Mike Timlin was first known to the baseball world for his efforts shown in the back-to-back World Series’ won in the early part of his career.

Michael August Timlin was born March 10th 1966 in Midland, Texas. He is attributed as being 6’4”, 210 lbs and is 41 years of age with 16 years in the big league and a current contract with Boston that pays him just under $3 million a year, my research differs but all 2007 salary quotes are around that range.

Mike Timlin attended Southwestern in Texas and was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth round of the 1987 amateur draft and was subsequently signed June 6th of that same year. Timlin made his Major League Baseball debut April 8th, 1991 for those same Blue Jays.

#50 has never been one to shy away from any hitter. He can still hit the mid-90s and can count on his slider, which makes him extremely tough on right-handed-batters. The big man out of the pen still remains a top option in any would be Major League bullpen. Age hasn’t completely caught up to the 41 year-old. His stuff is still solid but has consistently missed games over the past few years, no doubt stemming from an aging pitcher and a long inning filled career. He has had a propensity to give up big-knocks, which cause comebacks to be insurmountable at times. Pressure has gotten to him at all stops he has had as a closer. The spot in the pen he occupies now fits best as he comes in usually before Jonathan Papelbon and I can’t find a better spot for him in the Majors.

The transactions for Mike Timlin throughout his career have been firstly in ’97 he with RP Paul Spoljaric were sent to Seattle for Jose Cruz Jr. If memory serves me right the Mariners had one of the worst bullpens in MLB history in those years which sadly Timlin couldn’t help. As a free-agent signed with Baltimore, and then was traded to St. Louis in 2000. Subsequently was traded in ’02 to the Philadelphia Phillies, which included 3B Scott Rolen going to STL, finally signing with the Boston Red Sox December 24th, 2002.

Mike Timlin may be done sooner than later but the BoSox are still better off with the likes of aging veterans like Curt Schilling, Tim Wakefield and the aforementioned Timlin, than not. As any team has a need for a hard throwing setup man, an astute ace starter that has immeasurable experience and a change of pace knuckleballer.