Old man pitcher

In his 18th MLB season, Timlin struggling

Mike Timlin has consistently defied talk of retirement throughout his years with the Sox, but the 42-year-old may be nearing the end of his hardball career.

Timlin is still pumping fastballs in the low 90s and generating the same velocity he’s managed throughout a 1,035-game Major League career, but the sinker hasn’t always complied and the once-reliable slider has been erratic. The Sox are still hopeful, however.

“A lot of times with Timlin, it’s simply command,” said Sox pitching coach John Farrell. “There’s no denying the stuff. The velocity is certainly still there, the cutter still has good action and the slider and split-finger have bite.”

After cruising through his last eight appearances, during which he totaled a 2.00 ERA and finally seemed to be morphing into the dependable, reliable Timlin of old, the 6-foot-4, 210-pounder again looked just plain old in his last outing.

Part of the difficulty can be attributed to a very inconsistent work pattern that’s seen him pitch back-to-back nights and then go four or five days without game action. The lack of both innings and game-induced strain can mute the downward sink on Timlin’s fastball — and make him eminently hittable.

“Mike does a tremendous job of keeping himself in shape and keeping himself sharp despite the not-regular use,” added Farrell. “We know he is going to provide some key innings for us going forward.”

Unfortunately for Timlin, this season hasn’t held a great deal of key innings. The 7.06 ERA is the highest among Sox relievers, hitters are scalding him at a .322 batting average, and he’s authoring the highest walk rate of his career.

The one area where Timlin’s lasting effect can’t be underestimated is the leadership role he holds as the elder statesman in Boston’s ‘pen. Timlin has been a living, breathing, baseball encyclopedia for young hurlers like Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen. Does he ever watch the youngsters crank it up to 97 mph and get a little envious?

“I enjoy playing this game and I love this game enough that I respect it for what it is and give it all I have,” Timlin said. “I think the envy is going the other way. A lot of these guys look at me and ask, ‘How old are you’ and ‘I can’t believe you’re still playing.’ That’s a compliment to me.”