Tim Wakefield

From SoSH

Timothy Stephen Wakefield is married to Stacey Wakefield

Contents 1 Minor League Career 2 1992-1994: Pittsburgh Pirates 3 1995-Present: Boston Red Sox 4 Notable Playoff Performances 5 Facts 6 External Links

Minor League Career

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 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 still at the Single-A level. 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.

1992-1994: Pittsburgh Pirates

In 1992, Wakefield began the season with Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the American Association. He registered a league-high six complete games by July 31st - winning ten 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 ten.

Down the stretch, Wakefield would provide a surprising but necessary boost for the playoff-bound Pirates, starting 13 games and compiling an 8-1 record with a 2.15 ERA, a remarkable 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 faced the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS. Wakefield won both of his starts against Braves star Tom Glavine.

In 1993, Wakefield was not able to duplicate his stellar performance from the year before. He suffered terrible control problems, a common ailment of a knuckleballer. 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. He was recalled in September and struggled again, but would finish the season with two straight shutouts (although he walked six in his final start).

Hoping to work out his control problems, Wakefield spent most of 1994 with Triple-A Buffalo, but he made little progress. He led the league in losses, walks, and home runs allowed. When Wakefield was recalled to the Pirates in September, he did not play because of the players strike.

Giving up on the phenom who had led them into the playoffs just three seasons earlier, the Pirates released Wakefield on April 20, 1995.

1995-Present: Boston Red Sox

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 a division title, and captured the Sporting News American League Comeback Player of the Year.

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.

In 1999, Wakefield was struggling again, and Boston found itself without injured closer Tom Gordon. Without many choices, manager Jimy Williams installed Wakefield as the new closer in the middle of the season. He would record 15 saves before Derek Lowe emerged as the new closer, and Wakefield could return to the rotation.

Because of his success out of the bullpen, Wakefield found himself in a frustrating position over the next three seasons (2000-2002). He was constantly moved from reliever to starter and back again. His versatility was both an asset and a curse. After being moved back into the rotation in late July 2002, Wakefield found his groove once again and has remained in the rotation ever since, making only occasional relief appearances.

His longevity and consistency have helped him quietly become one of the top pitchers in Red Sox history. Wakefield is currently the longest-serving member of the Boston team. 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.

Notable Playoff Performances

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 meaningless innings in a blowout Game Three defeat, which put the Red Sox in a 3-0 series hole. In Game Five, he 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 Series but did not get a decision, as Boston defeated the Cardinals, 11–9, after a two-run home run from Mark Bellhorn in the eighth inning.

Facts

• Wakefield is one of ten Red Sox pitchers with 100 or more wins (135), ranking third behind Cy Young and Roger Clemens (tied with 192). The others are Mel Parnell (123), Luis Tiant (122), Pedro Martinez (117), Smokey Joe Wood (116), Bob Stanley (115), Joe Dobson (106) and Lefty Grove (105).

• He has been on the Red Sox longer than any of his current teammates.

• His fastball tops out well under 80 mph.

• For several years, his personal catcher wasDoug Mirabelli, who uses 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, but Boston reacquired Mirabelli that May 1 after trading him to San Diego the previous offseason. In 2008 Mirabelli was replaced by Kevin Cash as Wakefield's personal catcher.

• He is one of just a few pitchers in history to strike out four batters in one inning. This is possible because a passed ball on a swinging strike counts as a strikeout, but the batter is allowed to run to first base in the event that the catcher cannot come up with the ball. 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, September 11, 2005.

• Gave up six home runs to Detroit, becoming the first pitcher to do so since 1947. The Red Sox still managed to win the game, though, 11–9, and he got the win (August 8, 2004).

• As of 5-25-08, with 380 starts, he has an average ERA of 1.84 over his best 190 starts, but 8.03 over his worse 190 starts.

• He is skilled in calligraphy and called upon to inscribe baseballs of historical note for his teammates' accomplishments.

• Wakefield seems immune to the often fickle Red Sox fans' emotions. Most (including himself) thought he would be labeled the scapegoat following the 2003 ALCS, but instead he received a very heartfelt and rousing ovation on his first game of the season.

• He has been quoted as saying that, "My dad's best friend, Brad Sutton, was my inspiration growing up as a kid. He taught me everything I know about tossing the knuckler."

• His favorite song is "Take It Easy" by the Eagles. The lyrics ("Lighten up while you still can / Don't even try to understand / Just find a place to make your stand / And take it easy") seem appropriate for a knuckleballer.

External Links

• The Baseball Cube Player Page
• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
• Wake at ESPN.com