Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield dies at 57

Tim Wakefield, the knuckleballing workhorse of the Red Sox pitching staff who bounced back after giving up a season-ending home run to the Yankees in the 2003 playoffs to help Boston win its curse-busting World Series title the following year, has died. He was 57.

The Red Sox announced his death in a statement Sunday that detailed not only his baseball statistics but a career full of charitable endeavors. Wakefield had brain cancer, according to ex-teammate Curt Schilling, who outed the illness on a podcast last week — drawing an outpouring of support for Wakefield. The Red Sox confirmed an illness at the time but did not elaborate, saying Wakefield had requested privacy.

The Red Sox released a tribute video on X, formerly known as Twitter. Ex-catcher Jason Varitek fought back tears as he told reporters: “I don’t know if I have to tell you anything. I think I’m showing it.” Boston manager Alex Cora had all his players in the dugout wearing their jerseys without jackets or overshirts in the season finale against Baltimore, so they could represent the uniform proudly.

“We lost a brother, a teammate, a family member,” Cora said. “One of the best teammates I ever had. ... Of all the guys I played with, nobody wore his jersey with more pride than Tim Wakefield.”

Mariners pitcher George Kirby even broke out a knuckleball Seattle’s game against Texas.

Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates as a first baseman who set home run records in college, Wakefield converted to pitcher after mastering the knuckleball in the minor leagues. Relying on the old-timey pitch that had largely fallen into disuse, he went on to win 200 major league games, including 186 with the Red Sox — behind only Cy Young and Roger Clemens in franchise history.

Wakefield won the Roberto Clemente Award for sportsmanship and community involvement in 2010 and was the Red Sox nominee seven other times. He was the team’s first Jimmy Fund captain, visiting with patients and raising funds for the childhood cancer charity, and the honorary chairman of the Red Sox Foundation.

But it was Wakefield’s role in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry of the early 2000s that turned him into a fan favorite whose impact went far beyond his numbers.

After New York rallied to tie Game 7 of the ’03 AL Championship Series, Wakefield came on in relief in the 11th inning and Aaron Boone hit his first pitch for a walkoff home run to end Boston’s season and extend a World Series drought that stretched back to 1918.

The following October, with the Red Sox season again at risk against the Yankees in the ALCS, Wakefield sacrificed his Game 4 start to pitch in relief in a Game 3 blowout, saving the bullpen for the rest of the series. Boston lost 19-8 to fall behind three games to none but rallied with four straight wins, with Wakefield getting nine outs in extra innings of Game 5 to set up David Ortiz to win it in the 14th.

The Red Sox swept St. Louis in the World Series to claim their first championship in 86 years, then won it all again in 2007.

Wakefield was 11-3 when he made his only All-Star Game in 2009, becoming the second-oldest player — to Satchel Paige — ever selected to his first All-Star Game. Wakefield was the oldest player in baseball at 45 when he earned his 200th win in September of 2011, retiring his final six batters.





(AP Photo John Bazemore)