeles (AL)...hit safely in five of six games, going 9-for-15 (.600), April 4-11...had season-high six-game hit-streak, going 6-for-22 (.273), April 27-May 10...placed on 15-day disabled list with torn ligament in left thumb, May 16 and had surgery to repair torn ligament...rehabbed at Double-A New Britain...reinstated from the disabled list on September 2, missed 96 games...recorded his first career triple, September 3 at Toronto...recorded two triples, September 13 at Baltimore (game 2)...tied a season-high with three hits, September 16 at Cleveland...hit safely in five of his last six games...hit .333 (10-for-30) with three rbi and five runs scored in 10 September games...hit .373 (19-for-51) in 19 games vs. American League Central opponents.

2007

Spent the entire year with Triple-A Rochester...went 7-for-10 in three games, April 13-15...hit safely in eight straight games, going 12-for-25 (.480), April 24-May 3...went 3-for-5 with a season-high four rbi, May 11 at Buffalo...named Twins' Minor League Player of the Week, May 11-17...hit .370 (20-for-54) in May...hit safely in nine straight games going 17-for-34 (.500), June 3-11...went 5-for-5 with two doubles and two rbi, June 6...played for United States team in Futures Game, July 8 at San Francisco...selected to International League team in Triple-A All-Star Game, July 10 at Albuquerque...had a nine-game hitting streak going 15-for-35 (.429), including six multi-hit games, August 4-13... hit .313 (72-for-230) prior to the All-Star break but hit .267 (50-for-187) after the break...ranked the best defensive second baseman in the International League by Baseball America.

2006

Began season at Double-A New Britain and hit .216 before being transferred to Single-A Ft. Myers, May 5...went 3-for-5 in his first game with the Miracle, May 6...hit safely in his first seven games (.393), May 6-12...hit .476 (10-for-21) in five games, including two three-hit games, June 2-6...promoted to New Britain, June 22 and hit safely in his first nine games (13-for-31, .419) with the Rock Cats...named Twins' Minor League Player of the Week, June 24-30...named Twins' Minor League Player of the Month for June.

2005

Spent the entire season with Single-A Ft. Myers...went 6-for-12 in his first three games...split time between second base and shortstop for the Miracle...had a season-high three-hits seven times, including in back-to-back games, August 10-11...finished the year hitting safely in 16 of 17 games, including a season-high 11-game hitting streak, August 23-September 3...was 15th among all minor leaguers in sacrifice hits (15).

2004

Made his professional debut with Elizabethton of the Appalachian League...hit .316 through his first 11 games...played in 33 games, making 28 starts at second base and one at third base.