After an 18-year professional career, right-hander Tim Dillard announced today that he’s retiring from baseball. For some MLBTR readers, Dillard may not be a familiar name at all. Others — particularly Brewers fans — may know him well for his lengthy minor league run and parts of four big league seasons in Milwaukee. Others may recall Dillard for his contributions to MLB Trade Rumors over the years.
Dillard began doing some writing for MLBTR back in 2017, beginning with thoughts from early Spring Training that year and continuing, on occasion, through the 2018-19 offseason when he attended the Winter Meetings as a minor league free agent in search of an opportunity. The structure of his entries and his voice within them were uniquely Tim, and we were happy to host his writing over the years as he shared experiences, anecdotes and the more-than-occasional inanity from the road. You can check out his full archive here.
Tim was a 34th-round draft pick by the Brewers back in 2002 and by 2008 had reached the Major Leagues for his first taste of The Show. He’d go on to spend parts of four seasons with the Brewers, including a 2012 campaign in which he tossed a career-high 37 innings with a 4.38 ERA. From 2011-12, the sidearmer was an oft-used and solid piece of the Milwaukee bullpen. He spent another 13 seasons in the Triple-A ranks, including a 2019 run with the Rangers organization, played parts of three seasons on the independent circuit — two with the Atlantic League’s Lancaster Barnstormers and one (2020) with the American Association’s Milwaukee Milkmen — and turned in an all-time great lip sync performance at the 2017 Univision Awards.
Tim — congrats on spending nearly two decades in pro ball, and thanks for all the fun here at MLBTR over the years! Best wishes!
Dim Tillard should write a book.
It’s really incredible when any 34th-round draft pick ever makes it to the majors. The fact that he did it as a side arm reliever and had a season during which he pitched 37 innings is also impressive. It shows how dedicated and hard working he must’ve been. It’s got to be tough to believe in yourself when no team in all of baseball even considers you to be a top 1,000 draft pick.
Highandtight –
Tim Dillard should write one too!
He has
Loved his writing – hope he writes more in retirement. Either way – best of wishes Tim!
Dude needs to write a book
I’d love to hear his perspective on the first season as a retired player.
One of the all-time characters in the Brewers system. Did some broadcast work for the team in the past couple of years (filling in on TV, etc.) and has a future.
I really enjoyed his work on this site. Congrats on living the dream for 18 years.
Does MLBTR have an opening for him?
NOOOOOOO
he really has stuck around. i didn’t know someone stayed in the minors for so long. enjoy retirement!
Broadcasting!!
Tim gave really some really insightful views of what it’s like being a ball player. I always enjoyed his entries. Best of luck to him.
Maybe Tim could write a screenplay for my movie idea “Out of Options” about a fringe MLB player who has to take matters into his own hands when his son is kidnapped by a drug cartel because he’s . . . out of options.
Dillard was awesome and definitely one of my all-time favorite “non-star” players. I really enjoyed his contributions to MLBTR and I’m sure he’ll have a future in baseball as a broadcaster or coach now that his playing days have ended. What a great example of “love for the game”, too. You just don’t stick around for 18 years, mostly in the minors, if you don’t really love baseball. Hats off to the guy…
I had the pleasure of meeting him and interviewing him. He is a class act.
dude has a great kurkjian impression
Time for act two as a worthy successor to Jeff Todd.
So… MLBTR full time now?
I hope so!! I loved his writings here
The ability to keep things, both big and small, in perspective with a sense of humor is an increasingly rare skill. This made/makes him a great writer.
Hopefully he can find a good way to utilize this talent. Good luck.
Could be the voice of the Brewers after Bob Uecker. Hopefully not for many years though, Ueck is the best.
Made less than a million bucks in his MLB career. As long as he’s been around I didn’t think that would have been possible.
Enjoyed his columns here. Best of luck Tim.
I can’t see how coaching is not in Tim’s future. Especially since alot of the guys he played with the last few years probably thought he was one
I checked his stats last night randomly and noticed he didn’t have a listed team, which caught me off guard because I remembered he signed with the Rangers earlier in the offseason. Guess this is why he didn’t have a team listed! Happy trails, Tim.
How could anyone not know who the GOAT Dim Tillard is?! (Just kidding haha) anyways best of luck Tim in retirement hope he writes for this site more often in retirement!
Congrats Tim on an amazing career that so many of us can only dream of, as hard as it must have been. Every year hoping for a spring invite and a shot at making the big club, must have been very difficult to accept the minors assignments. Good luck on your next phase in baseball, I’m sure many of us will be watching!
All the best to him
So, how long before hes eligible for the HOF? Clearly a first ballot, unanimous choice…
no doubt!
We want Tim! We want Tim!
Great guy way to chase your dreams
He has a hysterical podcast. Yes or yes?
Says a lot to toil for 18 years. Love him on this site and he is a good Twitter follow. Based on his Twitter announcement, there is likely to be another announcement coming soon. Good Luck, I love the sense of humor.
It’d be silly for the Brewers local broadcast not to get him after he filled in the past few years. Would be a perfect fit!
Bring Back Dim Tillard!
I’d love to see him write more or even become a baseball broadcaster for the Brewers someday (as long as Uecker isn’t getting replaced for he is the Vin Scully of Milwaukee)
Hire him
Dim Tillard the Legend. Congrats on retirement!
He will be missed?
I know he’s been utilized by the Brewers media team, pretty sure he’s even called a game or two for spring training broadcasts. It would be cool if they gave him an extended look as a color commentator or something similar.