It's simply the most crushing news. Wakefield was one of the nicest, most genuine people in the realm of MLB. For him to be gone so soon, so suddenly, is the hardest of gut-punches.

Something I wrote in his honor:

He was awkward for a jock, big-butted and weak-chinned, with a stiff-legged walk that made him look like an animate mannequin. He didn't throw the ball so much as push it, set it free from the nest of his crooked fingers to take its wobbling and unpredictable flight toward the plate, the glove, and rarely, the bat. It was hard to know where the ball might go -- it seemed that he didn't, precisely, and the unpredictable nature of his pitches defeated more than one professional catcher -- and that made it exciting, to watch the batter's eyes light up as though he had been served up a fat meatball and then squeeze shut with effort as he swung and found that his meatball had rolled off the table.

He was modest, and friendly, and sort of weirdly unselfish for a man who made millions of dollars a year. As his teammates' salaries ballooned, he granted the Red Sox a perpetual option, terminable only by his retirement, at the same salary every season. This salary was, of course, generous by the standards of you or me, but it demonstrated that he was opting out of the competitive greed of the free agency era, uninterested in scoring points against imagined foes through the mechanism of the game's bizarre markets; he was comfortable -- rich! -- and didn't need more than that.

It seemed he might go on like that forever, releasing his fledgling pitches into the world to fly however they might. He did go on far longer than most. He won his first World Series at age 37, in the process bamboozling the once-invincible Yankees through the extra innings of perhaps the most heart-stopping game in postseason history, earning the win in a game started by men much more famous than he. He made his first All Star team at 42, seventeen years after he nearly won the Rookie of the Year. He retired at 44, already some kind of legend, a gray-haired, middle-aged man old enough to be the father of several of his teammates. I swear he could have kept going, if he'd wanted.

But baseball careers, even the long ones, are short, and so is life, when you think about it. Tim's was shorter than most. Too short. Fifty-seven years, most of it spent pitching knuckleballs somewhere in the vicinity of home plate.

Super perfundo, Tim Wakefield. May we meet again in the Valhalla reserved for old ballplayers and their biggest fans.

Thanks, Voxter. Beautifully said.

My brother passed along a tweet . . . "Today, there is crying in baseball".

He'll always be part of our fondest Red Sox memories. And clearly, part of many human beings fondest non-baseball memories, given all he gave off the diamond.

Just a note: The PIT and wakefield were not in the 1993 playoffs. I think the author is referring to 1992 but didnt have time to look up which year.

RIP Tim Wakefield what a great guy.

He won his first World Series at age 37, in the process bamboozling the once-invincible Yankees through the extra innings of perhaps the most heart-stopping game in postseason history, earning the win in a game started by men much more famous than he.

That game was only enabled by the heroics of games that preceded it. When one thinks of the heroes that allowed a Game 5 immediately David Ortiz comes to mind, and upon short reflection so does Dave Roberts. Deeper memories invoke the names of Kevin Millar - who drew the leadoff walk that allowed Roberts' pinch-run steal - and Bill Mueller, who drove Roberts in. The deepest of memories will bring one to Derek Lowe, making his first start (and only second appearance) in two weeks, and pitching into the 6th inning for the first time in well over a month, keeping their hopes alive.

But the spark of heroism was that of Wakefield in Game 3 volunteering to absorb the body-blow of the Yankees' offense, giving up on his Game 4 start to throw 64 pitches of relief in Game 3 to keep the bullpen from getting destroyed. That bullpen needed to pitch close to 15 innings in the next two nights (Wakefield himself throwing 3) and give up no more than 1 run. Wakefield gave up the ALCS-ending run in 2003 and IIRC was left off the 2004 playoff roster for the Division Series against the Angels, so certainly he wouldn't be faulted for wanting to redeem himself with his scheduled Game 4 start. Instead he chose a more selfless path. If he doesn't take one for the team in Game 3, maybe the bullpen can't keep things alive in Games 4 and 5 for Ortiz and others to do their thing.

And all that aside, knuckleballs are cool and a well-thrown knuckler is one of my favorite eccentricities in baseball. His was a joy to witness.

Is Wakefield the most beloved member of the 2004 Red Sox by Red Sox fans?

Other candidates would be Ortiz, Varitek, and Pedro.

