Brother Mike Timlin of the Boston Red Sox, Southwestern ’88 became the third member of Phi Delta Theta to receive the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award on September 8, 2008 as the 2007 winner.  The award is presented annually by Phi Delta Theta to the Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the giving character of Brother Gehrig. 

On hand to present him with the award was General Council President, Mark Ochsenbein, Educational Foundation Trustee and lifetime Boston Red Sox fan,Ted Lowrie, Massachusetts Gamma (MIT) Chapter President John Cromwell, and Associate Executive Vice President, Sean Wagner.  Also at the presentation was Jim Stroud who won the chance to attend the presentation after he joined the True Blue Society last summer.

Prior to the game, a reception was held in Timlin’s honor at Phi Delta Theta’s Massachusetts Gamma Chapter House blocks away from Fenway Park.  This reception was attended by the chapter, local alumni, and the presenters.

Brother Timlin, best known for his role on the 2003 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox team, has had a long career in Major League Baseball that has included stints with 6 teams over seventeen years.  During this illustrious career, he earned Four World Series rings, two with the Boston Red Sox and two with the Toronto Blue Jays.  Of course long before he was a member of any MLB team, he was an undergraduate member of the Texas Gamma Chapter from 1985 until 1988 at Southwestern University where he also played baseball.

Brother Timlin has long been known as one of the most community-minded players in all of MLB, actively being involved in a variety of organizations.  One of the causes closest to Brother Timlin’s heart is that of ALS.   Personally affected by Lou Gehrig’s disease, Mike’s Mother, Sharon succumbed in 2002 to the illness at the age of 61.  After watching her suffer through the awful progression of this fatal disease, Mike and his family vowed to do as much as they could to bring awareness to the forefront and, with time, ensure a cure.  Since then he and his wife, Dawn, have hosted the annual 5-K Sharon Timlin Memorial Race/Walk and Family Fun Day.  In total, over $200,000 has been raised and directed toward research for a cure for ALS from these events. He has also worked extensively with the Angel Fund, an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to support ALS research at Massachusetts General Hospital.  Additionally, since coming to Boston in 2003, he has donated $500 per appearance to the fund.  Timlin was also recognized as the 2005 BoSox Club Man of the Year and has served as spokesman and participant for the Junior Padre Club and Clinic.             
During his career Timlin has had the same tenacity on the field as he has off of it to eradicate ALS.  He became just the 13th pitcher in major league history to appear in 1,000 games and finished the season with 1,011 career appearances in 2007 and compiled a 2.89 ERA in 40 appearances and had his career best, 16 inning scoreless streak, occur over 11 appearances.  He is second only to Bob Stanley in the Red Sox record books in relief appearances. Timlin appeared in at least 60 games in 10 straight seasons from 1997 until 2007 and has made 44 career post season appearances, 4th all-time.

“Mike Timlin is the perfect recipient for this year’s Lou Gehrig Award,” says Sean Wagner, spokesman for the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award Committee. “Mike’s fight against Lou Gehrig’s Disease demonstrates a tremendous commitment to eliminate this horrible disease that affected Gehrig himself, Timlin’s own family and so many others.”