Tim Wakefield to retire

[Frayed Knot]

The knuckle-baller to make his announcement today at Boston's ST complex in Florida

- 45 years old
- Drafted in the 8th round by Pittsburgh in 1988 out of the Florida Institute of Technology (really!). I wonder if he tried picking up girls by telling them he went to F.I.T. and therefore knew a lot about fashion?
- 3rd in ROY in 1992 (behind Eric Karros & Moises Alou) despite not making ML debut until July 31. Went 8-1; 2.15 over 13 starts
- Spent all of 1994 and early '95 in minors before being released by Pirates in late April 1995
- Signed with Boston six days later where he stayed for the remainder of his career.
- 3rd in CY that same season (in back of R. Johnson & Joe Table, ahead of D. Cone & M. Mussina). Those were the only CY votes he'd ever get
- got his 200th win last season although not easily, 7 starts plus a relief appearance came between 199 and 200
- Appeared in just two games after win #200 (lost them both ... finishes at 200-180) but still managed 33 games, 23 starts, and 150 IPs in his final season
- made lone All-Star appearance at age 42
- famously served up Aaron Bleepin' Boone's ALCS-losing HR but came back to play a HUGE role the following post-season when his innings-eating durability allowed the spent Sawx staff to recover for games 5, 6 & 7 of the 2004 ALCS


Nice career dude.

Edited February 17, 2012 by Guest

[TransMonk]

Frayed Knot wrote: Nice career dude.

Definitely.

Wakefield was always a favorite of my old man (who roots for the Sox of the other color), so I always kept an eye on how he was doing.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Drafted as an outfielder or first baseman if I recall correctly.

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Drafted as an outfielder or first baseman if I recall correctly.

Yup! Played all of '88 and most of '89 as a 1B, 3B & 2B
Was full-time pitcher by 1990

[metirish]

Nice career, wanted to look up his numbers versus the MFY's but Baseball Reference is a real pain in the arse these days, used to be you could click on career and go from there......

[stevejrogers]

Frayed Knot wrote: - famously served up Aaron Bleepin' Boone's ALCS-losing HR but came back to play a HUGE role the following post-season when his innings-eating durability allowed the spent Sawx staff to recover for games 5, 6 & 7 of the 2004 ALCS

Hate to bring up Uber-douche Wally Matthews, but this does bear mentioning as it is a clear example of his douchebaggery.

Heading into that 2004 ALCS, Matthews had declared that, thanks to the Aaron Boone homer, the Yankees had "solved" Wakefield, and that Wakefield was DONE when it came to pitching against the MFYs.

Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhhh, about that...

[G-Fafif]

Starting lineup Wakefield faced in his first Shea Stadium start, August 10, 1992.

Coleman
Bass
Boston
Murray
Donnels
Hundley
Randolph
Schofield
Schourek

Willie Randolph started playing in 1975. Todd Hundley finished playing in 2003. This game went nearly as long...sixteen innings (a 4-2 win for the Pirates; Wakefield went eight, gave up one run on three hits and threw 123 pitches).

[Edgy MD]

My shorts are still stained from his pitching in game five of the comeback against the Yankees, when for three innings Varitek was desperately trying to keep the pitches in front of him --- with the Yankees on at least one occasion a single wild pitch or passed ball from going ahead.

Francona refused to make the move to knuckler-catching specialist Doug Mirabelli, even as his predecessor got axed and humiliated over a non-move with regard to Pedro Martinez. Very steely of Francona.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS200410180.shtml

[Frayed Knot]

metirish wrote: Nice career, wanted to look up his numbers versus the MFY's but Baseball Reference is a real pain in the arse these days, used to be you could click on career and go from there......

58 Games
36 starts including 2 CGs
10 games finished incl 1 Save
255 IP -- 231 Hits -- 167 K, 130 BB -- 5.01 ERA; 1.414 WHiP [vs 4.41, 1.350 career averages] -- 12 Wins 18 Losses

Not surprisingly, the Yanx, along with the other ALEast teams, are among the teams he pitched against the most. Toronto was way out in front as his most faced team while Baltimore was slightly higher than NYY.

