Tim Wakefield

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Early Career

Tim Wakefield
Boston Red Sox — No. 49
Starting pitcher
Born: August 2, 1966 (1966-08-02) (age 42) Melbourne, Florida
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
July 31, 1992 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Selected MLB statistics (through July 31, 2008)
Win-Loss	174-154
Earned run average	4.31
Strikeouts	1,878
Teams
Pittsburgh Pirates (1992-1993) Boston Red Sox (1995-present)

Timothy Stephen Wakefield (born August 2, 1966 in Melbourne, Florida) is a right-handed knuckleball pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played with the Boston Red Sox since 1995.

[edit] Professional career

[edit] Minor leagues

After graduating from Eau Gallie High School in 1984 and attending Florida Tech, Wakefield was selected in the 8th round of the free agent draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1988. He began his minor league career as a corner infielder for Watertown of the New York-Penn League. After a scout told him that he would never get above Double-A ball as a "position player" with his skills, Wakefield began experimenting with various other positions, playing first base and third base, until he developed the knuckleball that has made him so well-known.

The following season, Wakefield made his professional pitching debut while playing for the Single-A Salem Buccaneers. His immediate success led to a full conversion to pitcher in 1990 when he would lead the Carolina League in starts and innings pitched. Wakefield advanced to Double-A in 1991 and continued to improve, leading all Pirates minor leaguers in wins, innings pitched, and complete games.

[edit] Major Leagues

[edit] Pittsburgh Pirates (1992-1994)

In 1992, Wakefield began the season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the American Association. He registered a league-high 6 complete games by July 31st - winning 10 games with a 3.06 ERA - and was called up to the majors. In his major league debut Wakefield threw a complete game against the St. Louis Cardinals, striking out 10 batters while throwing 146 pitches.[1].

Down the stretch, Wakefield would provide a boost for the playoff-bound Pirates, starting 13 games and compiling an 8-1 record with a 2.15 ERA, a performance that would win him the National League Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award from The Sporting News. After winning the National League East division, the Pirates would face the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series and Wakefield won both of his starts against Braves star Tom Glavine.

In 1993, Wakefield was unable to duplicate his performance from the year before. He suffered control problems, a common ailment of a knuckleballer.^{[citation needed]} In the first month of the season, he walked nine batters twice and ten in another start. After losing his spot in the starting rotation, Wakefield was sent down to Double-A in July where he continued to struggle.^{[citation needed]} He was recalled in September and struggled again, but would finish the season with two straight shutouts (though he walked six in his final start).

Wakefield spent most of 1994 with Triple-A Buffalo working on his control problems but made little progress.^{[citation needed]} He led the league in losses, walks, and home runs allowed. While Wakefield would once again be recalled to the Pirates in September, he did not play because of the players strike.

The Pirates released Wakefield on April 20, 1995.

[edit] Boston Red Sox (1995-present)

Wakefield signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox six days after his release from the Pirates and quickly returned to form. He won 16 games, helping the Red Sox win the American League East division title, and captured the Sporting News American League Comeback Player of the Year. He finished third in the A.L. Cy Young Award balloting.

Over the next three seasons (1996-1998), Wakefield would remain an important part of the Red Sox rotation, winning as many as 17 games, but always battling the same control problems that jeopardized his career in Pittsburgh.

Wakefield pitching for the Red Sox

In 1999 Boston's closer Tom Gordon went down to injury and manager Jimy Williams installed Wakefield as the new closer during the middle part of the season. He would record 15 saves before Derek Lowe emerged as the new closer and Wakefield returned to the starting rotation.

Because of his success out of the bullpen, Wakefield was constantly moved from the position of relief pitcher to starter and back again over the next three seasons (2000-2002). After being moved back into the rotation in late July 2002, Wakefield found success once again and has remained in the rotation ever since, making only occasional relief appearances.

For several years, his personal catcher had been Doug Mirabelli, who used a league-approved mitt similar to a softball catcher's mitt for catching Wakefield. Josh Bard briefly caught Wakefield during the first month of the 2006 season, before Boston reacquired Mirabelli that May 1 after trading him to San Diego the previous offseason. Mirabelli's ability to catch the knuckleball made him a valuable commodity to the team. With Mirabelli catching in 2006, Wakefield only threw six wild pitches the whole season.

