Tim Wakefield, who used his darting knuckleball to become the third winningest pitcher in Red Sox history, died from brain cancer at the age of 57 on Sunday, the Red Sox announced.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Tim Wakefield, one of the most unique pitchers of his generation and a key part of the most successful era in the history of the Boston Red Sox," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "Tim’s knuckleball allowed him to excel as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1992. In 1995, he began a 17-year tenure in Boston, where he made a mark that will be remembered forever. Tim was more than just a versatile and reliable All-Star pitcher, a highly respected teammate, and a two-time World Series Champion. In 2010, Tim was named the Roberto Clemente Award winner for the dedicated work he and his family did serving the communities of New England.
Drafted by the Pirates as a first baseman who set home run records in college, Wakefield converted to a pitcher after mastering the knuckleball in the minor leagues. Relying on the old-timey pitch that had largely fallen into disuse, he went on to win 200 major league games, including 186 with the Red Sox — behind only Cy Young and Roger Clemens in franchise history.
But it was his role in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry of the early 2000s that turned Wakefield into a fan favorite whose impact went far beyond his numbers.
Red Sox legend and baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz posted a photo on Instagram of him hugging Wakefield, writing, “I can’t describe what you mean to me and my family, my heart is broken right now because l will never be able to replace a brother and a friend like you.”
“He was real. He was CLASS. This is truly horrible news,” longtime Boston sportswriter Bob Ryan wrote on X.
Wakefield was drafted out of college as a first baseman but when his career stalled he turned to a rarely thrown pitch to make the majors. He became a right-handed starting pitcher famous for being one of the few big leaguers to feature a knuckleball and in his career he won 200 games,
Over his 19-year career with the Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates, Wakefield went 200-180 with a 4.41 ERA and 2,156 strikeouts. His 17 seasons with the Red Sox are most in team history among pitchers.
Following his retirement in 2011, Wakefield joined NESN's pregame and postgame coverage of Red Sox games. This season, he was added to the booth as a color commentator.
Wakefield was the honorary chairman of the Red Sox Foundation.
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