Tanyon Sturtze was a professional baseball player who played as a pitcher for several teams during his career. He was born on October 12, 1970, in Worcester, Massachusetts, and attended Quabbin Regional High School in Barre, Massachusetts. After high school, he attended Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he played baseball.
Sturtze was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 23rd round of the 1990 Major League Baseball draft. He made his Major League debut with the Athletics in 1995, but he struggled in his first few seasons. In 1998, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs, where he had a breakout season. He posted a 4.04 ERA in 51 appearances and struck out 70 batters in 71 innings.
After his successful season with the Cubs, Sturtze was traded to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2000. He spent three seasons with the Devil Rays, where he was primarily used as a reliever. In 2003, he had a career-high 11 saves and a 3.18 ERA in 57 appearances.
Sturtze signed with the New York Yankees in 2004 and spent two seasons with the team. He was primarily used as a middle reliever and posted a 4.73 ERA in 2004 and a 5.02 ERA in 2005. He was also a member of the Yankees' 2004 American League Championship Series team.
In 2006, Sturtze signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers but missed most of the season due to injury. He returned to the Yankees in 2007 but struggled in his limited appearances. He was released by the Yankees in August 2007 and signed with the Toronto Blue Jays for the remainder of the season.
Sturtze retired from baseball after the 2008 season. He finished his career with a 5.19 ERA, 20 wins, and 18 saves in 355 appearances. He struck out 471 batters in 697 innings pitched.
Off the field, Sturtze has been involved in several charitable organizations. He founded the Tanyon Sturtze Children's Foundation, which provides financial assistance to families with children who have life-threatening illnesses. He has also been involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Boys and Girls Club of America.
In 2007, Sturtze was named in the Mitchell Report, which detailed the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. Sturtze denied the allegations and stated that he had never used performance-enhancing drugs.
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