His longevity and consistency have helped him become one of the top pitchers in Red Sox history. Wakefield is currently the longest-serving member of the Red Sox. On April 19, 2005, Wakefield agreed to a $4 million, one-year "rolling" contract extension that gives the Red Sox the ability to keep their longest-tenured player for the rest of his career. Wakefield entered his 14th season with the Boston Red Sox in 2008. ^[1]

[edit] Notable playoff performances

In 1992, his rookie season, Wakefield won both of his playoff appearances, throwing a complete game 5-hitter in Game Three of the NLCS and another complete game in Game Six on three days' rest. With the Pirates leading the Braves in Game Seven, Wakefield was poised to be named NLCS MVP until the Braves rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth off Stan Belinda.

In the 2003 ALCS, Wakefield was one of the most successful pitchers against the New York Yankees, allowing only three runs in 13 innings. He started Games One and Four of the Series, with the Red Sox winning both. He was also called in to pitch in extra innings of Game Seven, after the Yankees tied the game. The Red Sox had been leading 5–2 in the eighth inning. After retiring the side in order in the 10th, Wakefield gave up a home run to Aaron Boone on his first pitch of the 11th, sending the Yankees to the World Series. Wakefield apologized to fans after the game.

In 2004, Wakefield helped the Red Sox exact revenge by winning the ALCS against the Yankees, a best-of-seven series to advance to the World Series. He helped save the wearied Boston bullpen by pitching 3 1/3 innings in a blowout Game Three defeat, which put the Red Sox in a 3-0 series hole. Wakefield volunteered for this relief duty despite being slated to pitch in Game Four the following day, knowing full well he was giving up his start. Derek Lowe got the start in Game Four, which the Red Sox ultimately won. In Game Five, Wakefield was the winning pitcher in a 14 inning thriller, throwing three shutout innings as the Red Sox won 5–4. He pitched Game One of the 2004 World Series but did not get a decision as Boston defeated the Cardinals, 11–9.

Wakefield was left off the Red Sox team roster for the 2007 World Series due to a bad shoulder that had been bothering him since late September.^[2]

[edit] Statistics

[edit] Pitching style

Wakefield's primary pitch, the knuckleball, has a wide range of speed (55-69 mph) and a great deal of variance in how much it 'flutters.' Both depend on a variety of factors, which including temperature, humidity, precipitation (both type and intensity), air resistance, wind speed, wind direction, and the condition of the ball. Wakefield also features a 74-78 mph fastball and a slow curve (60-65 mph). His success derives from deception (he throws all his pitches from the same relaxed delivery) and movement.^{[citation needed]}

Because he does not throw the ball with much velocity, he can easily pitch 100 pitches in one game. Another benefit common to knuckleball pitchers is that they tend to remain competitive longer than traditional pitchers who normally would have retired by 42.

[edit] Charitable contributions

Wakefield is well known throughout Major League Baseball as one of its most charitable players. He has been nominated many times by the Red Sox for the Roberto Clemente Award, presented to the player who best reflects the spirit of giving back to the community. Since 1998, Wakefield has partnered with the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston to bring patients to Fenway Park to share time with him and on the field. He has also hosted an annual celebrity golf tournament for 15 years. Wakefield has also been active with New England's Pitching in for Kids organization (a program dedicated to improving the lives of children across the New England region), the Space Coast Early Intervention Center in Melbourne, Florida, and the Touch 'Em All Foundation founded by Garth Brooks.

In 2007, Wakefield released a charity wine called CaberKnuckle with 100% of the proceeds supporting Pitching In For Kids and raised more than $100,000.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Notes

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (August 2008)

• Through 2007, Wakefield is one of ten pitchers with 100 or more wins in a Red Sox uniform (161), ranking third behind Cy Young and Roger Clemens (tied with 192).

• He is one of just a few pitchers in history to strike out four batters in one inning. Because the fluttering knuckleball produces many passed balls, several knuckleballers share this honor with Wakefield.

• Set a career high in strikeouts (12) in a 1–0 complete game loss to the New York Yankees on September 11, 2005^[3].

• Wakefield gave up six home runs in a single game to Detroit, becoming the first pitcher to do so since 1940. The Red Sox won the game, 11-9, on August 8, 2004^[4]

• Wakefield holds the distinction of defeating the Tampa Bay Devil Rays more than any other individual pitcher in the history of MLB. On September 23, 2007, Wakefield lost at Tropicana Field for the first time in 14 starts. He now holds a 9-1 record at the ballpark.

• In Wakefield's final at bat as a Pittsburgh Pirate, he hit a 420 foot solo home run.

[edit] See also

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• MLB All-Time Hit Batsmen List
• Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• TimWakefield49.com - Tim's Official Website
• MLB - daily updates
• Baseball Library - biography and highlights
• Retrosheet - specific game info and transaction dates
• Tim Wakefield - SoSH Wiki