When A.J. Minter was leading Brook Hill to its second consecutive state championship in 2012, Josh Tomlin was in his seventh year of professional baseball and third year in Major League Baseball with the Cleveland Indians and earning his 20th career win on the mound at the big-league level.
Nearly 10 years later, the two East Texas products were teammates with the Atlanta Braves, helping the franchise win a World Series title in 2021 — its fourth overall and first since 1995.
“It truly is a special feeling,” Minter said. “Getting to celebrate it with Josh Tomlin, both being from Tyler, there’s no words that could really describe it. With what he’s meant to me throughout my career, he’s always been there. I looked up to him in high school, getting to watch him pitch in high school with the Cleveland Indians and now get to win a World Series together is pretty cool.”
“It was amazing,” Tomlin said. “Your ultimate goal every single time you touch the baseball field is to win, to be the last one standing. You get to choose when you go home. I’ve known A.J. a long time and to get to experience that moment with somebody from East Texas that I’ve worked out with for so long and grew up down the road, getting to celebrate in that moment in Texas, it was a lot of fun.”
Now, Minter is already focused on the repeat.
“It’s time to go win another one now,” Minter said.
Minter and Tomlin both work out at APEC during the offseason.
Tomlin is currently a free agent after posting a 69-56 record with two saves and a 4.77 ERA in 12 MLB seasons — nine with Cleveland and three with Atlanta.
Tomlin was 4-0 this past season with a 6.57 ERA and 37 strikeouts. Tomlin suffered a neck injury in August and was unable to pitch in the 2021 postseason.
Minter just completed his fifth MLB season — all with the Braves. He is 11-15 with a 3.71 ERA. In 2021, Minter was 3-6 with a 3.78 ERA and 57 strikeouts.
In the playoffs, Minter made eight appearances, including three in the World Series, where he picked up a win in Game 1.
“For me, it’s just about consistency,” Minter said. “I had a rough couple of seasons. I got sent down to Triple-A, came back up and then sent back down. This year, I got sent back down to Triple-A and had to work on some things. Looking back on it, it was probably one of the best things for me. I came back and pitched some of my best baseball. For this year, it’s about being consistent and obviously not getting sent down to Triple-A. That’s my No. 1 goal, be reliable and make sure they can trust me every single day.”
During the World Series, the Brook Hill School had a “Braves Day” to honor Minter and Tomlin. Tomlin is a graduate of Whitehouse High School, but his kids attend Brook Hill.
“It was cool,” Tomlin said. “My kids, they don’t see me as a baseball player, they see me as dad. But it was cool to see them coming home and FaceTiming me, ‘Daddy, we got to talk about you at school today, you and Mr. A.J. and the Atlanta Braves. It was really cool to be able to talk about you during school and seeing all the kids talking about you.’ They were excited about it, and that brought a lot of joy to my eyes.”
“I was that same little kid here in Tyler, dreaming of being a professional baseball player,” Minter said. “I got to witness it with Josh. I grew up watching him on TV, thinking man, it would be cool if I play with him one day. Just always keep dreaming. Baseball, in my opinion, is one of the best sports you can play because it doesn’t matter how tall you are or how short you are, it’s all about heart. Just go out there and chase the dream and keep sticking with it. Baseball mentally can break your heart at times and then you can be on top of the world, that’s what makes it special.”
Minter and the Braves will aim to be on top of the baseball world once again in 2022.