I re-watched Innings 12-14 of Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS this morning and got almost all the same feelings I had watching it live. Inning 13 in particular when he had to get 4 outs to get out of the inning, but remained completely unflappable the entire time and trusted his stuff (the same stuff that had been BP a mere 48 hours earlier). Legendary stuff. After Pedro in 1999 and Eovaldi in 2018, it might be the most crucial Red Sox playoff relief outing ever. His run in 1995 was also amazingly fun to live through. For a stretch there he seemed to throw every game on 3 days rest and go 7-8 innings with 0-1 runs. It was amazing. I know the Red Sox used to have rules for such things, but they really should consider retiring #49.

It's been mentioned elsewhere I think, but a large part of the joy I had in 2004 was knowing how much it would mean to Wakefield to win it after cruelty of 2003 (and after 1992 too--he could have been MVP of 2 different LCSs with better luck). I didn't know half of the stuff he did off the field, all of which was notable and noble. This one really hurts. Too soon, and way too soon for his kids. It's just awful.

Is Wakefield the most beloved member of the 2004 Red Sox by Red Sox fans?

He was for this guy.

The main Wakefield thread is a bit unpleasant, so I hope my post here is OK. I am not a Red Sox fan, but Tim Wakefield was a joy, someone whose presence in baseball made it better. And by all accounts it seems like he was a good dude too. I may not particularly pay attention to the Red Sox, but I certainly enjoyed watching Wakefield pitch for many years just as a fan of baseball.

I think one of the best parts of his career is that he played primarily for a single team. If he had bounced around I don't think he would have been as appreciated. But he was in Boston forever - he is yours. He was clearly beloved, and that's awesome. Condolences to you all.

interesting to read details on Games 4 and 5, neither of which I have ever seen - as no result of either game could have left me pleased.

but Game 6? A win there would lead to panic in the streets of The Bronx. so that was worth watching, and that win was a joy.

then Game 7 - in a way, I still can't believe it happened. the worst collapse in the history of sports, and given the winner being the archrival and the end of The Curse - I don't see how it could ever be topped. plus the way Game 7 played out (and where it was played) was even worth a bonus point or two.

RIP, Mr. Wakefield - gone way, way too soon.

Is Wakefield the most beloved member of the 2004 Red Sox by Red Sox fans?

Yes, but you could also remove 2004 from that and it wouldn't change my answer.

Wakefield was unique in being a long-career knuckleball pitcher who pitched mostly for good teams.

Knuckleballers have always played mostly for bad-to-mediocre teams, because good teams are less willing to give a knuckler the ball; they usually have plenty of live arms around, and coaches and managers don't like or respect the knuckleball. Phil Niekro led the league in losses four years in a row, and it wasn't because he sucked. He made two (2) playoff starts in his career. His brother also made 2. Tom Candiotti, also 2. Charlie Hough played for some great Dodgers teams in the 1970s when he was young, but he was just a reliever then. After 1978 he pitched for 16 years--and never again played for a team that won its division. These are all men who had very long careers.

Tim Wakefield made 7 starts and 4 relief appearances in the LCS and World Series.

I think that had he been, well, normal, the Red Sox would probably have discarded him in the early 2000s and he'd have ended up becoming a beloved figure in Cincinnati or Oakland or Baltimore. But if a reliably league-average pitcher, who is also a phenomenal clubhouse and community figure, loves playing for you so much that he essentially gives you a reserve clause on him at a steep discount on market prices, and also is happy to be used in whatever role you want to use him in--well, you don't turn your nose up at that. So Wakefield got to be a central and beloved figure on one of history's most noteworthy teams, and I'm glad it worked out so well for him. Even as grieved as I am that he had so little time to enjoy retirement.

I never saw or didn't remember this line by him in the AP obit. Captures him well:

He announced his retirement the following spring training, seven wins short of breaking the franchise record for wins held by Clemens and Young.

“I’m still a competitor, but ultimately I think this is what’s best for the Red Sox,” he said at the time. “I think this is what’s best for my family. And to be honest with you, seven wins isn’t going to make me a different person or a better man.”

Tim Wakefield has the most innings pitched in the history of the Boston Red Sox. That blew me away.

Leaders for the "Original 16" teams:

Braves - Warren Spahn
Cubs - Charlie Root
Reds - Eppa Rixey
Dodgers - Don Sutton
Phillies - Robin Roberts
Pirates - Bob Friend
Giants - Christy Mathewson
Cardinals - Bob Gibson

Browns/Orioles - Jim Palmer
Red Sox - Wakefield
White Sox - Ted Lyons
Guardians - Bob Feller
Tigers - George Mullin
Nats/Twins - Walter Johnson (Jim Kaat in Minnesota only)
Yankees - Whitey Ford
A's - Eddie Plank

Wakefield is the only one to pitch in the majors after 1990, in the pitch count/deep bullpen era.