[Frayed Knot]

SteveJRogers wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: - famously served up Aaron Bleepin' Boone's ALCS-losing HR but came back to play a HUGE role the following post-season when his innings-eating durability allowed the spent Sawx staff to recover for games 5, 6 & 7 of the 2004 ALCS Hate to bring up Uber-douche Wally Matthews, but this does bear mentioning as it is a clear example of his douchebaggery. Heading into that 2004 ALCS, Matthews had declared that, thanks to the Aaron Boone homer, the Yankees had "solved" Wakefield, and that Wakefield was DONE when it came to pitching against the MFYs. Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhhh, about that...

Yeah, like anyone ever solves a knuckleball pitcher.
Or that one pitch to one batter (especially one who was only on the team for about an hour) proves anything about anything.

That theory is stupid even by Wally standards.

[ashie62]

Class act whose number may very well be retired.

[nymr83]

Actually saw this on twitter as Dickey posted about it the other day, said he already felt lonely as the only active knuckleballer (is that true?)

[Frayed Knot]

Nymr83 wrote: Actually saw this on twitter as Dickey posted about it the other day, said he already felt lonely as the only active knuckleballer (is that true?)

Probably is, at least for pitchers who use it as their majority pitch.


Another side-note about Wakefield's retirement is that it leaves MLB without an active 200+ win pitcher for the first time since ... since 1879!! when Tommy Bond (you all remember ol' Tommy, right?) passed Bobby Mathews to take over the lead in the post-Al Spalding era with 195. The Ireland-born T.B. (as we who were close to him called him) went on to win 26 that year (after four straight seasons of 40+) to push him over the 200 mark.

Of course, seeing how Wakefield didn't get #200 until September it would seem that last season didn't have a >200 guy either but Jamie Moyer (267) was considered active even though he didn't pitch due to injury. Moyer hooking on with a team (I think the Rox invited him to camp) would give him back the lead and continue the streak. If not it'll still only last this year as current leader Roy Halladay (188) is poised to break the barrier unless (heh, heh) something bad happens.

There were a few close calls over the years such as Don Drysdale with 204 taking over the lead upon the retirement of Whitey Ford. But there were also decade-long streaks where the mark stayed at 300+

[Edgy MD]

For those of us who think they've really bolluxed up the system with the limitations they're placing on starting pitchers --- and the demands they're placing on relievers --- that's a sorry turn of events.

[nymr83]

Edgy DC wrote: For those of us who think they've really bolluxed up the system with the limitations they're placing on starting pitchers --- and the demands they're placing on relievers --- that's a sorry turn of events.

It almost seems unthinkable that there wouldn't be a single active pitcher with 200, but yeah its a sign of the times and the strategy of having your best players pitch a lower percentage of your club's innings. Its arguably a stupid strategy, but its become universal.

[Frayed Knot]

Will the last aging Red Sox please shut the lights on your way out as Jason Varitek gets set to announce his retirement.
'Tek' joins Wakefield and Beer* as long-time stalwarts of the Boston clubhouse that suddenly won't be around next year.

Played his whole ML career with the Sawx although was drafted three time before getting there
- out of HS by the Astros in the 23rd round in 1990 although chose not to sign
- then as a college Jr. in Georgia Tech with the 23rd overall pick by the Twins in 1993 but again chose not to sign. This was one of Scotty Boras's early power plays in an attempt to increase the signing bonus
- and finally with the 14th overall pick in '94 by the Mariners where he finally signed.

Despite that high draft slot plus what seems to be decent numbers in the minors (particularly for a catcher) Seattle traded his AA-playing butt via a trading deadline deal just three years later to the Sox along with Derek Lowe (already in the majors) in exchange for Heathcliff Slocumb. Slocumb pitched poorly for the Ms during that season and the next full one before moving on. Somebody's always chasing them relievers.

