Michael August Timlin (; born March 10, 1966) is an American former professional baseball
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...
. Timlin played on four
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
championship teams in an 18-year career; the
1992 Toronto Blue Jays,
1993 Toronto Blue Jays,
2004 Boston Red Sox, and
2007 Boston Red Sox
The 2007 Boston Red Sox season was the 107th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. Managed by Terry Francona, the Red Sox finished first in the American League East with a record of 96 wins and 66 losses. In the postseason, the ...
.
Early life
Timlin was born in
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States. A small part of Midland is in Martin County.
At the 2020 census, Midland's population was 132,524. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas metropolitan ...
, to Jerome Francis Timlin Sr. and Nancy Sharon Beyer. Timlin graduated from
Midland High School; he then attended and pitched at
Southwestern University
Southwestern University (Southwestern or SU) is a private liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas. Formed in 1873 from a revival of collegiate charters granted in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest college or university in Texas. Southwestern o ...
in
Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown is a city in Texas and the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States. The population was 67,176 at the 2020 census. It is 30 miles (48 km) north of Austin.
Founded in 1875 from four existing colleges, the oldest of ...
, where he was a member of
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta (), commonly known as Phi Delt, is an international secret and social fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, along with Beta Theta Pi and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad ...
.
Baseball career
Listed at and , Timlin threw and batted right-handed. Timlin was known for his
fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...
. His
slider
Slider or Sliders may refer to:
Arts
* K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise
* '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex
* ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series
* ...
s and
sinkers had a downward break, inducing a significant number of
ground ball
In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...
s.
Early career
Timlin was drafted in the fifth round of the
1987 Major League Baseball draft
The Major League Baseball Draft is the process by which Major League Baseball (MLB) teams select athletes to play for their organization. High school seniors, college juniors and seniors, and anyone who had never played under a professional cont ...
by the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
, and signed with the team on June 6, 1987. From 1987 through 1990, Timlin played for several of Toronto's minor league teams; the
Rookie-level Medicine Hat Blue Jays
The Medicine Hat Blue Jays were a Rookie League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, playing in the Pioneer League and located in the city of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. They played a total of 25 seasons; 1978 through 2002. Their home field wa ...
(1987), the
Class-A Myrtle Beach Blue Jays
The Myrtle Beach Blue Jays were a minor league baseball team based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They began play in the South Atlantic League in 1987 after being relocated from Florence, South Carolina (Florence Blue Jays). They played at the ...
(1988), the
High-A
High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...
Dunedin Blue Jays
The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark, ...
(1989–90), and the
Double-A Knoxville Blue Jays
The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off In ...
(1990).
Toronto Blue Jays
Timlin spent the
1991 season
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, 1991 Russian presidential election, elected as Russia's first President of Russia, president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated ...
with Toronto. He made his first major league
appearance
Appearance may refer to:
* Visual appearance, the way in which objects reflect and transmit light
* Human physical appearance, what someone looks like
* ''Appearances'' (film), a 1921 film directed by Donald Crisp
* Appearance (philosophy), or p ...
on opening day, April 8, pitching innings in relief against the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
. Two days later, he recorded his first strikeout (
Tom Brunansky
Thomas Andrew Brunansky (born August 20, 1960), nicknamed "Bruno", is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1981 to 1994 for the California Angels, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewe ...
) and had his first
win, after pitching an inning in relief against the Red Sox. For the regular season, Timlin appeared in 63 games, all but three in relief, compiling a record of 11–6 with three
saves and a 3.16
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA). In the postseason, he made four relief appearances in the
American League Championship Series
The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the American ...
