Background
Tomlin was born in Maysville, Kentucky and graduated from West Union High School in West Union, Ohio.
Tomlin was born in Maysville, Kentucky and graduated from West Union High School in West Union, Ohio.
During his playing career in Major League Baseball, he was a relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds (1972-1973 and 1978-1980), San Diego Padres (1974-1977), Montreal Expos (1982 and 1986) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1983 and 1985). He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 29th round of the 1967 Major League Baseball Draft. Tomlin became a pitching coach at the minor league level following the end of his playing career, working in the Montreal and Atlanta Braves organizations.
He joined the Boston Red Sox in 1998 in a similar capacity, until 2006, when he was named manager of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Red Sox of the Gulf Coast League.
He served through 2010, until shifting to a coaching position for the GCL Red Sox. In 2014, Tomlin will begin his fourth consecutive season as a coach for the GCL club