Mike Timlin, no. 50

Birth Date: March 10, 1966 in Midland, TX
Height/Weight: 6'4", 210 lbs.
College: Southwestern University (where he was a Phi Delt. Can't say that's completely unexpected)
Contract: 1 year at $3 million

Mike Timlin pitched in fifty games last season. He pitched either 55.3 innings (baseball-reference.com) or 55.1 innings (thebaseballcube.com) depending on who you ask. During those innings, he gave up 46 hits and 23 runs (21 of them earned.) He also gave up 7 home runs. He walked 14 batters and struck out 31. He's got a good fastball. His slider has a nice downward break, that results in a lot of ground balls. He had 4 put outs and 9 assists but was charged with 2 errors.

His numbers are decent but his real value lies in the experience and leadership that he brings to the bullpen. This upcoming season will be the eighteenth season that he's played major league ball. He's got three (shortly to be four) World Series champion rings. After the 2004 World Series Terry Francona said something to the effect of: Keith Foulke might be the closer but the bullpen is lead by Timlin. I really believe that all that silliness that went on last season in the bullpen, that helped them meld into the best bullpen in the game, was on Mike Timlin.

His success next season depends on whether he can keep himself healthy of not. He's had shoulder problems in the past, which is to be expected because (new mantra): Pitchers deteriorate with age. If he can maintain his shoulder then he'll probably put up numbers similar to this season's numbers.