Is Wakefield the most beloved member of the 2004 Red Sox by Red Sox fans?

Can't argue with any individual preferences here but the answer to this is pretty clearly Ortiz, I think?

I know the Red Sox used to have rules for such things, but they really should consider retiring #49.

If they don't, I honestly don't know what the purpose of retiring numbers is.

I mean, to start, he's the Red Sox all-time leader in starts, innings, and he's second in wins. He helped them end the curse. That alone would warrant it.

But reading people's reactions to his death, and how beloved he was in the community...if as an organization, you're so bound to tradition that you can't see beyond it for him, that's just nonsensical

then Game 7 - in a way, I still can't believe it happened. the worst collapse in the history of sports, and given the winner being the archrival and the end of The Curse - I don't see how it could ever be topped. plus the way Game 7 played out (and where it was played) was even worth a bonus point or two.

I've never seen this mentioned or noticed by anyone else, but when I viewed Johnny Damon's grand slam in the 2nd inning of game 7, I had what I call an "itchy brain" moment. Recall it was a short pop fly which barely scraped over the wall and the glove of Gary Sheffield...

I immediately went back and viewed Bucky Dent's HR in the playoff game in 1978....

IDENTICAL trajectories, identical angles with the foul line/distance to the foul pole other than being in RF vs. LF, likely identical distances if the net in the Green Monster hadn't gotten in the way. In no other parks in either league would either ball have been a home run (absent a gale blowing out at Wrigley say-in RF at Fenway Damon's would have landed in play about 10 feet to the left of the stands).

Judge for yourselves:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tl7xW4Oxo0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAgMBIu6iVk

I know the Red Sox used to have rules for such things, but they really should consider retiring #49.

They used to have some weird rules about having to retire with the team and be in the Hall but I think they've done away with those. Here's the retired numbers as of right now:


Doerr 1
Cronin 4
Pesky 6
Yaz 8
Williams 9
Rice 14
Boggs 26
Fisk 27
Ortiz 34
Pedro 45
*Robinson 42

How would Wakefield fit here? In terms of greatness on the field, he falls short of most of these guys. But he does have a combination of being a fan favorite, contributor off the field, etc. I would not put him at the same level as Pesky in that regard (who's on his own level along with Williams maybe?), but he's in the next group. That group would also have to include Remy, though. So do you retire both? Or one over the other? It's a tough question.

It's probably worth noting that nobody has worn #49 since Wakefield retired (nor #33 for Varitek), although 49 is high enough that it may be just randomness as much as it being either held back or shoes players are wary of stepping into. On the other hand, I kind of feel like it being that high makes it easier to retire while you might want to hold #2 for a guy who could potentially be up there with the other single-digit folks someday, which certainly seemed like the hope for Ellsbury & Bogaerts.

Maybe do it during the big Jimmy Fund week next year.

But reading people's reactions to his death, and how beloved he was in the community...if as an organization, you're so bound to tradition that you can't see beyond it for him, that's just nonsensical

I would love it if they honored him by retiring his number, but I'm going to be brutally* honest here. Prior to this week there had been virtually no suggestion that the team ought to retire his number. If the consensus last week had been that his number shouldn't be retired, the fact that we're all now saddened by his early demise should not make him more worthy than he was last week.

There is talk online about renaming Jersey Street (where Fenway is located) in Wakefield's honor. To me that would be a better move. Not that they couldn't do both, of course, but memorializing a good man in the community IMO deserves something better than hanging his number up in a stadium.

*I don't think it's a brutal thing to discuss, but it is brutal to discuss it this week.

I'm guessing the failed tests make it a no go, but Manny's number should be retired, right? Easy yes for me (I'm assuming this is the consensus but just curious).

Manny's number should be retired because it's Dwight Evans's number and Evans should be in the Hall of Fame. :)

Kidding aside, retiring it for both of them would be kind of cool and a fun ceremony, unless Evans would bristle at Manny being the co-recipient of that honor or it would otherwise be awkward

They should announce they're retiring #24, and then hold a series of competitions between Evans and Ramirez to determine who between them gets the honor. None of those competitions should involve baseball.

Sailing. Rap battle. Competitive eating. Climbing a greased pole. Mini golf. Mario Kart. And then if it's a tie after all that, log rolling.

Ending with "...that's David Price's music! He's got a steel chair! Oh my god, it's like Manny didn't even feel that, but while he's distracted Dewey has pulled ahead!"

If the consensus last week had been that his number shouldn't be retired, the fact that we're all now saddened by his early demise should not make him more worthy than he was last week.

