Troy Tulowitzki is a former professional baseball player who played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on October 10, 1984, in Santa Clara, California, and grew up in Sunnyvale, California. Tulowitzki attended Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, where he played baseball and basketball. He was a standout athlete in both sports and was named the Central Coast Section Player of the Year in baseball during his senior year.
After high school, Tulowitzki attended California State University, Long Beach, where he played college baseball for the Long Beach State Dirtbags. He was a two-time All-American and was named the Big West Conference Player of the Year in 2005. Tulowitzki was selected by the Colorado Rockies with the seventh overall pick in the 2005 MLB draft.
Tulowitzki made his MLB debut with the Rockies on August 30, 2006, and quickly established himself as one of the best shortstops in the league. He was a five-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner, and two-time Silver Slugger winner during his career. Tulowitzki was also a key player on the Rockies' 2007 team that made it to the World Series.
Injuries were a constant issue for Tulowitzki throughout his career. He missed significant time in 2008, 2012, 2013, and 2017 due to various injuries. Despite the injuries, Tulowitzki remained one of the best shortstops in the league when healthy. He was known for his excellent defense, strong arm, and ability to hit for power.
In July 2015, the Rockies traded Tulowitzki to the Toronto Blue Jays in a blockbuster deal. He helped lead the Blue Jays to the playoffs in 2015 and 2016, hitting a key home run in the 2015 American League Wild Card Game. However, injuries continued to plague Tulowitzki, and he missed most of the 2018 and 2019 seasons due to various injuries.
Tulowitzki announced his retirement from baseball on December 20, 2019, at the age of 35. He finished his career with a .290 batting average, 225 home runs, and 780 RBIs. Tulowitzki was widely regarded as one of the best shortstops of his generation and will be remembered as a key player on some of the best teams of the 2000s and 2010s.
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