Randy Tomlin

Though born in Bainbridge, Maryland, Tomlin lived there less than a year before moving to Virginia, first to Farmville, then to the Lynchburg area when he was four or five. He attended Amherst County High School, where he played baseball and football. Tomlin hoped to attend James Madison University, but their scouts were not impressed with him. Liberty University offered him a full scholarship, so he chose to attend there instead.{{cite journal|title=Interview: 2011-02-09|url=https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/ohp_tomlin_r/1/|journal=Liberty University|date=February 11, 2009|access-date=December 31, 2020|last1=Sattler |first1=Abigail |last2=Cobb |first2=Mike |last3=Hall |first3=Cline |last4=Tomlin |first4=Randy }}

Tomlin had played as a pitcher and outfielder in high school, but he focused on pitching upon joining the Liberty Flames in 1986. During his time with the Flames, he threw 22 complete games and four shutouts, both records as of 2016. Three of those shutouts came in 1986, a year in which he also pitched all 11 innings of a 4–3 victory over Slippery Rock University. He pitched 273 innings for the Flames, striking out 211 hitters. After his junior year, he was drafted by the Pirates in the 18th round (460th overall) of the 1988 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. In 2016, he was inducted into the Liberty Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite web|url=https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Five-athletes-to-be-inducted-into-Liberty-Universitys-sports-Hall-of-Fame-387847482.html|title=Five athletes to be inducted into Liberty University's sports Hall of Fame|work=WDBJ7|date=July 21, 2016|access-date=December 31, 2020}}

After being drafted, Tomlin began his professional career in 1988 with the Watertown Pirates of the Single-A (short season) New York-Penn League. In 15 starts, he had a 7–5 record, a 2.18 earned run average (ERA), 87 strikeouts, 25 walks, and 75 hits allowed in {{frac|103|1|3}} innings pitched.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=tomlin001ran|title=Randy Tomlin Minor & Independent Leagues Statistics & History|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 3, 2021}}

Tomlin spent most of 1989 with the Salem Buccaneers of the Single-A Carolina League, where he had a 12–6 record, a 3.25 ERA, 99 strikeouts, 43 walks, and 131 hits allowed in {{frac|138|2|3}} innings pitched. The 12 wins were tied with two others for fourth in the league.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?type=pitch&id=3891fd78|title=1989 Carolina League Pitching Leaders|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 3, 2021}} Tomlin also made five starts for the Harrisburg Senators of the Double-A Eastern League that year; though his record was just 2–2, his ERA was 0.84.

For 1990, Tomlin spent much of the year with Harrisburg. In 19 games (18 starts), he had a 9–6 record, a 2.28 ERA, 92 strikeouts, 34 walks, and 101 hits allowed in {{frac|126|1|3}} innings pitched. He also appeared in three games (one start) with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the American Association.

In August 1990, Tomlin was recalled to replace Rick Reed in Pittsburgh's starting rotation.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=reedri01&t=p&year=1990|title=Rick Reed 1990 Pitching Gamelogs|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 4, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=tomlira01&t=p&year=1990|title=Randy Tomlin 1990 Pitching Gamelogs|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 4, 2021}} He made his major league debut in the first game of a doubleheader on August 6, allowing just five hits and one run in a complete game, 10–1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI199008061.shtml|title=Pittsburgh Pirates at Philadelphia Phillies Box Score, August 6, 1990|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 4, 2021}} On September 6, he held the New York Mets to three hits in a complete game, 7–1 victory.{{cite magazine|last=Kurkjian|first=Tim|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1990/09/17/baseball|title=Baseball|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=September 17, 1990|access-date=December 28, 2020}} In 12 starts with Pittsburgh, he had a 4–4 record, a 2.55 ERA, 42 strikeouts, 12 walks, and 62 hits allowed in {{frac|77|2|3}} innings pitched.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tomlira01.shtml|title=Randy Tomlin Stats|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} The Pirates won the National League (NL) East Division and faced the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Championship Series (NLCS), but Tomlin made no appearances in the series as Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh four games to two.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PIT/1990.shtml|title=1990 Pittsburgh Pirates Statistics|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}}