(ALCS) against the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
, including taking the
loss
Loss may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* ''Loss'' (Bass Communion album) (2006)
* ''Loss'' (Mull Historical Society album) (2001)
*"Loss", a song by God Is an Astronaut from their self-titled album (2008)
* Losses "(Lil Tjay son ...
in Game 3 after giving up a home run to
Mike Pagliarulo
Michael Timothy Pagliarulo, a.k.a. "Pags" (born March 15, 1960), is an American former professional baseball third baseman and later the hitting coach of the Miami Marlins. He played in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees, San Diego Pa ...
in the 10th inning. Timlin was sixth in
Rookie of the Year voting.
During the
1992 season
Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 ''Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since the ...
, Timlin spent time with the Single-A
Dunedin Blue Jays
The Dunedin Blue Jays are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and are the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball club. They are located in Dunedin, Florida, and play their home games at TD Ballpark, ...
(six games), the
Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
**North Syracuse, New York
*Syracuse, Indiana
* Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, Miss ...
(seven games), and the major league Blue Jays (26 games). With Toronto he compiled a record of 0–2 with one save and a 4.12 ERA. In the postseason, he made two relief appearances in the
ALCS against the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
, and two relief appearances in the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
against the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
. He recorded his first postseason save in the deciding Game 6, facing a single batter,
Otis Nixon
Otis Junior Nixon (born January 9, 1959) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1983), Cleveland Indians (1984–87), Montreal Expos (1988–90), Atlanta Brav ...
, who Timlin threw out at first base on a
bunt Bunt may refer to:
* Bunt (community), an elite social group from Karnataka, India
* Bunt (baseball), a batting technique in baseball
* Bunt (sail), a part of a ship's sail
* Bunt Island, island in Antarctica
* The Bunt, nickname of the Bunting ...
attempt in the 11th inning, for the final out of the series.
For the
1993 season
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...
, Timlin played four games with Single-A Dunedin and 54 games with Toronto, all in relief. His record with Toronto was 4–2, with 1 save and a 4.69 ERA. In the postseason he made one appearance in the
ALCS against the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
, and two appearances in the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
against the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
. The Blue Jays won the World Series for the second consecutive year, giving Timlin two
World Series ring
A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...
s in his first three MLB seasons.
Timlin made 34 appearances with Toronto in the
1994 season (0–1, with two saves and a 5.18 ERA), and 31 appearances in the
1995 season (4–3, with five saves and a 2.14 ERA). In 1995, he also appeared in 8 games with Triple-A Syracuse. For the
1996 season, he appeared in 59 games with Toronto (1–6, with 31 saves and a 3.65 ERA). During the
1997 season, Timlin made 38 appearances with Toronto through July 29; he had a 3–2 record, with nine saves and a 2.87 ERA. Timlin and
Paul Spoljaric
Paul Nikola Spoljaric (born September 24, 1970) is a Canadian former left-handed professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four different teams between 1994 and 2000.
Biography
After being signed by the Toront ...
were traded to the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
in exchange for
José Cruz Jr.
José Luis Cruz Jr. (born April 19, 1974), is a Puerto Rican baseball coach and former outfielder, who is the current head baseball coach for the Rice Owls. He played college baseball at Rice University from 1992 to 1995 and played in Major Lea ...
on July 31, 1997.
In his seven seasons with the Blue Jays, Timlin appeared in 305 games, compiling a record of 23–22 with 52 saves and a 3.62 ERA. In innings pitched, he struck out 331 batters while walking 167.
Seattle Mariners
Timlin made his first appearance with the Mariners on August 1, 1997, pitching one inning in relief against the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
. He made 26 total appearances with Seattle during the regular season; he had a 3–2 record, with one save and a 3.86 ERA. He appeared in one game in the
American League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ea ...
(ALDS), giving up four runs to the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
in of an inning during Game 1.
For the
1998 season, Timlin appeared in 70 games with Seattle; he had a 3–3 record, 19 saves, and a 2.95 ERA. After the season, Timlin became a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
. In his two seasons with Seattle, he appeared in a total of 96 games with 20 saves, while striking out 69 and walking 21 in 105 innings pitched, with a 3.17 ERA.
