Tom Wilhelmsen, Relief Pitcher

Date of Birth: 12/16/1983
Birthplace: Tucson, Arizona
Nickname: The Bartender

Tom Wilhelmsen, relief pitcher, was first drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002. He spent the 2003 season in the minors. He was suspended in 2004 for testing positive for marijuana and he decided to quit professional baseball. From 2005 through 2009, he worked as a bartender. The Brewers finally released him on August 22, 2009.

Wilhelmsen signed with the Seattle Mariners on March 3, 2010. He spent the 2010 season in the minors, primarily as a starting pitcher. He first joined the Mariners in 2011, pitching in 25 games with them. He finished the season with a 3.31 ERA in 32.2 innings. He also pitched in 12 games as a starter and 2 games in relief in the minors.

In 2012, his first full season in the majors, Wilhelmsen had career highs in games played (73), innings pitched (79.1), saves (29), and strikeouts (87 to 29 walks). He had a 2.50 ERA and 4 wins and 3 losses. The following season, he had control issues, walking 33 batters while striking out only 45. He finished with a 4.12 ERA and 24 saves in 59.0 innings in 59 games. In 2014, he pitched as a starter in 2 games (his only time as a starter in the major leagues) and in 55 games as a reliever. He finished the season with a career low ERA of 2.27, 3 wins to 2 losses, and 72 strikeouts to 36 walks in 79.1 innings. In 2015, he had a 3.19 ERA and 13 saves in 62.0 innings in 53 games of relief.

The Mariners traded Wilhelmsen to the Texas Rangers on November 16, 2015. He became a free agent on June 17, 2016, and he signed again with the Mariners. He finished the 2016 season with a 21.1 ERA in 21 games with the Rangers and a 3.60 ERA in 29 games with the Mariners.

Wilhelmsen was released by the Mariners on November 22, 2016. He signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on February 10, 2017. He was designated for assignment on June 11, 2017, and released on June 16th. He returned to the Brewers on a minor league contract on June 22nd. The Brewers released him on August 1st. He finished the 2017 season with 1 win and 1 loss, 17 strikeouts to 12 walks, and a 4.44 ERA in 26.1 innings in 27 games with the Diamondbacks.

Wilhelmsen played in the Mexican League and the American Association in 2018. He hasn't played professional baseball since 2018.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Tom Wilhelmsen
ESPN - Tom Wilhelmsen