1991 was Tomlin's first full season as a starter in the major leagues. On July 15 and 21, he pitched back-to-back shutouts against the Houston Astros and the Reds.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=tomlira01&t=p&year=1991|title=Randy Tomlin 1991 Pitching Gamelogs|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} For his performance, he was named the NL Player of the Week for the week of July 15–21. On August 6, he limited the Mets to four hits and one run in a complete game, 3–1 victory.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN199108060.shtml|title=Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Mets Box Score, August 6, 1991|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} At that point, he had an 8–4 record with a 2.35 ERA, but he was winless for the rest of the season, posting a 4.31 ERA. In the first game of a doubleheader against the Mets on September 26, he had a shutout going until the ninth, in which he gave up two runs, allowing New York to tie the game. However, Pittsburgh still won in 15 innings, 4–3.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN199109261.shtml|title=Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Mets Box Score, September 26, 1991|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} In 31 games (27 starts), he had an 8–7 record, 104 strikeouts, 54 walks, and 170 hits allowed in 175 innings. His 2.98 ERA ranked eighth in the league, and the Pirates won the NL East for the second year in a row.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1991-pitching-leaders.shtml|title=1991 NL Pitching Leaders|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PIT/1991.shtml|title=1991 Pittsburgh Pirates Statistics|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} Jay LeBlanc of The Washington Times wrote that Tomlin is "best remembered for his clutch performance in Game 4 of the 1991 NLCS." With the Pirates down two games to one in the series, Tomlin held the Atlanta Braves to two runs over six innings in Game 4. He got a no decision, but Pittsburgh won the game 3–2 in 10 innings before ultimately losing the series in seven games.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL199110130.shtml|title=1991 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 4, Pirates at Braves, October 13|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=December 30, 2020}}

Tomlin won his first four starts of the 1992 season; Sports Illustrated wrote in May that he and the other Pittsburgh starting pitchers "are racking up W's like unlucky Scrabble competitors."{{cite magazine|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/2010/05/24/the-vault|title=Bonds Away! The Retooled Pirates Again Overpowered the NL East|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=May 24, 2010|access-date=December 28, 2020}} After losing three decisions in a row, he then won his next six decisions, including five starts in a row from June 2 through June 22.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=tomlira01&t=p&year=1992|title=Randy Tomlin 1992 Pitching Gamelogs|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=December 29, 2020}} During the streak, he threw 26 consecutive scoreless innings, which included a complete-game shutout of the Mets on June 7. He was named the NL Player of the Month for June. Through the 22nd of the month, he was tied with four others for most wins in the major leagues.{{cite web|page=8|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=932&dat=19920623&id=3lJQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=t1YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6009,8534372|title=Pirates 5, Cardinals 2|work=The Kingman Daily Miner|date=June 23, 1992|access-date=December 29, 2020}} His ERA was 3.03 at that point, and it would be 3.69 for the rest of the year, but Tomlin would win just four more games. He pitched back-to-back one-run, eight-inning games against the St. Louis Cardinals on August 2 and 7, earning the win in the second of those (the Pirates won both). In 33 starts, he had a 14–9 record, a 3.41 ERA, 90 strikeouts, and 42 walks in {{frac|208|2|3}} innings pitched. Tomlin finished 10th in the NL with a .609 winning percentage and fifth in the NL in walks per nine innings pitched, though he was also third with 226 hits allowed (behind Andy Benes's 230 and Terry Mulholland's 227).{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1992-pitching-leaders.shtml|title=1992 NL Pitching Leaders|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} NL East Champions again, the Pirates faced the Braves in the NLCS for the second year in a row.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PIT/1992.shtml|title=1992 Pittsburgh Pirates Statistics|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} In Game 2, he pitched {{frac|1|1|3}} scoreless innings of relief, though the Pirates were already losing 8–0 and would lose 13–5.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL199210070.shtml|title=1992 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 2, Pirates at Braves, October 7|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} He relieved Doug Drabek in Game 4 with the game tied at three, runners on first and third, and one out in the fifth inning. After an error allowed a run to score, Tomlin induced Ron Gant to hit into an inning-ending double play, but Tomlin would allow two runs in the next inning as Pittsburgh went on to lose 6–4.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT199210100.shtml|title=1992 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 4, Braves at Pirates, October 10|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} The Pirates lost the series in seven games.