As I stated in my post, he's the Red Sox all-time leader in starts and innings, second in wins and strikeouts, and 6th in pitcher bWAR. While he was largely awful for the Red Sox in the postseason (54 IP, 8.00 ERA), he was, in whole, an important player for arguably the most important Red Sox team ever. By any reasonable measure, he's one of the franchise's most successful pitchers.

Putting all that aside, however, retiring numbers does not have to be solely because a player was so good no one deserves to wear it again. It can also about honoring players who had a sizeable impact on your franchise — and that is something that extends beyond the field of play.

As has been pointed out, the team has not issued #49 to anyone since his retirement. While it had not been worn a lot throughout Boston history, it had received pretty regular usage in the dozen or so years prior to his arrival. It seems pretty clear that the Red Sox have actually unofficially retired the number.

Putting all that aside, however, retiring numbers does not have to be solely because a player was so good no one deserves to wear it again. It can also about honoring players who had a sizeable impact on your franchise — and that is something that extends beyond the field of play.

Then they should retire the following numbers:

2 (Jerry Remy)
3 (in honor of Babe Ruth who never wore a number with Boston but that's the number he's associated with, or Jimmie Foxx who actually wore it)
5 (Nomar Garciaparra)
7 (Dom DiMaggio)
10 (Lefty Grove)
11 (Frank Malzone)
15 (Dustin Pedroia)
16 (Jim Lonborg)
19 (Fred Lynn)
20 (Kevin Youkilis)
21 (Roger Clemens)
23 (Luis Tiant)
24 (Evans or Ramirez)
25 (Tony Conigliaro)
31 (Jon Lester)
33 (Jason Varitek)
37 (Bill Lee)
43 (Dennis Eckersley)
46 (Bob Stanley)
49 (Tim Wakefield)
50 (Mookie Betts)
58 (Jonathan Papelbon)

...or roughly 1 of every 3 numbers ever worn.

By any reasonable measure, he's one of the franchise's most successful pitchers.

...for whom, last week, nobody was clamoring for his number to be retired.

Ha I totally spaced on 24 being Evans, too.

I don't ultimately care much about retired numbers, but if I had to make a standard I don't the Yankees list is crazy. Well Paul O'Neil obviously is a little silly (not an all time great and also didn't play there that long?), but generally it's HOF-level guys or guys like Posada who had a lengthy, very good career with them.

Do they maybe have a secret "shadow retiring" of numbers for like 21, 33, and 49, currently? That actually seems like a decent idea: no one wears them for a few decades but then in 2050 or whatever start assigning them again. To me, that's better than overdoing it or some awkward un-retiring of numbers.

I don't ultimately care much about retired numbers, but if I had to make a standard I don't the Yankees list is crazy.

I do. It excludes players like Lazzeri, Combs, Nettles, White and Randolph (the biggest omission, given his later role on the coaching staff of those 90s teams) in favor of inferior players like O'Neill, Jackson (only four seasons in the Bronx) and Mattingly. There's no particular reason to their selections, other than Dead Stein's whims.

Paul O'Neill's number being retired by the Yankees is bizarre. He probably wouldn't be among the top ten Yankees whose numbers aren't retired, as SoSH alludes.

There's no particular reason to their selections, other than Dead Stein's whims.

This is fair, wasn't looking at the omissions.

There's no particular reason to their selections, other than Dead Stein's whims.

Beneath his gruff exterior, George Steinbrenner was a sentimental guy, at least toward the players who came through for him. There’s no doubt that the retired number standard evolved during his ownership, particularly toward the end. The Yankees didn’t retrospectively apply the lower standard for players from earlier eras, but if you think the current standard is too lax, it seems a bit inconsistent to suggest it should be applied more broadly.

In any event, there are also some players honored with a plaque in Monument Park without having their number retired, Willie Randolph included.

Beneath his gruff exterior, George Steinbrenner was a sentimental guy, at least toward the players who came through for him. There’s no doubt that the retired number standard evolved during his ownership, particularly toward the end. The Yankees didn’t retrospectively apply the lower standard for players from earlier eras, but if you think the current standard is too lax, it seems a bit inconsistent to suggest it should be applied more broadly.

There is no standard. That's the problem. But, I get it. As it's a criticism of the Yanks, you're honor bound to defend it.

In any event, there are also some players honored with a plaque in Monument Park without having their number retired, Willie Randolph included.

Are there any players whose numbers were retired who don't have a monument in the park? If not, then it's not the defense you think it is.

It’s more like there are two standards, one for the Steinbrenner Era & one for the earlier period. If that bothers people, write Hal and start an online campaign for those overlooked. There are certainly enough worthy players to keep you busy.

