Mike Timlin (born March 10, 1966 in Midland, Texas) is a middle relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Boston Red Sox since 2003. Previously, he played for the Toronto Blue Jays (1991-1997), Seattle Mariners (1997-1998), Baltimore Orioles (1999-2000), St. Louis Cardinals (2000-2002) and Philadelphia Phillies (2002). He bats and throws right handed. An important man in the Boston bullpen, Timlin has a good command of his 93-MPH fastball. He also throws a decent slider and a sinker that have a downward break, so he induces a significant number of ground balls. He keeps runners close enough to give his catcher a chance. Defensively, he is below average.
In 2004 Timlin made 76 pitching appearances, the third most in Red Sox history and tied for fourth in American League history. On September 3, he made his 800th major league appearance, becoming only the 29th pitcher in majors history to reach that mark.
As of 2005, Timlin is the only active player to have played on three non-New York Yankees championship teams (the 1992 and 1993 Toronto Blue Jays and the 2004 World Series Boston Red Sox).
In a 15-year career, Timlin has compiled a 63-62 record with 130 saves and a 3.50 ERA in 893 games.
