Payton Tolle has a side quest: collecting autographs and appreciating Red Sox history

Amid his budding big league career, Payton Tolle has embarked on a side quest: collecting autographs and appreciating Red Sox history.

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The top shelf of his locker in the Sox’ clubhouse contains a set of six baseballs, all in protective cases and carefully arranged, signed by some of the famous alumni who have rolled through Fenway Park in recent weeks: Carl Yastrzemski, Roger Clemens, Jon Lester, Johnny Damon, Mike Timlin, Bill Mueller.

Tolle sees his May pickups as part of a larger project that one day will include a man cave, a large display, and stories to tell.

“In 30 years, whenever I’m done playing, being able to look back on things and have memories of stuff, hopefully one day I can show my kids, grandkids — these people are really cool. And I met them,” Tolle said. “The biggest thing right now is just appreciating where I’m at. Being a part of this organization — it sounds cliché, but it’s an honor.”

It started last year, when Tolle was called up for the final month-plus of the season. He was the random rookie asked/made to catch ceremonial first pitches, including those thrown by pro wrestling personalities Jey Uso and the Hardy Boyz — fun for Tolle, a fan — and the Patriots’ DeMario Douglas.

Tolle’s father, Chad, suggested he start getting autographs of the people he encounters, something by which to remember this wild ride. He started with a couple of teammates: Connor Wong, who was his catcher in his debut; and Steven Matz, a fellow lefthander with whom he grew close.

“I missed out on my Justin Wilson autograph,” Tolle said. “But one day I’ll get back to it.”

This month, with a bunch of former stars stopping by, Tolle has added to his collection. He has a routine: dip into the batting cage, fish out a lightly used ball — featuring authentic major league scuffs — and make the approach with a simple request.

The best one, Tolle said, is obviously Yastrzemski. He is 86 and doesn’t come around much.

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“I also saw it was one of the more expensive ones in the team store right now,” Tolle said. “Jim [Rice] saw me asking Yaz. Jim was like, ‘You don’t want me to sign?’ I said, ‘Jim, I see you almost every single day. I’ll get you one day.’ ”

The Yastrzemski ball is complete with an inscription: Hall of Fame Class of 1989. That was 13 years before Tolle was born.

Not all big leaguers have this degree of interest in or knowledge about the history of their sport or franchise.

“I’m a baseball guy. I just love it,” Tolle said. “Trying to appreciate players before me and guys who have put on the jersey, trying to be thankful for that.”

On Tolle’s target list: singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, if the Sox fan/Vermont native throws out a first pitch this year; and the Braves’ Chris Sale, who is due to start opposite Tolle on Thursday. The visitors’ clubhouse is a cornucopia for this sort of thing.

“Whenever I have all these displayed a while from now,” Tolle said, “it’s going to be something really cool I can look back on.”

The Red Sox’ schedule is about to get tougher for the next month-plus, beginning with the Braves visiting for a three-game series that begins Tuesday.

Here is how the pitching lines up:

Tuesday: RHP Spencer Strider (3.00 ERA) vs. LHP Ranger Suarez (2.40).

Wednesday: RHP Bryce Elder (1.97) vs. LHP Connelly Early (3.33).

Thursday: Sale (1.89) vs. Tolle (2.45).

Garrett Crochet (left shoulder inflammation) is due to face batters for the first time Tuesday and is likely to need at least a second such outing. A best-case scenario: returning on a limited pitch count during the June 5-7 series against the Yankees … With an ever-evolving roster fringe, a pair of Sox got upgraded from auxiliary lockers in the middle of the clubhouse to regular ones along the walls: Tolle, who is now next to his buddy Early, and Mickey Gasper, assigned the spot Tyler Samaniego had used … On Memorial Day, noted checkpoint on the baseball calendar, the Red Sox woke up with a 22-30 record and in last place in the American League East, a whopping 13 games behind the Rays. In an overexpanded and particularly weak AL wild-card race, the Sox were 3½ games out of a spot. Check back on Independence Day.

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