Straight-out beloved

“There just haven’t been many lately,’’ Hough said. “I guess it shows you how hard it is.’’

Lasting contribution

After the Pirates released Wakefield on April 20, 1995, Duquette, now the Red Sox GM, did some research. He discovered no team was going to claim Wakefield. He called the pitcher’s agent. Six days after the Pirates dumped Wakefield, Duquette made him a Red Sox on Opening Day.

On May 27, 1995, Wakefield won his first Sox start. He threw a 10-inning complete game in his third start, and five days later threw a nine-inning complete game. He won 14 of his first 15 decisions. He finished third in the Cy Young Award voting. The Sox made the playoffs, and like three years earlier, Duquette believed Wakefield was the primary reason.

“It was like a gift from God,’’ Duquette said.

All 30 teams had a clean shot at Wakefield. Only Duquette acted. He couldn’t know it then, but he had signed a pitcher who would start more games than any other Red Sox pitcher, win two World Series, and one day go to an All-Star Game, with an 11-3 record and a 4.31 ERA.

Wakefield once had burned him. When Duquette looks back on his Sox tenure, which included trading spare parts for Pedro Martínez, he considers Wakefield’s signing perhaps his proudest moment.

“Sure,’’ Duquette said. “Look at the quality of the innings that he’s given the team over the years. Look what he’s done for the team in the community. He’s been a good veteran player for the team. Because he’s a knuckleballer and he’s been there so long, people can take him for granted. Now he’s getting his due.

“We should have more knuckleball pitchers. So it’s an anomaly, right? But why don’t teams want more pitchers like Tim Wakefield? Who wouldn’t want more like him?’’

Adam Kilgore can be reached at akilgore@globe.com