| Alan Mills | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: October 18, 1966 Lakeland, Florida |
|
| Batted: Right | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| April 14, 1990 for the New York Yankees | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 5, 2001 for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| Career statistics | |
| Win–Loss record | 39–32 |
| Earned run average | 4.12 |
| Strikeouts | 456 |
| Teams | |
Alan Bernard Mills (born October 18, 1966) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He batted and threw right-handed.
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Mills was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the 1986 amateur draft, but did not sign. That June, he was selected number eight overall by the California Angels in the secondary phase of the 1986 draft, and signed with the club shortly afterwards.
Mills spent just one season with the Salem Angels of the Northwest League, compiling a 6-6 record over fourteen starts, before the Angels sent him to the New York Yankees to complete a December 19, 1986 deal in which the Yankees sent Butch Wynegar to the Angels for Ron Romanick and a player to be named later.
Mills was converted to a relief pitcher during his three seasons in the Yankees' farm system, going 12–24 with a 4.25 ERA and thirteen saves. With the Prince William Cannons of the Class A Carolina League in 1989, Mills went 6–1 with a 0.91 ERA and seven saves to lead his team to their first Carolina League title. Though he had never pitched above A ball, his performance earned him and invitation to Spring training in 1990.
He made his major league debut on April 14, pitching 2.2 scoreless innings against the Texas Rangers.[1] Mills went 1–5 with a 4.15 ERA his rookie year splitting his time between the Yankees and triple A Columbus Clippers. For Columbus, he was 3–3 with a 3.38 ERA and six saves.
Mills spent most of 1991 in the minors, however, made two starts upon returning to the club in September. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named later during Spring training the following season.
Mills emerged as a valuable member of the Orioles' bullpen upon his arrival in Baltimore. He went 10–4 with a 2.61 ERA over 103.1 innings in 1992.
Mills made a team high 72 appearances in 1998, going 3–4 with a 3.74 ERA. Perhaps the most famous moment of Mills' career came on May 19, 1998, when he gave Darryl Strawberry a right cross that sent Strawberry sailing into the dugout during a bench clearing brawl with the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.[2]
The following season, Mills signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. After a season and a half in Los Angeles, he was dealt back to the Orioles for Alberto Reyes. He remained with the Orioles through 2001 before being released. In a 12-season career, Mills posted a 39–32 record with 456 strikeouts and a 4.12 ERA in 474 games.
Mills attempted comebacks with the Montreal Expos in Spring training 2002 and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2004, but was essentially away from the game for five years before signing a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers in 2007, and spending one season with the Erie SeaWolves. In his first 27 games, he went 23-for-23 in save opportunities, posting a 1.65 ERA and limiting batters to a .154 batting average.[3]
In 2008, Mills served as pitching coach for the Oneonta Tigers, the Class-A short-season affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.