Baltimore Orioles
On November 13, 1998, Timlin signed a four-year, $16 million contract with the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
. During the
1999 season, he appeared in 62 games for the Orioles, with a record of 3–9, 27 saves and a 3.57 ERA. For the
2000 season, he was with the Orioles through late July, appearing in 37 games, with a record of 2–3, 11 saves and a 4.89 ERA. On July 29, 2000, Timlin was traded (along with cash) to the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
in exchange for
Chris Richard and minor league player Mark Nussbeck. In two seasons with Baltimore, Timlin appeared in a total of 99 games, compiling a record of 5–12, with 38 saves and a 4.04 ERA, while striking out 76 and walking 38 in 98 innings pitched.
St. Louis Cardinals
Timlin made his first appearance with the Cardinals (and in the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
) on July 30, 2000, pitching one inning in relief against the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
. He made 25 total appearances with the Cardinals during the regular season; he had a 3–1 record, with one save and a 3.34 ERA. He appeared in two games of the
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ...
(NLDS) against the Atlanta Braves, and in three games of the
National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two National ...
(NLCS) against the Mets. He took the loss in Game 2 of the NLCS, giving up an
unearned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an err ...
while pitching the ninth inning.
For the
2001 season, Timlin appeared in 67 games with St. Louis; he had a 4–5 record, three saves, and a 4.09 ERA. He had his first major league
at bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...
on October 6 against the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
, grounding out in the fifth inning. He made one appearance in the postseason, pitching scoreless innings against the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
in the
NLDS
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
.
During the
2002 season, he was with the Cardinals through late July, appearing in 42 games, with a record of 1–3 and a 2.51 ERA. On April 19, he made his first
start
Start can refer to multiple topics:
*Takeoff, the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground to flying through the air
* Starting lineup in sports
*Standing start, and rolling start, in an auto race
Acronyms
*St ...
since his rookie season, taking the loss against the Milwaukee Brewers; he pitched innings, giving up four runs (all earned) while striking out three batters and walking one. On July 29, 2002, Timlin,
Plácido Polanco
Plácido Enrique Polanco (; born October 10, 1975) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins. He was a ...
, and
Bud Smith
Robert Allan "Bud" Smith (born October 23, 1979) is an American retired baseball pitcher. Smith was active at the major league level in 2001 and 2002, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Minor leagues
In 2000, Smith led the minor league Cardin ...
were traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for
Doug Nickle
Douglas Alan Nickle (born October 2, 1974) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was born in Sonoma, California. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies (–) and the San Diego Padres () of the National League during his Major ...
,
Scott Rolen
Scott Bruce Rolen (born April 4, 1975) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds. He was an eight-t ...
, and cash.
In his three seasons with St. Louis, Timlin appeared in 134 games, compiling a record of 8–9, with four saves and a 3.36 ERA. In innings pitched, he struck out 108 batters while walking 46.
Philadelphia Phillies
Timlin made his first appearance with the Phillies on July 31, 2002, pitching two innings in relief (and getting the win) against the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
. Through the end of the regular season, he appeared in 30 games with Philadelphia, compiling a 3–3 record and a 3.79 ERA. In innings pitched, he struck out 15 batters while walking seven. After the season, Timlin again became a free agent.
Boston Red Sox
On January 6, 2003, Timlin signed a one-year, $1.85 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.
During the
2003 season
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...
, he appeared in 72 games for Boston, compiling a 6–4 record, with 2 saves and a 3.55 ERA. In the postseason, he appeared in three games of the
ALDS against the Oakland Athletics, and five games of the
ALCS against the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
. In those eight games, he pitched innings, facing 32 batters while striking out 11 and only giving up two walks, one hit, and no runs. After the season, Timlin was re-signed by the Red Sox to a two-year, $5.25 million contract in November 2003.