Now 15 years, 5,000+ ABs, 193 HRs, 750 RBIs, two WS Championships, three ASGs, one Silver Slugger, one Gold Glove, and three back-of-the-pack MVP race votes later, Varitek is hanging them up just prior to turning 40 y/o. In between he had become a FA on three separate occasions and re-signed with Boston each time. Now, a FA for the fourth time, he was offered just a minor league invite to camp but did not accept.

A search through his history turns up a six-years-younger brother Justin who played only briefly in the minors and independent leagues.






* Bobby V announced over the weekend that beer would no longer be permitted in the RS clubhouse, a proclamation, he said, which was greeted with something in between "a standing ovation and a standing boo".

[Edgy MD]

Frayed Knot wrote: Nymr83 wrote: Actually saw this on twitter as Dickey posted about it the other day, said he already felt lonely as the only active knuckleballer (is that true?) Probably is, at least for pitchers who use it as their majority pitch. Another side-note about Wakefield's retirement is that it leaves MLB without an active 200+ win pitcher for the first time since ... since 1879!! when Tommy Bond (you all remember ol' Tommy, right?) passed Bobby Mathews to take over the lead in the post-Al Spalding era with 195. The Ireland-born T.B. (as we who were close to him called him) went on to win 26 that year (after four straight seasons of 40+) to push him over the 200 mark. Of course, seeing how Wakefield didn't get #200 until September it would seem that last season didn't have a >200 guy either but Jamie Moyer (267) was considered active even though he didn't pitch due to injury. Moyer hooking on with a team (I think the Rox invited him to camp) would give him back the lead and continue the streak. If not it'll still only last this year as current leader Roy Halladay (188) is poised to break the barrier unless (heh, heh) something bad happens. There were a few close calls over the years such as Don Drysdale with 204 taking over the lead upon the retirement of Whitey Ford. But there were also decade-long streaks where the mark stayed at 300+

Hold the phone. Jamie Moyer just threw four perfect innings against the Giants.

[MFS62]

No. Just a tad too young to remember Bobby Bond.
But Jamie is an inspiration to all of us old farts in the Geritol Patrol.
Go get 'em, kid.


Later

[Frayed Knot]

Jamie Moyer not only makes the Rox roster but is slated to start their 2nd game.

The '200 game winner' streak lives on!!

[Edgy MD]

Pettitte's going to be activated soon also, right? I guess we still need for him and Moyer to hang in there until Halladay wins 12 more games.

[Frayed Knot]

The first game Moyer wins (assuming there is one) will make him the oldest ML pitcher ever to win a game.
Jack Quinn* is the guy who's going to get some posthumous publicity as he currently holds the mark at age 49 + 74 days. Moyer turned 49 last November meaning he'll start the season at approximately 49 years + 150 days


* Quinn was born in 1883 exactly where you'd think an American ballplayer from that era named Quinn would be born ... that's right, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
He began his career in 1909 with the Yankees, then moved on to the Braves followed by two seasons for the Federal League Baltimore Terrapins. He then somehow missed 1916 + 1917 before reappearing with the White Sox, then back to the Yanx, on to the Red Sox, the Philly A's, and then Brooklyn where he won his last game in 1932.
He completed his career in 1933 with 14 games for the Cincy Reds lasting until 6 days past his 50th birthday but by then was pitching exclusively in relief and didn't win any games that season (0-1).

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Frayed Knot wrote: He then somehow missed 1916 + 1917

Military service, perhaps?

[Frayed Knot]

Mets � Willets Point wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: He then somehow missed 1916 + 1917 Military service, perhaps?

That was my first guess although I don't believe there was a military draft at that point and, of course, that time-frame was prior to our entry into WWI. A significant number of MLers went on to miss the '18 season for that reason but missing '16 & '17 in the military and then being available for '18 seems odd ... unless he was somehow dragged into the fighting via the empire of his birth.