Tim Wakefield

At 57 years old, Tim Wakefield physical status not available right now. We will update Tim Wakefield's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Timothy Stephen Wakefield (born August 2, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher.

Wakefield began his pitching career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but is most remembered for his 17-year tenure with the Boston Red Sox, from 1995 till his retirement in 2012 as the longest-serving player on the team.

When he retired, Wakefield was the oldest active player in the majors. Known for his signature knuckleball, Wakefield won his 200th career game on September 13, 2011, against the Toronto Blue Jays, and is third on the Boston Red Sox with 186 team victories, behind Cy Young and Roger Clemens.

He is second in all-time wins at Fenway Park with 97, behind Roger Clemens's 100, and is first all-time in innings pitched by a Red Sox pitcher, with 3,006, having surpassed Clemens's total of 2,777 on June 8, 2010.Wakefield was nominated eight times for the Roberto Clemente Award, winning it in 2010.

Early life

Wakefield was born in Melbourne, Florida on August 2, 1966. He attended Eau Gallie High School and then attended Florida Tech. At Florida Tech, he was named the Panthers team MVP as a first baseman in his sophomore and junior years. He set single-season records with 22 home runs, as well as the career home run record at 40. In 2006, his number 3 was retired by the college.

Personal life

Wakefield became an evangelical Christian after he "accepted Jesus Christ as [his] Lord and savior" in 1990.

Wakefield met his wife, Stacy Stover, in Massachusetts. They were married November 9, 2002. Their two children are Trevor (born in 2004) and Brianna (2005). They own a home in Satellite Beach, Florida.

Source

Professional career

The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Wakefield as a first baseman in 1988. Wakefield began producing the knuckleball that made him so popular, after a scout warned him that he would never get above Double-A ball as a position player with his skills, saying "I just want to say I tried everything I could make it."

Wakefield made his professional pitching debut while playing for the Single-A Salem Buccaneers in the following season. He converted to pitcher in 1990, and he captained the Carolina League in starts and innings pitched. Wakefield made it to Double-A in 1991 and continued to improve, winning, innings pitched, and complete games when he went 15–8 with a 2.90 ERA.

Wakefield's 1992-1992 season with the American Association's Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He played in a league-high 6 complete games by July 31—winning ten games with a 3.06 ERA—and was promoted to the majors. Wakefield threw a complete game against the St. Louis Cardinals on his first appearance in the major leagues, knocking out ten batters and throwing 146 pitches.

Wakefield gave the playoff-bound Pirates a boost, starting 13 games and compiling an 8-1 record with a 2.15 ERA, a feat that earned him the National League Rookie Pitcher of the Year award from The Sporting News. The Pirates faced the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series after winning the National League East division. In Game 3 of the NLCS and another complete game in Game 6, Wakefield earned both of his starts against Braves star Tom Glavine, tossing a complete game five-hitter. Wakefield was on the verge of being named NLCS MVP by Game 7 with the Pirates leading the Braves until the Braves rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth, according to Stan Belinda.

Wakefield walked nine batters twice and ten in another month of the 1993 season. Wakefield was sent down to Double-A after losing his spot in the starting rotation. He was recalled in September and failed once more in the fall, but he ended the season with two straight shutouts.

Wakefield was with Triple-A Buffalo for the majority of 1994. He was the league's top loser, walker, and home runs allowed. Wakefield was recalled to the Pirates in September, but he was unable to play due to the players' strike. On April 20, 1995, the Pirates first released Wakefield.

Wakefield was signed by the Boston Red Sox six days after being released from the Pirates. He worked with Phil and Joe Niekro, two former knuckleballers, who told him to use the knuckleball as an out pitch. Wakefield's Triple A Pawtucket finished 2–1 with a 2.53 ERA.

Wakefield was called up from Triple A to top of the rotation starters Roger Clemens and Aaron Sele early in the 1995 season, and soon became the Boston Red Sox's most reliable starter. He started the season with a 1.65 ERA and a 14–1 record in 17 games, six of which were complete games. He finished the year 16-08 with a 2.95 ERA, assisting the Red Sox in winning the American League East division championship and winning the Sports News American League Comeback Player of the Year award. In the AL Cy Young Award voting, he came in third place.

Wakefield played 45 games and had ERAs of 5.14, 4.25, and 4.58 over the three seasons as a starter. He led Major League Baseball in 1997 by hitting 16 batters with a pitch. He would repeat this feat in 2001, taking the highest 18 batters ever seen.

During the spring season, Boston's closer Tom Gordon was hospitalized and manager Jimy Williams installed Wakefield as the new closer. He appeared on August 10, 1999, with a select group of pitchers who have knocked out four batters in a single inning. Since the fluttering knuckleball produces many passed balls, many knuckleballers share this honor with him. Before Derek Lowe came as the new closer and Wakefield returned to the starting rotation, he made 15 saves.

Wakefield was often promoted from starter to starter and back again over the next three seasons (2000–2002) due to his success out of the bullpen. Wakefield became a regular starter after being recalled into the rotation in late July 2002.

Wakefield took home four runs over 14 innings against the New York Yankees in the 2003 ALCS. Mike Mussina's series started with Games 1 and 4 and gained both starts. After the Yankees tied the game, he was called in to pitch in extra innings of Game 7. In the eighth inning, the Red Sox had led 5–2 in the eighth inning. Wakefield gave up a home run to Aaron Boone on his first pitch of the 11th, sending the Yankees to the World Series after retiring the team in order in the tenth. After the game, Wakefield apologised to fans.