Timlin made 76 appearances during the
2004 season; he had a 5–4 record, with one save and a 4.13 ERA. On September 3, he made his 800th major league appearance, becoming only the 29th pitcher in major league history to reach that mark. In the postseason he appeared in three games of the
ALDS against the
Anaheim Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
, five games of the
ALCS against the Yankees, and three games of the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
against the St. Louis Cardinals. In those 11 games, he pitched innings, facing 56 batters while striking out seven and giving up seven walks, 15 hits, and eight runs. With Boston's sweep of St. Louis in the World Series, Timlin earned the third championship of his career.
Timlin's
2005 season yielded the best numbers of his career. He made 81 appearances (a career high) with a record of 7–3, 13 saves, and a 2.24 ERA. In innings pitched, Timlin struck out 59 while walking 20 and only allowing two home runs. He pitched an inning in the
ALDS, giving up one run as the Red Sox were swept by the White Sox. On November 2, 2005, Timlin signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract extension with the Red Sox.
After his first three seasons with the Red Sox, Timlin struggled with injuries to his right shoulder and left oblique in 2006 and the beginning of 2007, making multiple visits to the
disabled list
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL).
General guidelines
...
. For the
2006 season, he made 68 appearances with a record of 6–6, nine saves, and a 4.36 ERA. On October 25, 2006, Timlin signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract to remain with the Red Sox.
During the
2007 season, Timlin appeared in 50 games with a record of 2–1, one save, and a 3.42 ERA. He also made eight appearances with the Triple-A
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...
while rehabilitating. He made his 1,000th career appearance on August 31, against the Baltimore Orioles. In the postseason, he made three appearances in the
ALCS against the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
, and three appearances in the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
against the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
. In those six games, he pitched innings, facing 30 batters while striking out seven, issuing no walks, and giving up two runs. With Boston's sweep of Colorado in the World Series, Timlin earned the fourth championship of his career. He is the only pitcher to appear in, and win, four World Series without winning at least one with the New York Yankees. On December 7, 2007, Timlin was re-signed to another one-year deal.
Timlin made 47 appearances during the
2008 season, with a record of 4–4, 1 save, and a 5.66 ERA (the highest of his career). He also made five rehabilitation appearances with Triple-A Pawtucket. In the postseason, he appeared in two games against the
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...
in the
ALCS; he took the loss in Game 2 after giving up a run in the 11th inning, and his two innings in relief during Game 4, which Boston lost by nine runs, would be the final MLB appearance of his career. After the season ended, Timlin again became a free agent.
In his six seasons with Boston, Timlin appeared in 394 MLB games, compiling a record of 30–22, with 27 saves and a 3.76 ERA. In 409 innings pitched, he struck out 273 batters while walking 98.
Late career
On July 29, 2009, Timlin signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies.
He made a total of six minor league appearances; two for the Rookie-level
Casper Ghosts
Casper may refer to:
People
* Casper (given name)
* Casper (surname)
* Casper (Maya ruler) (422–487?), ruler of the Mayan city of Palenque
* Tok Casper, first known king of Maya city-state Quiriguá in Guatemala, ruling beginning in 426
* Da ...
and then four for the Triple-A
Colorado Springs Sky Sox
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox were a Minor League Baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and was the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Milwaukee Brewers (2015–2018), Colorado Rockie ...
. On August 13, 2009, Timlin was released by the Rockies, following which he retired from baseball.
Career totals
In 18 MLB seasons, Timlin compiled a record of 75–73, with 141 saves, and a 3.63 ERA. In innings pitched, he struck out 872 batters while walking 377. As a hitter, he had seven at-bats (all with St. Louis); he struck out four times and did not reach base. As of July 2017, Timlin ranks eighth all-time in appearances for MLB pitchers, having played in 1,058 games.
Timlin wore
uniform number
In team sports, the number, often referred to as the uniform number, squad number, jersey number, shirt number, sweater number, or similar (with such naming differences varying by sport and region) is the number worn on a player's uniform, to ...
