No one ever could top that.
If anyone could, that man would have multiple Cy Young Awards and he’d be on the fast track to the Hall of Fame. It is just not in the nature of the knuckler. Yes, you can get to Cooperstown, as Messrs. Wilhelm and Niekro have done, but throwing that knuckleball for a living is a daily high-wire act with a high risk-reward factor for any general manager, manager, or team. That’s why the list of exceptional knuckleballers is short, and why there are very few making a successful living throwing that pitch at any given point (five fingers usually suffices if you need to start counting).
Tim Wakefield is not going to Cooperstown. What he has done is make himself an indispensable member of 15 Red Sox pitching staffs. He has been a comfort to managers and a great teammate. What he did 14 summers ago set an unattainable standard, not only for himself, but for any knuckleballer past, present, or future. Were that all he ever did in service of the Red Sox, it would have been enough for the fans to remember him fondly.
But here he is, 15 summers into his Red Sox career. He is the franchise leader in starts, walks, and, yes, losses. He trails only Cy Young and Roger Clemens in victories. He is second to Clemens in strikeouts. He even shows up among the leaders in saves. If there was a category for Taking One For The Team, he’d be the clear leader in that one, too. He is the Grand Old Man of the Boston pitching staff.
Four weeks shy of his 43d birthday, he is also a first-time All-Star.
He was so informed by his proud manager before yesterday’s 8-4 Sox conquest of the Mariners. “That was one of the funner things I’ve gotten to do since I’ve been here,’’ said Terry Francona.
In what actually has been a continuation of an effort last year that was not properly reflected in his wins and losses, Wakefield has pitched his way onto the American League team. He was personally selected by Tampa Bay skipper Joe Maddon, and there was no lobbying by Mr. Francona, who says he never was asked. Nope, Maddon looked at Wake’s 10-3 record, his 10 quality starts, and the overall quality of his work and said that he wanted Wakefield as one of the 13 pitchers on his team; that’s all.