Wakefield helped the Red Sox win the ALCS against the Yankees in 2004, a best-of-seven sequence to advance to the World Series. The Red Sox lost the first two games of the ALCS and were losing badly in Game 3 as Wakefield requested to be brought into the game to save the other pitchers for the next day. He pitched 3+1/3 innings, preventing him from starting Game 4. Derek Lowe started Game 4 in his own honor, which the Red Sox later won. Wakefield pitched out of the bullpen again in Game 5 and was the winning pitcher in a 14-inning game, throwing three shutout innings as the Red Sox defeated 5-4. The Red Sox defeated the Yankees and advanced to the World Series. He pitched Game 1 of the 2004 World Series but was unable to make a decision when Boston defeated the Cardinals 11-9, the highest-scoring Game 1 in World Series history. For their first World Series title in 86 years, the Red Sox defeated the Cardinals.

Wakefield agreed to a one-year "rolling" contract extension on April 19, 2005, giving the Red Sox the ability to hold Wakefield for the remainder of his career. Wakefield led the Red Sox pitching staff in 2005 with 16 victories and a 4.15 ERA. In a 1–0 complete game loss to the New York Yankees on September 11, 2005, he set a new career high in strikeouts (12) for his career.

He finished the 2007 season with a 17-12 record, but he was kept off the Red Sox roster for the World Series due to a strained shoulder that had been bothering him since late September.

In 2008, the 12 balls pitched when he was pitching led the majors.

In 2009, Wakefield played for the Boston Red Sox for his 15th season. Wakefield told Terry Francona on April 15, 2009, a day after the Red Sox bullpen was charged with pitching over 11 innings of relief, "I know the circumstances and I want you to know: If anything happens, don't take me out; let me keep going." He went on to take a no-hitter into the eighth inning and win the game in a complete series. This made him the first Red Sox pitcher to pitch a complete game, a record that he would break himself in his next start if he pitched his second straight game victory, this time in a rain-shortened game.

Wakefield led the team to a 10-3 record from June 27. Wakefield took the most franchise starts in 2009 with his start on July 3, 2009. He was ranked first in the major leagues with ten victories at the time of the 2009 All Star pick, owing to his success on the mound. He was announced as an AL All-Star at 42, behind only Satchel Paige who was 45. Wakefield had a major league-best 11–3 record by the All Star break. Since Joe Maddon was not present by Joe Maddon, Wakefield did not see action in St. Louis. Wakefield was put on the disabled list on July 21, due to a lower back strain. On August 26, he got off to a good start against the Chicago White Sox, pitching seven innings while allowing one earned run to get a no vote.

Wakefield played for the Boston Red Sox for 16 years in 2010. He started the year on the starting rotation before Daisuke Matsuzaka was taken off the disabled list. Due to Josh Beckett's injury, he rejoined the rotation. In a 3–2 loss, Wakefield defeated Vernon Wells of the Toronto Blue Jays in his 2,000th strikeout in his career career. He joined Jamie Moyer, Javier Vázquez, and Andy Pettitte as the only active pitchers with at least 2,000 strikeouts. Wakefield's Roger Clemens was the most innings pitched by a Red Sox pitcher on June 8. He went on to win the Cleveland Indians by 32-0 in a game. Wakefield took over Moyer and Pettitte as the only active pitchers with 3,000 innings pitched on June 13. Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies was able to finish off the game by throwing a fly ball from left to left. He beat Clemens for another record on July 2 and beyond; this for Fenway's eighth innings to win 3–2 over the Baltimore Orioles.

He was the oldest Red Sox pitcher to win a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 8, making him the first Red Sox pitcher to play in a game at Fenway.

Wakefield was given the Roberto Clemente Award on October 28, the 2010 World Series's Game 2 award.

In the documentary film Knuckleball, Wakefield's 2011 season was chronicled. Wakefield was a reliever in his seventeenth season as a Red Sox reliever. John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka sustained injuries, forcing him to be inserted in the starting rotation.

Wakefield's relief innings against the Red Sox 9–3 at the Rogers Centre on May 11, 2011. He was the first Red Sox player to play for 44 years and 282 days. Wakefield had a 5.74 ERA during the All-Star break, a 5-3 record. Wakefield's 2,000th strikeout in a Red Sox uniform against Mike Carp on July 24, 2011. He won his 199th game in his career.

Wakefield was unable to win his 200th game after his 199th victory as a coach, but it did not win in an 18–6 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on September 13, 2011. The victory came at a time when the Red Sox were in dire need of victories, with the Tampa Bay Rays gaining a lot of ground in the American League wild card battle as Boston fell four games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East division standings. Boston ultimately missed the playoffs by a single game, while Wakefield finished the season at 7–8 with a 5.12 ERA.

The Red Sox gave Wakefield a minor league contract for the 2012 season, as well as an invitation to spring training. On February 17, 2012, Wakefield announced his resignation.

Wakefield's third season in victories (behind Roger Clemens and Cy Young), second in strikeouts (behind Clemens), second in game appearances by a pitcher (behind rookie Bob Stanley), first in innings pitched and second in innings pitched. His 4.041 record in the major leagues is the best in all major league pitchers with at least 200 victories.

Source