In 1993, Tomlin won only two of his first four five decisions, posting a 4.44 ERA through the end of May.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=tomlira01&t=p&year=1993|title=Randy Tomlin 1993 Pitching Gamelogs|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} He did not pitch in June, as he was on the disabled list with an elbow injury.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/10/sports/transactions-907993.html|title=Transaction|work=The New York Times|date=July 10, 1993|access-date=January 5, 2021}} On July 21, he held the Astros to four hits and one run in a complete game, 2–1 victory.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT199307200.shtml|title=Houston Astros at Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score, July 20, 1993|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} However, he would win just one more game all season. On August 27, he went back on the disabled list, not pitching for Pittsburgh again all season.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/28/sports/transactions-520293.html|title=Transactions|work=The New York Times|date=August 28, 1993|access-date=January 5, 2021}} In 18 starts, he had a 4–8 record, a 4.85 ERA, 44 strikeouts, 15 walks, and 109 hits allowed in {{frac|98|1|3}} innings pitched.

After the 1993 season, Tomlin underwent elbow surgery. He had not completely recovered from it by the beginning of the 1994 season, but he still began the year as a starter for the Pirates.{{cite magazine|last=Wulf|first=Steve|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1994/04/04/nl-centralpittsburgh-pirates-in-need-of-a-call-to-arms|title=In Need of a Call to Arms|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=April 4, 1994|access-date=December 28, 2020}} On April 23, he held the Braves to one runs over five innings and struck out six; though he did not get a decision, the Pirates won 6–1.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL199404230.shtml|title=Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves Box Score, April 23, 1994|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} After his start on May 10, he was moved to the bullpen in favor of prospect Jon Lieber.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=tomlira01&t=p&year=1994|title=Randy Tomlin 1994 Pitching Gamelogs|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/tgl.cgi?team=PIT&t=p&year=1994|title=1994 Pittsburgh Pirates Pitching Game Log|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} On May 20, he entered a game against the Montreal Expos with nobody out in the eighth inning, runners on first and second, and the Pirates leading 3–2. He gave up back-to-back hits to Larry Walker and Moisés Alou and left with Pittsburgh trailing 5–3, which would be the final score.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT199405200.shtml|title=Montreal Expos at Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score, May 20, 1994|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}} After that, he was sent to Buffalo, where he posted a 2–2 record and a 5.30 ERA in 11 starts. He was recalled by the Pirates later in the year but did not make an appearance, as the 1994 Major League Baseball strike had already begun.{{cite web|last=Chass|first=Murray|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/23/sports/baseball-recalled-players-try-to-get-pay-back.html|title=Baseball; Recalled Players Try to Get Pay Back|work=The New York Times|date=September 23, 1994|access-date=January 5, 2021}} In 10 games (four starts) for Pittsburgh, he had an 0–3 record, a 3.92 ERA, 17 strikeouts, 10 walks, and 23 hits in {{frac|20|2|3}} innings pitched. After the season, the Pirates chose not to resign him, making him a free agent.

Tomlin did not pitch in 1995. On January 17, 1996, Tomlin signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox that included an invitation to spring training.{{cite web|page=3C|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1914&dat=19960118&id=xtYgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BWsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1338,2609893|title=Red Sox announce signings|work=The Sun-Journal|date=January 18, 1996|access-date=December 29, 2020}} He failed to make the team and pitched for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox of the International League, losing two games and posting an 8.31 ERA in five games (two starts). Tomlin also made six relief appearances for the Nashua Hawks of the independent North Atlantic League; though his record was 0–1, his ERA was 1.42. In 1997, he made 16 appearances (15 starts) for the Duluth-Superior Dukes of the independent Northern League, posting a 3–10 record, a 6.31 ERA, 59 strikeouts, 29 walks, and 107 hits allowed in 77 innings. The 10 losses tied for the league lead with Steve Renko Jr.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?type=pitch&id=4bb7edd0|title=1997 Northern League Pitching Leaders|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 5, 2021}}

