Written by: Zachary Worstell (zdw001@marietta.edu)
While being a Division III school, Marietta College is no stranger to professional baseball players. While there have been some famous examples such as Kent Tekulve, there have also been some recent members of the Long Blue line who have been working on making an impact in the world of pro sports.
Two years ago, Turner Hill had joined the Washington Wild Things of the MLB affiliate Frontier League. He helped the team win four pre-season games when his contract was purchased by the San Francisco Giants. In May of 2023 he was assigned to the Single A San Jose Giants but made a few appearances for the AAA Sacramento River Cats.
In 2024, Hill was promoted to the A+ Eugene Emeralds and halfway through the season was called up again to the AA Richmond Flying Squirrels and made another short appearance with the River Cats.
Teammate of Hill, Brett Carson also found himself playing for the Washington Wild Things. Carson and Hill played with each other in 2022 and found themselves with the Wild Things in 2023. However, Carson only played in Washington for four games as he found himself playing in the Pioneer League an MLB affiliate independent league. In 2023 he played for the Rocky Mountain Vibes and in 2024 the Oakland Ballers.
Back to Tekulve, or the Rubber Band Man as he is commonly known by, was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1974-1985. He signed onto the team as an undrafted free agent in 1970 and worked his way through the farm system. As a Pirate he helped lead the team in their World Series victory in 1979 getting three saves in the series. This bolstered his celebrity status in the Western Pennsylvania area. In 1980 he was selected to the All-Star team. In his career he led the league in games played four times being one of two to pitch in more than 90 games in a season.
In 1985 Teke was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies whom he played with for four seasons. He later joined the Cincinnati Reds in free agency but retired midway through the season in 1989.
After retirement Tekulve joined the Phillies broadcast team until 1997. He went back to Pittsburgh in 2003 as the General Manager of the Wild Things. In 2006 he would be brought back to the Pirates becoming a scout, postgame analysts, and president of the Pirates Alumni Association.
Another former Pio found himself in the Giants farm system. However, under the guidance of Don Schaly, Terry Mulholland was drafted in the first round of the 1984 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 1986 for the Giants however was later traded to the Phillies in 1989. For the Phillies he pitched a no hitter and was selected to the 1993 All Star team.
Mulholland’s career lasted until 2006 as he soon found himself as a journeyman. He played for the Giants on two other occasions, the Yankees, the Mariners, the Cubs, the Braves, the Pirates, the Dodgers, the Indians, the Twins, and lastly the Diamondbacks. He is known for having one of the best pickoffs in baseball and pitched in many world series but never won.
Currently Hill is playing for the Giants in spring training and looks to join Mulholland and Tekulve as Pios to play in the major leagues. With two successful minor league seasons under his belt and a call up to AAA Sacramento, a proper MLB regular season debut seems closer than ever.
