Tim Gustafson

Timothy Carl Gustafson

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 210 lb.
• School Georgia Tech
• High School Parkview High School
• Born December 29, 1984 in Hollywood, FL USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Tim Gustafson has played in the minor leagues since 2007 (through 2014). He reached Triple-A for the first time in 2010.

Gustafson was 12-2 with a 2.21 ERA as a high school junior then 8-1 with a 2.64 ERA as a senior. He also was all-state as a defensive back in football. He had a 6.23 ERA and .330 opponent average in 14 games as a college freshman, then improved to 6-2 with a save and a 3.33 ERA as a sophomore. He tied Joey Devine for 8th in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 28 games pitched. His junior year, he was 2-0 with four saves and a 3.94 ERA.

He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 9th round of the 2006 amateur draft - a few picks ahead of outfielder Ryan Kalish and pitcher Mark Melancon - and signed for a bonus of $200,000. Al Goetz was the scout. He was 3-8 with a 5.01 ERA in his pro debut for the Rome Braves in 2007. In '08, he was 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA for the GCL Braves, missing most of the year due to Tommy John surgery.

Gustafson split 2009 between Rome (0-1, 7.36 in 4 G), the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (2.02 ERA in 10 G) and the Mississippi Braves (2-3, Sv, 3.79 in 20 G). He had his first and, to date (2013), only 10-win season in 2010, when he went 11-9 with a 5.20 ERA in 30 games (22 starts) for the Mississippi Braves (4-3, 4.63 in 16 G) and Triple-A Gwinnett Braves. In his first taste of Triple-A action, he was 7-6 with a 5.70 ERA in 14 games (13 starts). He allowed 65 walks in 124 2/3 innings and struck out 72. Only Erik Cordier had more walks by a Braves farmhand but was also third in wins behind J.J. Hoover and Cordier.

He began 2011 poorly with Mississippi (1-3, 7.28 ERA, 1.72 WHIP in 6 G) and Atlanta let him go. The Cincinnati Reds signed him to a minor league contract and played in their organization through 2012. He was 3-4 with 3 saves and a 3.76 ERA in 25 games for the 2011 Carolina Mudcats. In '12, he was with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (2-2, 5.04 in 14 G) and Louisville Bats (5-7, 5.56). He tied for 5th in the Reds chain in losses, walks (58) and homers (17), was second to Daniel Renken in runs allowed (106-88) and earned runs (94-79).

He allowed five hits and three runs in one inning for the 2012-2013 Águilas del Zulia of the Venezuelan League. In 2013, the Colorado Rockies signed him. He was 7-12 with a 5.41 ERA for the Tulsa Drillers. He tied for second in the Texas League in losses (two behind Sugar Ray Marimon), tied Jason Adam for the most runs allowed (98), allowed the most earned runs (88) and ranked third with 12 wild pitches (behind Carlos Fisher and Ryan Chaffee). He led Rockies minor leaguers in losses and was third in runs allowed.

He began 2014 with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League.