Alan Mills (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alan Mills |
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Mills with the Baltimore Orioles in 1993
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: October 18, 1966 Lakeland, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 14, 1990, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 5, 2001, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 39–32 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.12 | ||
| Strikeouts | 456 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Alan Bernard Mills, born on October 18, 1966, is a former American baseball player. He was a relief pitcher and later a pitching coach. Alan played for 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Alan threw the baseball with his right hand.
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Alan Mills' Early Life
Alan Mills was born in Lakeland, Florida, on October 18, 1966. He was the youngest of four children. When he was young, his favorite sport was football. However, he switched to baseball after doctors told him he had only one kidney.
High School and College Baseball
Alan graduated from Kathleen High School in 1984. He started as an outfielder on his school's team. Later, he became a pitcher. He first went to Tuskegee University. After one year, he moved to Polk Community College. This happened because Tuskegee stopped offering baseball scholarships.
Alan was chosen in the MLB Draft twice in 1986. The Boston Red Sox picked him first. Then, the California Angels also chose him. He decided to sign with the Angels. They agreed to pay for his last two years of college.
Alan played one season with the Salem Angels. He had a record of 6 wins and 6 losses. After that, the Angels traded him to the New York Yankees.
Playing for the New York Yankees
While in the Yankees' minor league system, Alan became a relief pitcher. This means he would come into the game after the starting pitcher. He played three seasons in the minor leagues.
Making it to the Major Leagues
In 1989, Alan played for the Prince William Cannons. He had a great year, helping his team win their first league title. Even though he had only played in the lower leagues, his good performance earned him an invitation to Spring training in 1990.
Alan made his first Major League Baseball appearance on April 14, 1990. He pitched 2.2 innings without giving up any runs against the Texas Rangers. In his first year, he split his time between the Yankees and their Triple-A team.
In 1991, Alan spent most of the year in the minor leagues. He made two starts for the Yankees in September. The next season, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. As of 2024, Alan Mills is the only Yankee player to wear jersey number 69 in a regular season game.
Playing for the Baltimore Orioles
When Alan joined the Baltimore Orioles, he became an important part of their bullpen. In 1992, he had a strong season. He won 10 games and lost 4, with a low ERA of 2.61. He pitched for over 103 innings that year.
Memorable Moments
In 1998, Alan played in 72 games, which was the most on his team. He had 3 wins and 4 losses. One famous moment happened on May 19, 1998. During a game against the New York Yankees, a fight broke out. Alan stepped in to defend his teammate, Armando Benítez.
After a season and a half with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Alan returned to the Orioles. He stayed with them until 2001. After 12 seasons in baseball, Alan Mills had a career record of 39 wins and 32 losses. He also had 456 strikeouts.
Alan wore jersey number 75 with the Orioles. This number is usually worn by players in spring training. Alan chose it to remind himself that he always needed to play his best. He wanted to feel like his job was never completely safe.
After Playing Baseball
After his playing career, Alan Mills tried to return to baseball in 2002 and 2004. He then took a break from the game for five years. In 2007, he signed a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers. He played one season with the Erie SeaWolves. He was very good at saving games for his team.
Coaching Career
From 2009 to 2011, Alan returned to his old high school, Kathleen High School. He worked as a physical education teacher. He was also the head coach for the school's baseball team. During this time, he earned a college degree in psychology. He also worked as a pitching coach for the Oneonta Tigers in 2008.
In 2012, Alan returned to the Orioles organization. He spent five years as a pitching coach for different minor league teams. These teams included the Aberdeen IronBirds, Delmarva Shorebirds, and Bowie Baysox. In 2015, his Bowie team won the Eastern League Championship.
After coaching the bullpen for the Orioles in 2017 and 2018, Alan became the manager of the Gulf Coast League Orioles in 2019. He led the team to a great record of 38 wins and 15 losses. He was named Manager of the Year for his excellent work. On October 4, 2021, Alan Mills left the Baltimore organization.
