Tomaso Anthony Milone ( ; born February 16, 1987) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
in 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 ...
organization. He has previously played in MLB for the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
, and
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 ...
. He made his MLB debut in 2011.
Amateur career
Born and raised in
Santa Clarita, California
Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17th ...
, Milone attended
Saugus High School, where he was a standout as a
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
and hitter. Milone won All-State honors twice, and was the Foothill Player of the Year his senior season, in which he hit .474 and threw a perfect game, finishing the year with a 9-2 record and a 1.04 ERA. Milone then attended the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
, playing for the
USC Trojans baseball
The USC Trojans baseball program represents the University of Southern California in college baseball. Established in 1888 in baseball, 1888, the team is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Pac-12 Conference. USC’s ...
team and pursued a degree in public policy and development. As a freshman, Milone was named the number two starter in the rotation and went 7-4 with a 4.94 ERA in 16 starts. In his sophomore season, Milone struggled, going 3-7 with a 6.17 ERA. His junior season would prove to be his best, Milone went 6-6 with a 3.51 ERA and was the number one starter in the rotation. In 2007, Milone played
collegiate summer baseball
Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
in the
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...
with the
Chatham A's
The Chatham Anglers, more commonly referred to as the Chatham A's and formerly the Chatham Athletics, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chatham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in t ...
, winning the B.F.C. Whitehouse Award, given to the best pitcher in the league, after finishing the summer 6-1 with a 2.92 ERA.
Professional career
Washington Nationals
![DSC 0156 Tom Milone](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/DSC_0156_Tom_Milone.jpg)
Milone was drafted by the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
in the 10th round of the
2008 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft continued Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 5 and 6, 2008.
First round selections
;Key
Supplemental first rou ...
.
Milone made his major league debut on September 3, 2011, 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 ...
. Milone struck out
Angel Pagan
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
of the New York Mets for his first career strikeout. Later in the same game, he hit a three-run home run on the first pitch of his first Major League at bat, becoming the 27th player, and only the eighth
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
, in major league history to do so. He left the game after pitching four and one-third innings.
Oakland Athletics
On December 23, 2011, Milone was traded with
A. J. Cole
Andrew Jordan Cole (born January 5, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Toronto Blue Jays, ...
,
Derek Norris
Derek Russell Norris (born February 14, 1989) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, and Tampa Bay Rays. Prior to playing professionally, Norris a ...
and
Brad Peacock
Bradley Joseph Peacock (born February 2, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, and Boston Red Sox. Listed at and , he th ...
to 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 ...
for
Gio González
Giovany Aramis González (born September 19, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox. A two-ti ...
and Robert Gilliam.
![Tommy milone2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Tommy_milone2012.JPG)
Milone started the regular season in the third starting rotation spot behind
Brandon McCarthy
Brandon Patrick McCarthy (born July 7, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and front office executive. He is the special assistant to the general manager for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in M ...
and
Bartolo Colón
Bartolo Colón (born May 24, 1973), nicknamed "Big Sexy," is a Dominican-American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for 11 different Major League Baseball (MLB) teams: the Cleveland Indians (1997–2002), Montreal Expos (2002), Chicago ...
. Milone was the only starting pitcher in the A's rotation to last all season without getting injured and had started the most games for the A's during the 2012 season. He pitched his first complete game of his career on June 20 defeating the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
. Milone had started game 2 of the ALDS, but the A's had lost to a no decision in the bottom of the 9th inning. Milone finished the season with a 13–10 record and with 137 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.74
Milone was optioned to the Triple-A
Sacramento River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 15 yea ...
on August 3, 2013. Milone finished the season with 12 wins in 28 games, 26 of them starts.
Milone started the 2014 season in the A's rotation as the fifth starter. Despite owning a record of 6-3 and a 3.55 ERA in 16 starts, Milone was sent down to AAA. After his demotion he demanded a trade.
Minnesota Twins
![Tommy Milone on August 21, 2015](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Tommy_Milone_on_August_21%2C_2015.jpg)
On July 31, 2014, the Athletics traded Milone to 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 ...
in exchange for outfielder
Sam Fuld
Samuel Babson Fuld (born November 20, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and the current general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. He played eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Tampa B ...
. Milone started in five games for the Twins before being shut down with a neck injury.
Milone had a bounce back season in 2015 going 9-5 with a 3.92 ERA in 128.2 innings. Milone struggled in 2016 going 3–5 with a 5.12 ERA and after the season he declined being outrighted to Triple-A Rochester by electing free agency.
