Glen Cullop

Glen E. Cullop

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 7", Weight 180 lb.
• School Maryville College
• High School Sullivan South High School

• Born October 4, 1971 in Kingsport, TN USA

BR Minors page

Biographical information

Pitcher Glen Cullop played in the Cincinnati Reds minor league system from 1992 to 1995. The former basketball player from Johnson City, TN stood 6' 7" at a time when such tall players were still rare in professional baseball, though certainly present like Randy Johnson and Eric Hillman. He was signed as an undrafted free agent before first playing with the Princeton Reds of the Appalachian League in 1992, going 0-1, 2.22 in 11 games. He made his only career start that season and recorded 2 saves.

In 1993, he had an excellent season with the Winston-Salem Spirits of the Carolina League, going 6-0, 1.52 with 2 saves in 39 relief outings. He struck out 48 batters in 65 innings. In 1994, he moved up to the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern League where he was 3-3, 3.79 in 40 games, again all in relief. However, his K/W ratio declined noticeably, to 41/36 in 59 1/3 innings. During that season, on August 20th, he gave up the third and final professional homer hit by fellow basketball player Michael Jordan, who was with the Birmingham Barons that season

In 1995 he got off to a rough start for Chattanooga, giving up 13 runs in 13 2/3 innings over his first 8 games. He was sent down to Winston-Salem where he pitched much better, with only 1 run allowed in 10 innings, but his career ended in bizarre fashion when on May 22nd, ironically on "Strike Out Domestic Violence" night, he was at the center of a major bench-clearing brawl in a game with the Durham Bulls. The 4th-inning fracas, which came after a series of hit batsmen and home run balls starting in the 1st inning, lasted 30 minutes. Cullop was knocked out cold in the process, while ten players were ejected, a total of $60,000 in fines were levied, and suspensions totaling 124 games were issued. He was not even in the game when the melee started but joined the fight and next thing he knew he woke up in a hospital with a concussion, broken jaw and seven chipped teeth after being kicked in the chin by Durham pitcher Earl Nelson. Nelson was fined $600 and suspended for six games, then was released by the parent Atlanta Braves soon after. For his part, Cullop went on the disabled list for an extended period, had to undergo significant dental work, and never returned to action. While Nelson apologized for his actions, Cullop felt it wasn't sincere and sued him for damages a few weeks after the brawl.

Further Reading

• Leslie Lloyd: "Relief pitcher Glenn Cullop remembers sitting on the bench in", Associated Press, June 13, 1995. [1] (Note: title is truncated)

Related Sites

• Detailed story on the brawl