Not many people get the chance to play for the team they rooted for growing up, but Plymouth native Mike Remlinger is one of them..Remlinger, a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1991 to 2006, pitched eight games for the Boston Red Sox near the tail end of his career in 2005.Before that, the left-handed reliever competed in the 1999 World Series for the Atlanta Braves and was a National League All-Star for the Chicago Cubs in 2002.Now 59, Remlinger is the pitching coach at Plymouth North High School; he helped the team win a Division 2 state championship last season.NewBostonPost conducted a Five Questions interview with Remlinger at Adams Field in Quincy, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.During it, Remlinger discussed his playing days, his passion for the outdoors, and Plymouth's baseball tradition.It is below: 1. When you pitched for the Atlanta Braves in the 1990s and early 2000s, the team had three Hall of Fame starting pitchers: Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, and Billerica native Tom Glavine. What did you learn from those guys? The biggest thing was just the consistency on the outer half of the plate. Being able to watch those guys day in, day out, everything that they did. They were three of the best in the game at doing everything right as far as throwing strikes, getting guys off-balance -- especially watching a lefty in Tom Glavine, who pitched pretty similar to me and learning a lot from him in terms of staying on the outer half of the plate more than I used to.2. You’re big into fishing and work at Red Top Sporting Goods in Bourne, Massachusetts. What’s been your prize catch to date? And how has being an ex-big leaguer impacted your perspective on working a normal day job at a bait and tackle shop?I caught a huge tuna last summer. That was great. I’ve caught some big stripers around here as well. I love surf fishing. I caught the tuna off a boat, obviously. I’m ready, though. It should be starting any day now – if not by next week for sure. The solitude of being on a beach … when I was in Colorado, I loved river fishing and just hiking and fishing together and being out in the woods and in nature. It’s always really been a place for me.I think it’s just understanding that no matter what you do, you don’t do it to be average. Do what you do and be the best at it, no matter what it is that you’re doing.3. You’ve met a lot of baseball fans over the years. What have you learned from those interactions with thousands of people over the past three decades?I think the biggest thing is just knowing that people appreciate what you did. For me, I wasn’t the most recognizable face, per se, and that was fine. When they would, just knowing how much they appreciated their hometown team. When I was in Chicago, it was kind of like being in Boston. They hadn’t won in forever, so the fans were just starving for a great team. Having that personally experience with that, having grown up a Red Sox fan, and having the same die-for-your-team type feeling and just losing consistently – and the Cubs lost a lot more than the Sox did. So, for me, that time in Chicago was a lot like being able to be here and being good. Obviously, when I was with the Sox, I was not healthy and not very good, but it was still a great experience.4. As you alluded to, you played for the Boston Red Sox in 2005 and pitched against them before that. What’s it like playing at Fenway Park as someone who grew up as a Red Sox fan?It was great. I was fortunate. I played in a couple of All-Star games there when I was in college and high school. When I was with the Braves, we always seemed to play in Fenway every year, which was funny. The Sox never came to Atlanta, which was fine with me because my family could come and watch us play here. And so just having those games, and growing up a Red Sox fan, any time I could step foot at Fenway or any of the older stadiums – I even loved Dodger Stadium and Wrigley – just those places with the history and the culture, it means so much to a baseball player.5. You grew up in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Last year, Plymouth North, where you serve as the assistant pitching coach, won its third state title since 2008. There’s been guys from Plymouth who have gone pro other than you. Why has this town produced some good baseball teams and players? In the Northeast in general, the weather tends to make us be a little heartier and stronger. But I know here, the way our schedule works, we have a lot more three-sport athletes and multi-sport athletes, so I think that makes your baseball season count a bit more, and you have a little bit more of a hard-nosed player.
Not many people get the chance to play for the team they rooted for growing up, but Plymouth native Mike Remlinger is one of them..Remlinger, a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1991 to 2006, pitched eight games for the Boston Red Sox near the tail end of his career in 2005.Before that, the left-handed reliever competed in the 1999 World Series for the Atlanta Braves and was a National League All-Star for the Chicago Cubs in 2002.Now 59, Remlinger is the pitching coach at Plymouth North High School; he helped the team win a Division 2 state championship last season.NewBostonPost conducted a Five Questions interview with Remlinger at Adams Field in Quincy, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.During it, Remlinger discussed his playing days, his passion for the outdoors, and Plymouth's baseball tradition.It is below: 1. When you pitched for the Atlanta Braves in the 1990s and early 2000s, the team had three Hall of Fame starting pitchers: Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, and Billerica native Tom Glavine. What did you learn from those guys? The biggest thing was just the consistency on the outer half of the plate. Being able to watch those guys day in, day out, everything that they did. They were three of the best in the game at doing everything right as far as throwing strikes, getting guys off-balance -- especially watching a lefty in Tom Glavine, who pitched pretty similar to me and learning a lot from him in terms of staying on the outer half of the plate more than I used to.2. You’re big into fishing and work at Red Top Sporting Goods in Bourne, Massachusetts. What’s been your prize catch to date? And how has being an ex-big leaguer impacted your perspective on working a normal day job at a bait and tackle shop?I caught a huge tuna last summer. That was great. I’ve caught some big stripers around here as well. I love surf fishing. I caught the tuna off a boat, obviously. I’m ready, though. It should be starting any day now – if not by next week for sure. The solitude of being on a beach … when I was in Colorado, I loved river fishing and just hiking and fishing together and being out in the woods and in nature. It’s always really been a place for me.I think it’s just understanding that no matter what you do, you don’t do it to be average. Do what you do and be the best at it, no matter what it is that you’re doing.3. You’ve met a lot of baseball fans over the years. What have you learned from those interactions with thousands of people over the past three decades?I think the biggest thing is just knowing that people appreciate what you did. For me, I wasn’t the most recognizable face, per se, and that was fine. When they would, just knowing how much they appreciated their hometown team. When I was in Chicago, it was kind of like being in Boston. They hadn’t won in forever, so the fans were just starving for a great team. Having that personally experience with that, having grown up a Red Sox fan, and having the same die-for-your-team type feeling and just losing consistently – and the Cubs lost a lot more than the Sox did. So, for me, that time in Chicago was a lot like being able to be here and being good. Obviously, when I was with the Sox, I was not healthy and not very good, but it was still a great experience.4. As you alluded to, you played for the Boston Red Sox in 2005 and pitched against them before that. What’s it like playing at Fenway Park as someone who grew up as a Red Sox fan?It was great. I was fortunate. I played in a couple of All-Star games there when I was in college and high school. When I was with the Braves, we always seemed to play in Fenway every year, which was funny. The Sox never came to Atlanta, which was fine with me because my family could come and watch us play here. And so just having those games, and growing up a Red Sox fan, any time I could step foot at Fenway or any of the older stadiums – I even loved Dodger Stadium and Wrigley – just those places with the history and the culture, it means so much to a baseball player.5. You grew up in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Last year, Plymouth North, where you serve as the assistant pitching coach, won its third state title since 2008. There’s been guys from Plymouth who have gone pro other than you. Why has this town produced some good baseball teams and players? In the Northeast in general, the weather tends to make us be a little heartier and stronger. But I know here, the way our schedule works, we have a lot more three-sport athletes and multi-sport athletes, so I think that makes your baseball season count a bit more, and you have a little bit more of a hard-nosed player.
