Wakefield is a soul survivor
His career has been as unpredictable as his knuckleball, which floats and dances and dips and drops, then often settles where it likes. Glance back at the professional baseball life of Tim Wakefield if you choose, but pop a Dramamine first. The ride entails a dizzying series of rises and falls that would make the architects at
Do you recall exactly what your Game 3 starter of today's Red Sox vs. White Sox, win-or-go-home game has endured the past 13 years? Hang on tight, and here we go:
1992, first year in the big leagues, Pittsburgh Pirates. 8-1 with a 2.15 ERA. Wins two playoff games against Atlanta, outdueling Braves ace Tommy Glavine. Named Sporting News National League Rookie of the Year.
1993. Opening Day pitcher for Pirates. Wins, 9-4. Goes 0-5 in next eight starts. Banished to the bullpen. Demoted to Double A.
1994. Spends season in Triple A Buffalo. Leads league in losses (15), home runs allowed (27), and walks (98). Pirates cut him.
1995. Signs minor league contract with Red Sox. Refines knuckleball with Niekro brothers. Starts 14-1 with Boston; drops seven of final nine starts for 16-8 record. Finishes third in Cy Young Award voting.
You know the rest. In '98 he was 17-8; in '99 he went to the bullpen when Tom Gordon went on the disabled list, and was left off the playoff roster that fall. He has been a closer, a starter, and a set-up guy. In the 2003 playoffs, he threw one lingering pitch to Aaron Boone that left him certain it would destroy his life as he knew it in Boston. One year later, he was cradling the World Series trophy like a newborn child, reveling in his team's -- and his own -- redemption.
Living by the knuckleball is not for the faint of heart. One day it's there, the next day it isn't, often without warning. Wakefield has learned to thrive on those terms.
Perhaps that's why it's even more remarkable that during this long and often stressful regular season, the most reliable pitcher from Game 1 to 162 has been Boston's 39-year-old elder statesman. He led the teams in wins (16), starts (33), innings (225 1/3), and complete games (3). He also was a strong finisher, going 8-3 with a 3.77 ERA down the stretch.
''It was the consistency that you appreciated," said pitching coach Dave Wallace. ''It was the idea that you had a guy on the mound who would allow you to go out and feel safe in the seventh inning and he was going to give you a chance to win the game."
''He's a survivor," said Johnny Damon. ''Here's a guy who they told, 'You're not good enough to play in the field,' so he learned the knuckleball and carved out a place for himself on the mound.
''I have so much respect for him. He's one of the main reasons I came here. You want to play with guys like him."
Wakefield's 11 seasons in Boston have included myriad experiences, some exhilarating, some downright miserable. He has outlasted four managers and has become a trusted ally of his fifth, Terry Francona.
''It's been an emotional roller coaster for me," Wakefield conceded. ''I've been through a lot here. I've seen a lot.
''I know how tough it can be. I watched [Roger] Clemens get booed. I didn't play with Jim Rice, but he told me how tough it got at the end of his career. It goes with playing here. They care."
Wakefield endeared himself to Red Sox Nation during last year's postseason, when he offered to eat up innings during the 19-8 blowout loss to the Yankees in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, sacrificing his Game 4 start. It was a selfless act not forgotten by the fans, his teammates, or his coaches. Fittingly, it was Wakefield who picked up the win in Game 5, after pitching three shutout innings of relief.
''He's a manager's dream," Francona said recently. ''I'd hate to think where we'd be without him."
There's always one
Not everyone loved Wakefield, though. Former Sox pitching coach Joe Kerrigan battled with Wakefield during his brief managerial tenure in 2001, and, according to Wakefield, tried to ship him out of town.
''Joe conflicted with me," Wakefield said. ''I didn't follow his 'program.' I was hearing all the time that he wanted to get rid of me. There was even talk about sending me to the minors that year.
