Randy Tomlin

The next year, he was tied for the NL lead in wins through June 22 and finished the year with the 10th-best winning percentage in the NL.

Randy Leon Tomlin (born June 14, 1966) is a former left-handed starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1990-94).

He stands 5'11" and weighs 170 pounds. In five seasons, he had a 3.43 earned run average (ERA).

Tomlin grew up around Lynchburg, Virginia, and attended Liberty University.

Tomlin had played as a pitcher and outfielder in high school, but he focused on pitching upon joining the Liberty Flames in 1986.

Three of those shutouts came in 1986, a year in which he also pitched all 11 innings of a 4–3 victory over Slippery Rock University.

He pitched 273 innings for the Flames, striking out 211 hitters.

Selected by the Pirates in the 18th round of the 1988 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, he reached the major leagues in 1990.

After his junior year, he was drafted by the Pirates in the 18th round (460th overall) of the 1988 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft.

After being drafted, Tomlin began his professional career in 1988 with the Watertown Pirates of the Single-A (short season) New York-Penn League.

In 15 starts, he had a 7–5 record, a 2.18 earned run average (ERA), 87 strikeouts, 25 walks, and 75 hits allowed in 103 1⁄3 innings pitched.

Tomlin spent most of 1989 with the Salem Buccaneers of the Single-A Carolina League, where he had a 12–6 record, a 3.25 ERA, 99 strikeouts, 43 walks, and 131 hits allowed in 138 2⁄3 innings pitched.

The 12 wins were tied with two others for fourth in the league.

Tomlin also made five starts for the Harrisburg Senators of the Double-A Eastern League that year; though his record was just 2–2, his ERA was 0.84.

For 1990, Tomlin spent much of the year with Harrisburg.

In 19 games (18 starts), he had a 9–6 record, a 2.28 ERA, 92 strikeouts, 34 walks, and 101 hits allowed in 126 1⁄3 innings pitched.

He also appeared in three games (one start) with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the American Association.

In August of 1990, Tomlin was recalled to replace Rick Reed in Pittsburgh's starting rotation.

He made his major league debut in the first game of a doubleheader on August 6, allowing just five hits and one run in a complete game, 10–1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

On September 6, he held the New York Mets to three hits in a complete game, 7–1 victory.

In 12 starts with Pittsburgh, he had a 4–4 record, a 2.55 ERA, 42 strikeouts, 12 walks, and 62 hits allowed in 77 2⁄3 innings pitched.

The Pirates won the National League (NL) East Division and faced the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Championship Series (NLCS), but Tomlin made no appearances in the series as Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh four games to two.

In 1991, he finished eighth in the National League (NL) in ERA (2.98) and held the Atlanta Braves to two runs over six innings in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series, earning a no decision in a 3–2 victory.

1991 was Tomlin's first full season as a starter in the major leagues.

On July 15 and 21, he pitched back-to-back shutouts against the Houston Astros and the Reds.

For his performance, he was named the NL Player of the Week for the week of July 15-21.

On August 6, he limited the Mets to four hits and one run in a complete game, 3–1 victory.

At that point, he had an 8–4 record with a 2.35 ERA, but he was winless for the rest of the season, posting a 4.31 ERA.

In the first game of a doubleheader against the Mets on September 26, he had a shutout going until the ninth, in which he gave up two runs, allowing New York to tie the game.

However, Pittsburgh still won in 15 innings, 4–3.

Injuries limited him to 18 starts in 1993, and he had elbow surgery after the season.

He only appeared in 10 games for Pittsburgh in 1994 and did not pitch at all in 1995.

After two seasons in minor/independent league baseball, he became the pitching coach for Liberty University.

After serving in that capacity through 2006, he served as a minor league pitching coach for the Washington Nationals for a few seasons.

Though born in Bainbridge, Maryland, Tomlin lived there less than a year before moving to Virginia, first to Farmville, then to the Lynchburg area when he was four or five.

He attended Amherst County High School, where he played baseball and football.

Tomlin hoped to attend James Madison University, but their scouts were not impressed with him.

Liberty University offered him a full scholarship, so he chose to attend there instead.

During his time with the Flames, he threw 22 complete games and four shutouts, both records as of 2016.

In 2016, he was inducted into the Liberty Sports Hall of Fame.