Justin Mark Miller (August 27, 1977 – June 26, 2013) was an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The team plays its home games at LoanDepot Park. The ...

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

, and

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

. He also played in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) for the

Chiba Lotte Marines The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba, Chiba, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings, Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd. The Marines were a founding member of the Pacific Le ...

. Miller was the inspiration for the "Justin Miller rule" requiring pitchers with arm

tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes ...

s to wear long-sleeved shirts.

Amateur career

Miller played in the 1992 Little League World Series with Torrance and played high school baseball with Torrance High School, where he was first team All-State and Conference player of the year as a Senior. He attended

Los Angeles Harbor College Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC) is a Public college, public community college in Wilmington, California. It is one of two community colleges serving the South Bay, Los Angeles, South Bay region of Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles. LAHC s ...

and was a Junior College All-American in 1997.

Professional career

Colorado Rockies

Miller was drafted by the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

in the 5th round of the 1997 MLB Draft and made his professional debut with the short-season Class A Portland Rockies, helping them win the

Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseba ...

championship. He then moved up to the

Asheville Tourists The Asheville Tourists are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. It is located in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville teams have played under the Tourists moniker in different ...

(Class A) in 1998 and the

Salem Avalanche Salem may refer to: Places Canada * Salem, Ontario, various places Germany * Salem, Baden-Württemberg, a municipality in the Bodensee district ** Salem Abbey (Reichskloster Salem), a monastery * Salem, Schleswig-Holstein Israel * Salem ...

(Class A Advanced) in 1999.

Oakland Athletics

Miller was traded by the Rockies to the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

on Dec. 13, 1999 (along with Henry Blanco) for Scott Karl and Jeff Cirillo. He spent most of 2000 and 2001 with the AAA

Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland ...

of the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

Toronto Blue Jays

Miller was traded to the

on December 7, 2001 (along with Eric Hinske) for

Billy Koch William Christopher Koch (born December 14, 1974) is an American former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was born in Rockville Centre, New York and went to West Babylon High School. He debuted in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays a ...

. He made his Major League debut on April 12, 2002, for the Blue Jays against the

Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. They are one of two major league clubs based i ...

. He pitched innings of relief, hitting the first two batters he faced, and allowing a total of four hits and one run. He made his first ML start on April 27 against the Anaheim Angels, but lasted only innings while giving up four runs. He appeared in 25 games with the Blue Jays in 2002, starting 18 of them and finishing 9–5 with a 5.54

ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

. He missed most of the 2003 season with a shoulder injury and returned in 2004, when he appeared in 19 games for the Blue Jays (15 starts) and went 3–4 with a 6.06 ERA. He then spent most of 2005 with the AAA Syracuse SkyChiefs, appearing in only one game for the Blue Jays.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Chiba Lotte Marines

He signed as a minor league free agent with the

in 2006 and appeared in five games for their AAA affiliate, the

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...

. He was then released and played for the

in Japan, pitching in twelve games.

Florida Marlins

After a three-game stint with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

AAA affiliate, the

Ottawa Lynx The Ottawa Lynx were a Minor League Baseball team that competed in the Triple-A International League (IL) from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over 15 seasons, the team was an affiliate of the Montreal Exp ...

, Miller signed a minor-league contract with the

. He started the season at Triple-A Albuquerque and was recalled by the Marlins on May 19, 2007, after an injury to Ricky Nolasco. Although Miller had been a starter in previous seasons, the Marlins used him to fill a relief role, with former closer Byung-hyun Kim taking Nolasco's spot in the starting rotation. The Marlins released him on October 3, .

San Francisco Giants

On November 1, 2008, the San Francisco Giants signed him to a minor league contract with an invitation to

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

. After an injury to Joe Martinez, he was added to the Giants roster and appeared in 44 games out of the bullpen (long relief), 3-3, with a 3.18 ERA, for the Giants in 2009.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Miller was signed to a minor league contract which included an invitation to spring training by the

on December 4, . He was assigned to the Triple-A

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an ...

to start the season. His contract was purchased by the Dodgers on May 27. He appeared in 19 games with the Dodgers, compiling a 4.44 ERA. He was designated for assignment on July 23. He cleared waivers and was reassigned to Albuquerque. In 32 games for the Isotopes in 2010, he had a 1.95 ERA. He was granted free agency on October 6.

Seattle Mariners

On November 17, 2010, Miller signed a minor league contract with the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

. He was released by Seattle April 25, 2011.

Texas Rangers

Miller signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers April 29. He was later released by the Rangers on June 6, 2011.

Return to Dodgers

On July 4, 2011, Miller signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched in three games for the

, walking four and allowing two runs in innings for a 10.80 ERA. He was released on July 25.

Death

Miller was found dead in his Palm Harbor home on June 26, 2013. A cause of death was not announced. Miller had two sons, and had been married to Jessica for 15 years.

Tattoos

Miller was known for his many tattoos. In a move sometimes called the "Justin Miller Rule", Major League Baseball told Miller that he had to wear a long-sleeved shirt under his jersey whenever he was playing because hitters complained about being "distracted" by Miller's sleeve tattoos.Klemish, Daw
"Notes: Nolasco to rest on disabled list"
"Miller is a colorful character in more ways than one: The 29-year-old's arms are all but hidden beneath vibrant tattoos. So much, in fact, that after opposing batters complained about Miller's arms being a "distraction" at the plate, in 2004, Major League Baseball established a rule that forced Miller to wear long sleeves whenever he played."..."I don't know," he laughed. "They just said it's the 'Justin Miller rule.'" '' mlb.com'', 2007-05-19. Accessed 2007-09-20.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Justin 1977 births 2013 deaths Albuquerque Isotopes players 21st-century American sportsmen American expatriate baseball players in Canada American expatriate baseball players in Japan Asheville Tourists players Baseball players from Torrance, California Chiba Lotte Marines players Dunedin Blue Jays players Durham Bulls players Florida Marlins players Gulf Coast Marlins players Jupiter Hammerheads players Leones del Caracas players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Los Angeles Dodgers players Los Angeles Harbor Seahawks baseball players Major League Baseball pitchers Midland RockHounds players Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Ottawa Lynx players Sportspeople from Palm Harbor, Florida Baseball players from Pinellas County, Florida Portland Rockies players Round Rock Express players Sacramento River Cats players Salem Avalanche players San Francisco Giants players Syracuse SkyChiefs players Tacoma Rainiers players Toronto Blue Jays players Los Angeles Harbor College alumni