The epitome of consistency. From 2003-08, Timlin recorded 409 outs in a Bo'Sox uniform. #50 could handle any situation. When you needed an out, he could get it for you. When you needed to burn a few innings, he could bite the bullet. And when you needed a save, he could fill that role as well (as shown by his 13 saves in '05).Timlin appeared in 394 games during his six-year tenure in Boston. In the '05 campaign, he played in 81 games, third most all-time for a relieve in Sox history. Retiring in '08 with a career 3.63 ERA, the man had almost as many rings as fingers on a hand.
Before winning the World Series in '04 and '07 with the Sox, Timlin won a pair of titles with the Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993. He is a winner and that shined through most prominently in the '03 postseason. In 9.2 innings, Timlin allowed one hit, walked two batters, and allowed no runs. In that span, he fanned 11 batters and recorded five holds.
His 1,058 appearances rank 7th all-time, and 1st all-time for right-handed relief pitchers. After winning in '07, he became the first player to win four titles while never playing for the Yankees. Numbers aside, his contributions to the two championship teams are undeniable. He was an instrumental cog in both the '04 and '07 machines.
A few notes (courtesy of Wikipedia of course):
-On April 19, 2009, Timlin was honored by the Red Sox, who had him throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the day's game and declared it "Mike Timlin Day" at Fenway Park. -Timlin, alongside former teammates Johnny Damon and Edgar Rentería, made an appearance on the TV cartoon Arthur, providing his voice for the Elwood City Grebes pitcher "Winlin."
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