Royals select Toma, former groundskeeper, to their Hall of Fame
BY BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star
Toma is the first selection by the Royals Hall of Fame Veterans Committee, which formed as part of the redesigned voting process in 2011. The committee meets in even-numbered years to evaluate candidates no longer eligible through the regular voting phase.
Toma came to Kansas City in 1957 to serve as head groundskeeper for the A’s and quickly drew praise for transforming Municipal Stadium from a poor playing field into one of the best in the game.
Once the A’s left for Oakland after the 1967 season, Toma continued to oversee groundskeeping operations at Municipal Stadium for the Chiefs. The Royals kept Toma as their groundskeeper when they became an expansion team in 1969.
Toma remained the Royals’ head groundskeeper through 1995 and served two more years as a consultant with the club. He joined Emil Bossard earlier this season as the first two inductees to the MLB Groundskeeper Association Hall of Fame.
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