40 with Toronto, Seattle, and Baltimore. When he was traded to St. Louis in 2000, uniform number 40 was already in use by
Andy Benes
Andrew Charles Benes (born August 20, 1967) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1989 to 2002, most prominently as a member of the San Diego Padres where he was na ...
, so Timlin changed to uniform number 50. He later kept that number with Philadelphia and Boston. Timlin was
ejected
Ejection or Eject may refer to:
* Ejection (sports), the act of officially removing someone from a game
* Eject (''Transformers''), a fictional character from ''The Transformers'' television series
* "Eject" (song), 1993 rap rock single by Sense ...
twice in his MLB career, both times during the 2002 season.
Timlin was also a member of the
United States national baseball team
The United States national baseball team represents the United States in international-level baseball competitions. The team is currently ranked 5th in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. Team USA won the Olympic baseball to ...
that competed in the
2006 World Baseball Classic.
Honors
Timlin was the 2007 recipient of the
Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball (MLB) player who best exhibits the character and integrity of Lou Gehrig, both on the field and off it. The award was created by the Phi Delta Theta fraternity in honor o ...
, which is awarded annually to an MLB player who has made exemplary contributions to "both his community and philanthropy."
On April 19, 2009, Timlin was honored by the Red Sox, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch on "Mike Timlin Day" at
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
.
In 2010, Timlin was inducted to Southwestern University's Hall of Fame.
Personal life
Timlin has three sisters; Jeri Lynn, Tracy, and Sherri.
He and his wife, Dawn, have two children; a son born in 1996, and a daughter born in 2000. The Timlins are organizers of "The Sharon Timlin Memorial 5K Race to Cure ALS", held annually since 2004; Timlin's mother died of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most comm ...
(ALS) in March 2002.
[
, Timlin identified as an ]evangelical Christian
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...
.
In 2006, with former teammates Johnny Damon
Johnny David Damon (born November 5, 1973) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1995 to 2012. During his MLB career, Damon played for the Kansas City Royals (1995–2000), Oakland ...
and Édgar Rentería
Édgar Enrique Rentería Herazo (; born August 7, 1975), nicknamed "The Barranquilla Baby", is a Colombian former professional baseball shortstop. He threw and batted right-handed. He played for the Florida Marlins, the St. Louis Cardinals, th ...
, Timlin was featured on an episode of the animated television series ''Arthur
Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...
'', providing his voice for the Elwood City Grebes pitcher "Winlin."
During the 2017 season, Timlin worked as color commentator
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and t ...
with play-by-play announcer
In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio wa ...
Dave O'Brien for several Red Sox games in July.
Timlin was present at the concert where the Las Vegas shooting occurred on October 1, 2017, but escaped unharmed.
Timlin is the godfather of Paul Spoljaric
Paul Nikola Spoljaric (born September 24, 1970) is a Canadian former left-handed professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four different teams between 1994 and 2000.
Biography
After being signed by the Toront ...
's son, Garner.
See also
* List of Major League Baseball career games finished leaders
In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished (denoted by GF) if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game.
Mariano Rivera is the ...
* 2006 World Baseball Classic rosters
References
Further reading
*
External links
Mike Timlin
at Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Timlin, Mike
1966 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Baltimore Orioles players
Baseball players from Texas
Boston Red Sox announcers
Boston Red Sox players
Cardenales de Lara players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Casper Ghosts players
Colorado Springs Sky Sox players
Dunedin Blue Jays players
Knoxville Blue Jays players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Medicine Hat Blue Jays players
Myrtle Beach Blue Jays players
Pawtucket Red Sox players
People from Midland, Texas
Philadelphia Phillies players
Seattle Mariners players
Southwestern Pirates baseball players
St. Louis Cardinals players
Syracuse Chiefs players
Toronto Blue Jays players
World Baseball Classic players of the United States
2006 World Baseball Classic players
American evangelicals
Midland High School (Midland, Texas) alumni