Rick Tomlin

Rick Tomlin

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 200 lb.
• School Manatee Community College, Florida Southern College
• High School George Wythe High School (Richmond)

• Born February 9, 1953

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Rick Tomlin was picked in the 1971 amateur draft by the Washington Senators but never pitched professionally due to injuries. He tried for several years to join different teams but failed.

In 1978-1979, he was the pitching instructor for the University of Alabama.

Afterwards, he became a coach in the minor leagues organizations of the Minnesota Twins (1989-1995), New York Yankees (1996-2004), Washington Nationals (2005-2008), and New York Mets (2009-2010). He was pitching coach of the Elizabethton Twins in 1989-1992, Fort Wayne Wizards in 1993, and Fort Myers Miracle in 1994. He was pitching coach of the Norwich Navigators in 1997-1998, Columbus Clippers in 1999-2000, and Tampa Yankees in 2001. From 2002-2004, he was the Yankees' minor league pitching coordinator and from 2005-2008, he was the pitching coach of the Harrisburg Senators. Tomlin was the pitching coach for the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2009-2010.

Tomlin was the minor league pitching coordinator for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2014 when he was asked to fill in as pitching coach during a major league game on May 22nd, when both pitching coach Rick Kranitz and bullpen coach Lee Tunnell were away attending their children's graduation. As fate would have it, he was at the center of things when he and manager Ron Roenicke failed to understand one another correctly. Roenicke has asked to have lefty Will Smith warm up, but the message did not reach the bullpen, out of view of Roenicke at Turner Field, and when the Atlanta Braves had pinch-hitter Ryan Doumit announced into the game, Roenicke went on the field to make a double switch in order to bring Smith in to pitch in place of Brandon Kintzler. The problem was that Smith was still sitting on the bench in his warm-up jacket; he had to rush to the field and was only given the customary 8 warm-up pitched to get ready. He promptly surrendered a two-run single to Doumit, which put the Braves ahead to stay. Roenicke later took the blame, saying he should have checked the television monitors to make sure his pitcher was ready before making the move, but what should have been a fun short stay in the big leagues for the usually anonymous Tomlin turned out to get his name all over the news.

Source: 2006 Harrisburg Senators Program