During his major league career, Tomlin had a 30–31 in 94 career starts with 297 strikeouts. He posted a 3.43 ERA, allowing 590 hits and walking 133 in {{frac|580|1|3}} innings. The Associated Press called him "the ultimate Met killer" because of his success against that team; he won all nine of his decisions against New York.{{cite web|page=3B|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=19920613&id=bPVHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=roAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=856,3731222|title=Pirates 3, Mets 2|work=The Victoria Advocate|date=June 13, 1992|access-date=December 29, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://stathead.com/baseball/game_finder.cgi?request=1&match=basic&order_by_asc=0&order_by=SO&series=any&series_game=any&min_year_game=1990&max_year_game=1994&as=result_pitcher&class=player&offset=0&type=p&number_matched=1&id=tomlira01&team_id=ANY&opp_id=NYM&Role=anyGS&DEC=any&throws=any&is_birthday=either&location=pob&locationMatch=is&game_length=any&HV=any&temperature_min=0&temperature_max=120&wind_speed_min=0&wind_speed_max=90|title=Pitching Game Finder — Randy Tomlin (New York Mets)|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=December 29, 2020}}

Tomlin was not a power pitcher, relying on full use of the strike zone to get batters out. In a 2008 interview with The Washington Times, he described his pitching style: "I mainly tried to get ground balls. I threw a fastball that moved a lot and I had a big curveball and a sweeper - more of a slider - and a change-up. I mixed my pitches. I didn't throw overly hard; when I tried to throw hard my ball straightened out, so I had to throw strikes and change speeds. That's the name of the game - throwing the ball over the plate and changing speeds - that's how you get guys out ... if you're not blessed with being able to throw 95."

After his season with Duluth-Superior, Tomlin became the pitching coach at Liberty University from 1997 through 2006.{{cite web|last=LeBlanc|first=Jay|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/national-pastime/2008/Jun/13/catching-up-with-randy-tomlin|title=Catching Up With Randy Tomlin|work=The Washington Times|date=June 13, 2008|access-date=December 30, 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103174429/http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/national-pastime/2008/jun/13/catching-up-with-randy-tomlin/|archive-date=2012-11-03}} Then, he served as a minor league pitching coach in the Washington Nationals system, first for the Single-A Potomac Nationals (2007–08) and then for Double-A Harrisburg (2009–11).{{cite web|last=Kerr|first=Byron|url=https://www.masnsports.com/byron-kerr/2020/07/all-in-the-family-as-quade-tomlin-signs-with-the-nats.html|title=All in the family as Quade Tomlin signs with the Nats|work=MASN|date=July 3, 2020|access-date=December 30, 2020}} After the 2011 season, he became the head coach at Liberty Christian Academy in Lynchburg, Virginia, a position that enabled him to spend more time with his family.{{cite web|last=Bristol|first=Jason|url=http://www.whptv.com/content/Dauphin/story/Tomlin-to-coach-high-school-baseball/4Tr5JAe4YEqOD2Jzevw9lw.cspx|title=Former Senators coach Randy Tomlin to coach high school team|work=WHPV TV|date=December 22, 2011|access-date=January 27, 2021|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130704062804/http://www.whptv.com/content/Dauphin/story/Tomlin-to-coach-high-school-baseball/4Tr5JAe4YEqOD2Jzevw9lw.cspx|archive-date=July 4, 2013}} In March 2024, Tomlin was named coach of the Charlottesville Tom Sox, a member of the collegiate summer baseball Valley League.{{cite web | url=https://tomsox.org/randy-tomlin-scott-stricklin-headline-charlottesville-tom-sox-coaching-staff/ | title=Randy Tomlin & Scott Stricklin Headline Charlottesville Tom Sox Coaching Staff | date=March 25, 2024 }}

While Tomlin was pitching for Watertown, he met Janet Belch, whom he would marry in 1990.{{cite web|last=Busler|first=Mel|url=https://www.wwnytv.com/2020/08/14/mels-sports-history-randy-tomlins-budding-career/|title=Mel's Sports History: Randy Tomlin's budding career|work=WWNY|date=August 14, 2020|access-date=January 3, 2021}} They have three children: son Coy, daughter Ellison, and son Quade. In 2020, Quade was signed by the Nationals as an undrafted free agent. Though raised attending a Presbyterian church, Tomlin became a born-again Christian while attending Liberty University.

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Category:1966 births

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Category:Major League Baseball pitchers

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Category:20th-century American sportsmen