Thomas Kevin Layne (born November 2, 1984) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

former 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

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

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

, and

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

Amateur career

Layne attended

Fort Zumwalt South High School Fort Zumwalt South High School (FZS) is in the Fort Zumwalt School District in Saint Peters, Missouri, United States. In 1987, FZS was the second high school to be founded in the Fort Zumwalt District (after Fort Zumwalt North). Many extracurri ...

St. Peters, Missouri St. Peters is a city in St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. The population was 57,732 at the 2020 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Missouri. It is a northwestern suburb of St. Louis. Interstate 70 passes through the ci ...

, where he played baseball and soccer. He then enrolled at

Southwestern Illinois College Southwestern Illinois College is a public community college in Illinois with campuses in Belleville, Granite City, and Red Bud. It also has off-campus sites throughout the district, including Scott Air Force Base and the East St. Louis Comm ...

where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for two years. He then played at the

University of Central Missouri The University of Central Missouri (UCM) is a public university in Warrensburg, Missouri, United States. In 2024, enrollment was 13,734 students from 48 states and 52 countries on its 1,561-acre campus. UCM offers 150 programs of study, incl ...

for one year, before transferring to

Mount Olive College The University of Mount Olive (UMO or Mount Olive) is a private university in Mount Olive, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1951, the university is sponsored by the Original Free Will Baptist Convention and accredited by the Southern ...

Mount Olive, North Carolina Mount Olive is a town in Duplin and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. At the 2020 census, the population was 4,198. It is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is home to the M ...

, where he played for the

Mount Olive Trojans The Mount Olive Trojans are the athletic teams that represent the University of Mount Olive, located in Mount Olive, North Carolina, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sporting competitions. UMO's sports teams are known as the Trojans; their ...

. In 2007, Layne was named an

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n and

Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference Conference Carolinas, formerly known as the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) or the Carolinas Conference, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) primarily at the Division ...

Baseball Pitcher of the Year.

Professional career

Arizona Diamondbacks

The

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

drafted Layne in the 26th round of the

2007 MLB Draft The 2007 Major League Baseball draft, was an annual choosing of high school and college baseball players, held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the first 25 rounds and was scheduled to be broadcast "l ...

. Layne progressed steadily up the minor league ladder over five seasons in the Diamondbacks' system and was promoted to the Triple-A

Reno Aces The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, w ...

in early 2011. Over three seasons, Layne had posted a 3.82

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) working exclusively as a starter in Double-A for the Diamondbacks, but struggled in his time at Triple-A, accumulating a 6.21 ERA in 15

games started In baseball statistics, games started (denoted by GS) indicates the number of games pitched, games that a pitcher has starting pitcher, started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he throws the first pitch to the first opp ...

and 17 relief appearances in 2011.

San Diego Padres

The

acquired Layne from the Diamondbacks on May 3, 2012, for cash considerations. Layne made 5 starts and notched a 7.77 ERA for the Triple-A

Tucson Padres The Tucson Padres were a Minor League Baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, that competed in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). They were the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team moved to Tucson from Portland, Oregon, for the 2011 ...

before he was demoted to the Double-A

San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The Missions compete in the Texas League as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Nelson W. W ...

and began working out of the bullpen. Layne was noted as having a "rubber arm" and he enjoyed having the chance to pitch every day, so he welcomed the transition to a reliever role. Layne had more success at Double-A, posting a 3.28 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 35 innings. The Padres promoted Layne to the major leagues on August 14. Layne made his Major League debut the same night against the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

, striking out the side in his one inning. Layne remained with the Padres for the rest of 2012, working out of the bullpen. He didn't allow a run in his first 11 appearances. Layne earned his first win as a Major Leaguer on September 4 when he struck out

Adrián González Adrián González Savín (born May 8, 1982), also known by his nicknames "A-Gon" and "Titán", is a Mexican-American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, ...

Matt Kemp Matthew Ryan Kemp (born September 23, 1984) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He began his professional career in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in 2003, and played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Dodgers fr ...

, and

Hanley Ramírez Hanley Ramírez (born December 23, 1983) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Florida / Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cleveland Indians. Ram� ...

in order in the 10th inning. Layne finished the season with a 3.24 ERA and 25 strike-outs versus 3 walks in 16 innings over 26 appearances. Layne was designated for assignment on October 25, 2013.

Boston Red Sox

Layne signed a minor league deal with the

on November 10, 2013. He was called up for the night game of a

day-night doubleheader In the sport of baseball, a doubleheader is a set of two games played between the same two teams on the same day. Historically, doubleheaders have been played in immediate succession, in front of the same crowd. Contemporarily, the term is also u ...

against the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

on July 5, 2014. After the game, he was optioned to the Triple A

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

. As a result of a number of trades at the 2014 trade deadline, Layne was recalled back to the

. In 2016, Layne pitched to a 3.77 ERA in 34 games for the Red Sox. After they acquired Fernando Abad at the

trade deadline In professional sports within the United States and Canada, a trade is a sports league transaction between sports clubs involving the exchange of player rights from one team to another. Though player rights are the primary trading assets, draft ...

, the Red Sox designated Layne for assignment on August 2 and released him on August 6.

New York Yankees

The

signed Layne on August 9, 2016. Layne made 19 appearances for the Yankees in 2017, struggling to a 7.62 ERA with 9 strikeouts across 13 innings pitched. He was designated for assignment by New York on June 10, 2017. Layne cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders, are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...

on June 13. He was released by the Yankees organization on July 4.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Layne signed a minor league contract with the

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 ...

on July 19, 2017, and was assigned to the Triple-A

Oklahoma City Dodgers The Oklahoma City Comets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their ho ...

. He pitched in three games for them and was released by the Dodgers organization on July 31.

Boston Red Sox (second stint)

Layne signed a minor league contract to return to the

on February 24, 2018. He was released on May 18, after failing to make an appearance in a game due to recovery from an injury.

St. Louis Cardinals

On June 15, 2018, Layne signed a minor league contract with the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

. He spent the remainder of the year with the Triple–A

Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbird ...

, also appearing in two games for the Double–A

Springfield Cardinals The Springfield Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. They are members of the Texas League's North Division and serve as the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Springfield Cardinals began pl ...

. In 27 appearances for Memphis, Layne recorded a 1.35 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 3 saves across innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on November 2. Layne re–signed with the Cardinals on a minor league contract on November 6, 2018. Layne was released by the organization on July 3, 2019.

Personal life

Layne is the youngest of four brothers. He currently resides in Rye, New York.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Layne, Tom 1984 births Living people Baseball players from St. Louis Major League Baseball pitchers San Diego Padres players Boston Red Sox players New York Yankees players Mount Olive Trojans baseball players Missoula Osprey players South Bend Silver Hawks players Mobile BayBears players Visalia Rawhide players Scottsdale Scorpions players Criollos de Caguas players Leones de Ponce baseball players Reno Aces players Tucson Padres players San Antonio Missions players Pawtucket Red Sox players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players People from St. Peters, Missouri Baseball players from St. Charles County, Missouri 2017 World Baseball Classic players Oklahoma City Dodgers players Memphis Redbirds players Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente pitchers