Tim Wakefield was an American professional baseball knuckleball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB).
He began his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but is most remembered for his 17-year tenure with the Boston Red Sox, from 1995 until his retirement in 2012 as the longest-serving player on the team.
Wakefield played a critical late-innings relief role in the Boston Red Sox’s winning its first World Series championship in 86 years in 2004.
He was deeply ingrained in the fiery Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.
Wakefield was part owner of a restaurant in Pembroke, Massachusetts, called Turner’s Yard.
He became an evangelical Christian in 1990.
Tim Wakefield early life
Wakefield was born on August 2, 1966, in Melbourne, Florida, and attended Eau Gallie High School and then went to Florida Institute of Technology, where he played college baseball for the Florida Tech Panthers.
At Florida Tech, he was named the Panthers’ team most valuable player as a first baseman in his sophomore and junior years.
He set a single-season Panthers record with 22 home runs, as well as the career home run record at 40.
Wakefield was part of a small tribe of pitchers who had long careers throwing the knuckleball, which, when thrown properly, takes a slow, darting, fluttery path to home plate.
He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates as a first baseman in 1988 but didn’t show much hitting prowess.
While playing at the Pirates’ Class A minor league team, a coach, Woody Huyke, watched Wakefield throw knucklers, which he thought were better than the ones that ballplayers toy with for fun.
Wakefield converted to pitcher after mastering the knuckleball.
After his baseball career, Wakefield became an evangelical Christian in 1990.
He met his wife, Stacy Stover, in Massachusetts, and they were married on November 9, 2002.
They had two children, one in 2004 and another in 2005, and resided in Satellite Beach, Florida.
Wakefield died on October 1, 2023, at the age of 57.
Tim Wakefield cause of death
The cause of his death was brain cancer, which was revealed publicly just three days before his death, according to BBC.
He was diagnosed with brain cancer less than 25 years after he retired from baseball[2]. He is survived by his wife Stacy, who also has cancer, and their children, Trevor and Brianna[3][4].
Brain cancer
Brain cancer is a growth of abnormal cells in the brain or near it.
Brain tumors can happen in the brain tissue or near it, including nerves, the pituitary gland, the pineal gland, and the membranes that cover the surface of the brain.
There are two types of brain tumors: primary brain tumors and secondary tumors (or metastases).
Primary brain tumors start in the brain and almost never spread to other parts of the body, while secondary tumors are caused by cancer that has spread from other parts of the body to the brain.
Brain tumors can be cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign).
Brain cancer can cause symptoms that come on suddenly and get worse in a matter of days or weeks.
Headaches are often the first symptom of a brain tumor, but other symptoms include seizures, weakness or paralysis in part of the body, loss of balance, general irritability, drowsiness or a change in personality, nausea and vomiting, and disturbed vision, hearing, smell or taste.
Brain tumors can also create pressure on and change the function of surrounding brain tissue, which causes signs and symptoms such as headaches, nausea and balance problems.
The causes of brain cancer are not fully understood, but some factors that can increase the risk of brain cancer include certain inherited or genetic conditions.
Brain tumors are usually graded on a scale of 1 to 4, based on how quickly they are growing and their ability to invade nearby tissue.
Treatment options for brain cancer depend on the type, size, and location of the tumor, as well as the patient’s overall health and preferences.
Treatment options may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
Tim Wakefield career
Wakefield began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but is most remembered for his 17-year tenure with the Boston Red Sox.
He pitched 17 seasons with the Red Sox after two with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Wakefield had a career record of 200-180 with an earned run average of 4.41.
He ranks second in career Red Sox victories, with 186, second to the 192 of Roger Clemens and Cy Young.
Wakefield was part of a small tribe of pitchers who had long careers throwing the knuckleball, which, when thrown properly, takes a slow, darting, fluttery path to home plate.
He was not only an outstanding athlete but also an extraordinary human being who was involved in charitable endeavors.
Wakefield was a versatile and reliable All-Star pitcher, a highly respected teammate, and a two-time World Series champion.
He was more than just a baseball player; he was also a dedicated philanthropist who served the communities of New England.
In 2010, near the end of his career, Wakefield won Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award, which recognizes a player’s community and charitable work.
Here are some of the most memorable moments of Wakefield’s remarkable career;
1995 season
After spending all of 1994 in AAA, Wakefield’s career was in jeopardy.
After signing with the Red Sox and pitching well in Pawtucket, he was called up to help a rotation that was saddled with injuries to Clemens and Aaron Sele.
He proceeded to win 14 of his first 15 decisions and finish the season with at 16-8 with a 2.95 ERA. He topped it off with the Comeback Player of the Year award.
1999 season
In the disastrous Game 3, his line was anything but impressive: 3.1 innings, 5 hits, 5 runs, all earned.
But Wakefield was the only pitcher who could have saved the Red Sox from a sweep, and he did just that in Game 5.
He pitched six innings of one-run ball, and the Red Sox won 9-4.
2004 World Series
Wakefield played a critical late-innings relief role in the team’s winning its first World Series championship in 86 years.
He was also involved in charitable endeavors and was a frequent visitor on the adult and pediatric cancer floors, meeting with the teen patients on their annual spring.