''I thought some of his comments about me were unfair. One of them was I wanted the ball too much. That just blew my mind. We had all these guys who were afraid to pitch that year, and he's got a problem with me wanting the ball?"
Kerrigan was gone after 43 games. Wakefield signed a new contract for less money, and he's still around, more than four years later.
It was Wakefield who was on the mound in Game 7 of the ALCS against New York at Yankee Stadium in 2003, after Boston had frittered away a three-run lead in the eighth. He served up a walkoff home run to Boone and was inconsolable in the clubhouse afterward. He later revealed he was convinced he would replace Bill Buckner as the most reviled person in Red Sox history.
''There wasn't one guy on this team that thought he lost that game," said Doug Mirabelli, who catches when Wakefield pitches. ''I'm not sure there was one person in Boston who felt that way.
''If we win, he's the MVP of that series. He said later his biggest fear was he'd be Bill Buckner. I didn't get that. How can you go from the high of about to becoming the MVP to Bill Buckner? It was one bad pitch, a hanging knuckleball. Besides, it never should have gotten to that point.
''If he was sad because we weren't going to the World Series, I would have understood that. But Bill Buckner? I was a little upset with him, to tell you the truth."
Wakefield soon learned that manager Grady Little, who opted to go with pitcher Pedro Martinez for one inning too long, became the target of the fans' ire. Little received death threats and was dumped by his employer. Wakefield, who vehemently disagreed with Little's firing, felt partly responsible.
''It was unfair what happened to Grady," Wakefield said. ''I know the loss was terrible. It was a huge blow -- to this city, and to me. My job was to get outs. I failed. We lost.
''My biggest fear was my wife and my soon-to-be-born child. I wasn't sure what kind of reaction they would get. We have a home here, a life here. Those were the things going through my mind."
He learned within days his meritorious service, his generous contributions to the community, and his willingness to acknowledge his mistakes had given him a pass with the fans.
''My wife and I went out to dinner a few days after it all happened," Wakefield said. ''I wasn't sure what to expect, but people were coming up to us saying, 'Thanks for what you did,' and 'We never would have gotten there without you.' I was humbled by it."
Hit or miss
The knuckleball, his signature pitch, is as humbling as anything in his life. One minute, it is dominating and virtually unhittable. The next, it flutters in the strike zone like a beach ball.
''When he has that real nasty knuckler going, if they hit it out, that's luck," Mirabelli said. ''Other days, it just doesn't go.
''Tim doesn't come across as superstitious, but he can be. He's a big confidence guy. When he's confident, he's as good as anyone. But if that confidence wavers, we have to talk about it a little bit."
Wakefield said he places longevity among his most valued qualities, which explains his impeccable work ethic, and his attention to detail. He makes a point of being on the field for batting practice and has made sure his conditioning is above reproach.
''I tell the young guys all the time, 'Watch him. That's how to do it right,' " Wallace said.
Tonight's pitcher is no stranger to big playoff games. He has appeared in 15 postseason games with mixed results. His final start of the regular season against the Yankees Oct. 1 was not overwhelming. Pitching on three days' rest, Wakefield gave up seven runs on seven hits in five innings, and served up three homers.
''It was just one of those days when I couldn't get the feel for the ball," he said.
Francona assured everyone yesterday Wakefield has been given his usual time off and is ready to go in this elimination scenario for Boston.
''He's a smart guy," said the manager. ''He's been doing this a long time. He knows what we got going tomorrow.
''We got put in a little bit of a bind last week. We had to come back on a short rest, and it didn't work out real well. We fully expect that to change.
''He's been such a horse for us. He's been consistent. At times, you can almost use the word 'dominant.' He's gotten us very deep into a lot of games and very effectively."
It is fitting the season is now in Wakefield's hands. He has been the steadying force that has guided this unpredictable pitching rotation to the playoffs. Of course, which knuckleball shows up today is anyone's guess.
Just know that Wakefield can't wait to throw it.
