Tim Wakefield confirmed to The Boston Globe's Amalie Benjamin that the 2011 season would be his last in the big leagues (Twitter link). The 44-year-old knuckleballer is under contract for just $2MM next year.
Wakefield has both started and relieved this season, pitching to a 5.20 ERA in 135 innings before today's start against the Yankees. The former Pirate has posted a 4.37 ERA during his 18-year career, and is poised to join the 200 win club next summer. He had been working on what amounted to a lifetime contract worth $4MM annually since 2006, but the two sides restructured the deal last offseason.
He makes $2 million next season.
Yeah, my bad. I thought it was an additional $2MM on top of the original $1.5M base salary.
That’s about 2 million too much. It’s a business, why block spots on the roster with people like Wake and Papi now. Thank you for all you did when you could still contribute, but it’s time to move on.
You clearly don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.
Yeah. Papi had a bad April. Apparently there’s no baseball after April.
Or the fact that Tim Wakefield performed better this year than Scott Kazmir,
Gil Meche, Josh Beckett, Rich Harden, Jeremy Bonderman, AJ Burnett, and
Aaron Harang.
What does that have to do with anything? All of those guys were terrible, just like Wakefield. I’m not totally opposed to bringing him in, but there is a strong possibility that he doesn’t finish the year with the team. I mean, are they really going to stash him in the pen all year in case they have tons of injuries? The Red Sox have their rotation set already, and Doubront is a much better option at this point than Wakefield. Tazawa will be coming back as well, and I don’t like Bowden but he can spot start in a pinch. Wakefield isn’t a real option out of the pen other than a mop up reliever. Wakefield has been a class act but he isn’t valuable enough as an insurance option to waste a bullpen spot. If his name wasn’t Tim Wakefield he probably wouldn’t be back on the team for 2011.
They will let him get 4 wins so he can retire with that milestone (however long it takes him to get that via spot starts)
But its “just $2MM next year”. I wish I made “just 2MM” a year.
Dear Timmy,
I am so sad to hear that you plan to retire. I feel as if we were just getting to know each other. You may or may not know this but over the years I’ve become quite fond of yours. Each and every time we were set to meet each other I would get butterflys in my stomach. I would stay up sleepless at night just anticipating the chance to face you. I am growing long in the tooth myself and my years will soon be winding down. For this reason it’s of utmost importance that I (we) make the most of our limited time together. “till we meet again my friend. I shall patiently bide my time till I stand before you with bat in hand.
Your friend,
Tori Hunter
RF-Los Angeles Angels of Aneheim
(.405/.444/.738 w/ 4 hrs and 10 rbi in 45 PA)
Wow, Torii Hunter in 45PA has teed off on Tim Wakefield’s knuckle ball. 45 plate appearances. That is about two weeks of games, that is what the people in the business call “small sample size”.
Also, what is the point of this post? To make fun of Tim Wakefield, who in every story I have read, seems to be a real gentleman, genuine nice guy and a valuble member of the Red Sox team for the last 16 years? A person who could have demanded tens of millions of dollars every year but had an EXTREMELY team friendly $4mil yearly contract. Someone who pitched in every roll the Red Sox asked him to with almost no complaint. A man that refreshed his baseball career by turning from an automatic out as an infielder in the minors to a 18-year major leaguer? Yeah, he seems like the kind of man I would write a mocking, sarcastic almost pointless post about.
I usually respect the posts you write Yanksfan but when you could have written something classy about a classy player, you folded. For shame.
Wow. You have far too much time on your hands.
Hey YankFan If you’re going to mock a real stand-up guy, player, and team mate like Wake, try doing it about your own team next time. Just a few suggestions: KBrown, Pavano, Irabu, Contreras, Vazquez, or Joba? If you need some help with position players, feel free to ask. 😉
Thanks for the humorous effort. Looking at the responses, some peeps can’t take a joke.
I mean, it’s not as if you said a bad word about Wakefield, his career, his family or his team.
You want to know why? Because some ignorant Yankee Fan has to shove their nose in this post and add some, yes, sarcastically humorous little tid-bit on a devoted member of their archrival team. It wasn’t that he made any comment on Wake’s character, family, or etc. If he wants to add some sarcastic humor, let him try the Yankee posts.
Complete overreaction if you ask me. Everyone pisses on the Yanks and without being humorous.
For me a funny comment is a funny comment.
Hes not going to reach the all time red sox wins record now, thats what sucks the most
You know, I can live with Tim Wakefield retiring now that R. A. Dickey is poised to take his place as the premier knuckleballer. Baseball has to have at least one pitcher that throws it.
Hey YankFan If you’re going to mock a real stand-up guy, player, and team mate like Wake, try doing it about your own team next time. Just a few suggestions: KBrown, Pavano, Irabu, Contreras, Vazquez, or Joba? If you need some help with position players, feel free to ask. 😉
and
Wow, Torii Hunter in 45PA has teed off on Tim Wakefield’s knuckle ball. 45 plate appearances. That is about two weeks of games, that is what the people in the business call “small sample size”.
Also, what is the point of this post? To make fun of Tim Wakefield, who in every story I have read, seems to be a real gentleman, genuine nice guy and a valuble member of the Red Sox team for the last 16 years? A person who could have demanded tens of millions of dollars every year but had an EXTREMELY team friendly $4mil yearly contract. Someone who pitched in every roll the Red Sox asked him to with almost no complaint. A man that refreshed his baseball career by turning from an automatic out as an infielder in the minors to a 18-year major leaguer? Yeah, he seems like the kind of man I would write a mocking, sarcastic almost pointless post about.
I usually respect the posts you write Yanksfan but when you could have written something classy about a classy player, you folded. For shame.
——————————————–
Can you say “Holy jumpin’ overreactions”? He’s technically not retiring yet so I’ll save my “Wow he was a really nice guy” until he officialy calls it quits after 2011. Relax.
PS- I didn’t realize you had to be a Sox Nation card carrying member to post in a Sox related listing. Guess I won’t be seeing any of you when contract talks come up regarding Jeter and Mo right?
It’s not that it was about a Red Sox player(not for me anyway) it was that it was kinda pointless to pick out one player (Torii Hunter) and 45PA. I mean who really cares what Torii Hunter did against him? Now if you had pulled out a Yankee who may have had more than two weeks work of games against him and they did well, THEN I might not have said anything.
No chance. He’s nowhere near it. The best he’ll get is a great sendoff from Red Sox Nation.
No way. He’s a very productive pitcher, who had some strong years, and got a lot of mileage out of a quality knuckleball. Overall a very good career, but not Hall of Fame caliber.
Offhand, I think the upper rung of close to Hall of Fame is the Mike Mussina and Bert Blyleven level of player. It can be argued either way for those guys, who have better stats than Wake, and, had true dominant years in their prime. So, if those guys aren’t Hall of Famers, I don’t see how you can say Wake is.
Highly unlikely. If there was a Hall Of Awesome Baseball Dudes Who Were You Know Pretty Good But Ultimately Not Cooperstown Material, he’d be first ballot.
And hey. If the Pirates’ pitching coach hadn’t seen once-hot-but-about-to-be-cut first base prospect Tim Wakefield goofing around by throwing knuckleballs on the sidelines, he’d have been selling used Buicks years ago.
Not when Luis Tiant, Jim Kaat, Curt Schilling and names like that are not who were clearly better.
I agree he is nowhere near the HoF but maybe a Red Sox Hof.
awesome…