Boston Red Sox Veteran Pitcher Tim Wakefield to Announce Retirement

Published: 17^th Feb 12 12:26 pm

by Matt Sullivan
Sully

2 Rants

Boston Red Sox Veteran Pitcher Tim Wakefield to Announce Retirement

Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

Long time Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield is finally hang it up his spikes. Multiple sources in the Boston Media have tweeted that 45 year old knuckleball pitcher will officially announce his retirement at5:00 PM today. The knuckleball pitcher had pitched for the Red Sox since leaving the Pittsburgh Pirates the 1994 season. He is the all time Red Sox leader in innings pitched and batters faced, second all time in games played behind reliever Bob Stanley. The Knuckle ball pitcher is second to Roger Clemens in strikeouts and third in wins behind Clemens and Cy Young.

The last two seasons have been difficult for Wakefield. In both 2010 and 2011, he was slated to be a reliever but injuries in the starting rotation forced him back to starting. He had his two worst seasons as a Red Sox these past years as the durability that had made him so valuable to Boston slipped away with age.

Ever the team player, Wake accepted whatever role the Red Sox asked him to perform. He was primarily a starter in his 17 seasons with the Red Sox but he frequently made relief appearances when needed and was even the closer for a brief period at the end of the 1999 season.

Two of Wakefield’s most infamous moments can as a result of his willingness to sacrifice his own personal preferences for the good of his team. In 2003, he Grady Little asked Wakefield, his Game 1 and Game 4 starter, to pitch in relief in the 11^th inning of Game 7. He allowed the game winning home run to Aaron Boone, the first batter he faced, erasing the Red Sox hopes of winning the AL Championship and likely costing himself the ALCS MVP award. Nevertheless, he once again put the team before his own glory in the 2004 ALCS, coming in to pitch in the blowout Game 3 to help save a tired Red Sox bullpen. That forced Wake to give his Game 4 start to Derek Lowe, who was masterful. The Red Sox then came back from three games down to win the ALCS on route to their first World Series title in 86 years.

Last season, Wakefield won his 200^th game on September 13, 2011 after missing in five pervious attempts. 186 of those wins came with Boston, putting him just six games behind Clemens and Young for the all time lead in wins as a Red Sox pitcher. With the announcement today, Tim Wakefield will not get a shot to pass those two and become the most winning pitcher in Sox history. Still, for a generation of Red Sox fans, Wake has been the quiet hero on some of the greatest teams ever to grace FenwayPark. His fluttering knuckler will be missed by everyone in Boston, expect, perhaps, the Red Sox catchers.

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