Milwaukee Brewers
On December 14, 2016, Milone signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract with 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 was designated for assignment on May 1, 2017, when the team purchased the contract of
Rob Scahill
Robert Joseph Scahill (born February 15, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He previously played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago White Sox.
Career Colorado Rockies
Scahill atten ...
. With the Brewers he was 1-0 with a 6.43 ERA.
New York Mets
![Tommy Milone on May 21, 2017 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Tommy_Milone_on_May_21%2C_2017_%28cropped%29.jpg)
On May 7, 2017, 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 ...
claimed Milone off waivers. With the Mets, he was 0-3 with a 8.56 ERA. In 2017 between the two teams, right-handed batters had a higher batting average against him, .348, than against all other MLB pitchers in 30 or more innings.
Second stint in Washington
On December 20, 2017, the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
signed Milone to a minor league contract, with an invite to spring training. On July 26, 2018, he was called up in place of
Stephen Strasburg
Stephen James Strasburg (; born July 20, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Strasburg was selected by Washington with the first overall pick in the 2009 Major League ...
in the rotation. Milone was reassigned to the bullpen on August 18. On September 4, Milone was outrighted off the roster. For the season he was 1-1 with a 5.81 ERA. He declared free agency on October 2, 2018.
Seattle Mariners
On December 6, 2018, Milone signed a minor league deal with 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 ...
. He opened the 2019 season with the
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960. ...
. On May 21, his contract was selected by the Mariners.
Baltimore Orioles
Milone signed a minor league deal 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 ...
on February 13, 2020.
On July 15, 2020, the Orioles purchased his contract, putting him on the 40-man roster for the shortened season. On July 21, 2020, Milone was named starter for opening day vs the Red Sox as
John Means had arm fatigue. On July 24, 2020, he made his Orioles debut as a
Opening Day starting pitcher throwing 4 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks in 3 innings pitched 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 ...
.
Atlanta Braves
On August 30, 2020, Milone was traded to 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 ...
in exchange for AJ Graffanino and Greg Cullen. The Braves released Milone on September 30, 2020, right before their Wild Card Series game against the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
. In three starts with the Braves, he went 0-0 with a 14.90 ERA.
Toronto Blue Jays
On February 25, 2021, the Toronto Blue Jays signed Milone to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. On April 4, 2021, the Blue Jays selected his contract and placed him on the active roster. On May 27, Milone was placed on the 60-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation. On August 11, 2021, Milone was released by the Blue Jays.
Cincinnati Reds
On August 24, 2021, Milone signed a minor league deal with the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
. He was assigned to the Triple-A
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, win ...
. Milone made 3 starts for Louisville, going 0-2 with a 14.40 ERA and 10 strikeouts. On October 11, Milone elected free agency.
Seattle Mariners (second stint)
On April 1, 2022, Milone signed a minor league deal with 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 ...
. He was assigned to the Triple-A
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960. ...
to start the 2022 season. On June 18, he was selected to the major league roster. He was released on August 2, 2022. He resigned a minor league deal on August 19, 2022. He elected free agency on November 10, 2022. On December 15, Milone resigned a minor league deal.
Pitching Repertoire
Milone's
four-seam fastball
A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is ca ...
ranges from 85–87 mph, and he complements it with a cutter at the same speed, a
curveball
In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
(75–79), and
changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball.
The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...
(79–81), as well as a rare
two-seam fastball
A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...
. Milone's repertoire against left-handed hitters tends to be fastball-cutter-curveball, while against right-handers it is fastball-changeup-cutter. He uses his changeup heavily in 2-strike counts against righties. His curve is his best swing-and-miss pitch with a
whiff rate of about 33%. Milone has shown good control early in his career, with a
walk
Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ov ...
rate under 2 per 9 innings.
Personal life
Milone married Tina Sarnecki. They welcomed their first child, daughter Mia, in July 2016.
See also
*
References
External links
USC Trojans bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milone, Tommy
1987 births
Living people
American people of Italian descent
Atlanta Braves players
Baltimore Orioles players
Baseball players from California
Binghamton Rumble Ponies players
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Chatham Anglers players
Hagerstown Suns players
Harrisburg Senators players
Oakland Athletics players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Milwaukee Brewers players
Minnesota Twins players
New York Mets players
People from Saugus, Santa Clarita, California
Potomac Nationals players
Rochester Red Wings players
Sacramento River Cats players
Seattle Mariners players
Syracuse Chiefs players
Tacoma Rainiers players
Toronto Blue Jays players
USC Trojans baseball players
Vermont Lake Monsters players
Washington Nationals players