Just remembered - when Price switched his number from 24 to 10 in 2019, he seemed to imply that it was not entirely his idea, and I was kind of surprised when the year passed without a Dewey/Manny number-retirement ceremony. Nobody has worn it since, although that's just five years.

...for whom, last week, nobody was clamoring for his number to be retired.

You're right.

Noted "Person who respects the intersection of jerseys and tradition" Chris Sale ... just ditched the number he'd worn throughout his entire MLB career because he's a nice guy and cares about things other than himself. It definitely wasn't the Red Sox organization who told him to do it because they don't want to re-issue Wakefield's number.

I mean, they haven't re-issued #53 in about as long as they haven't re-issued #49. It must be fore all those people holding out for a Rich Hill number retirement ceremony but keeping quiet about it until he dies.

Look, in Boston Joe Cochran, the equipment manager since 1992, has always controlled which numbers they'll issue and which ones they won't. After Clemens left in 1996 he refused to issue #21 to anyone, and it certainly wasn't because Dan Duquette told him not to. He did the same with #14 (Jim Rice) between when Rice retired and when the team retired his number, a span of something like 20 years. Those aren't the only examples. But, like, this has been Cochran's thing for 30+ years, and he's been pretty clear in interviews that it's his thing. Occasionally he will ask a former player if they're OK with the number being re-issued (Nomar being one example of someone he asked and who was OK with it). In Clemens' case he hasn't asked; it's Cochran's choice. It would not surprise me if Cochran told Sale he wasn't reissuing #49 - and told him why - and Sale respected that.

EDIT: That's a long way of saying it's not necessarily the team, but just the one guy with the team who has a track record of exerting control over it based on his own personal wishes.

So this super influential, and clearly respected guy within the organization doesn't want other players — who are objectively better — to wear it?

What part of that is not "This number has been unofficially retired ever since Wakefield hung them up"? And then we're going to sit there and say it would be some injustice to the process to actually make it official?

Look, in Boston Joe Cochran, the equipment manager since 1992, has always controlled which numbers they'll issue and which ones they won't.

This is because the organization has empowered him to do that. They're still the ones pulling the ultimate strings

So this super influential, and clearly respected guy within the organization doesn't want other players — who are objectively better — to wear it?

Yes.

This is because the organization has empowered him to do that. They're still the ones pulling the ultimate strings

Oh grow up. The organization has also empowered Jarren Duran to miss fly balls at the far end of his range and then watch as someone else chases it down behind him as the batter comes around to score, but that doesn't mean they are telling him to do so. Whoever is "pulling the ultimate strings" with this team couldn't be bothered with the last two POBOs to tell them what they should do before firing them for not having done it, but they're meddling in specific uniform numbers without officially retiring them? Please.

.for whom, last week, nobody was clamoring for his number to be retired.

Because why would they? If Wakefield had died at 80, much the same uproar would have happened.

Nobody wanders around going, "Yeah, this recently retired player should have his number retired. And if we don't do it soon, then of course it's illegitimate."

Look, in Boston Joe Cochran, the equipment manager since 1992, has always controlled which numbers they'll issue and which ones they won't.

So there's some random dude who decides which number you'll get? What if they sign some star player(I wish) and he insists on wearing Wake's former number?

You're telling me some dude making like $100K per year is going to tell some dude making $40mil per what number he has to wear?(Obviously HOF and other retired numbers not considered)

If this is a thing, I had no idea.

So there's some random dude who decides which number you'll get? What if they sign some star player(I wish) and he insists on wearing Wake's former number?

I think the real question here is why was #24 up for grabs even before Manny arrived.

Chris Sale probably could have had #49 if he'd felt like making a stink or even just saying he was superstitious about changing it, and I suspect that if they signed someone who really wanted #21, Cochran would get a phone call from Sam Kennedy telling him not to be a problem. Instead, it kind of feels like the front office lets the guy who is closer to the players and the community handle this sort of detail - he's probably got a much better idea of whether giving out one of these numbers would be considered disrespectful by either players or sports-radio callers than Chaim Bloom - right up to the point where someone decides to officially retire a number or he gets a call from management saying that they really don't want to hear things about the equipment manager being a jerk from someone they really need to be happy.

After he gave up the homer to lousy freaking Boone to end the 2003 ALCS, I read somewhere that he was worried about being regarded like Buckner by Sox fans. A buddy and I went to the baseball writers dinner the following February and when Wakefield was announced we, and everyone else, gave him a standing ovation to let him know that he was still our guy. Felt really good.