Curt Schilling recently revealed on his podcast that Boston Red Sox legend Tim Wakefield has been diagnosed with brain cancer.
The baseball world is sending their thoughts and prayers to Wakefield, as he was always a wholesome man and was one of the best knuckleball throwers in recent history.
Wakefield won two World Series with the Red Sox, but was originally drafted in the 8th Round of the 1988 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was later released by the Pirates and started to show his potential right away with the Red Sox.
He played 19 seasons in MLB with the Pirates and Red Sox, but is mostly known for being one of the last knuckleballers before the pitch was abandoned, with only one left in MLB today.
Career overview and achievements after retirement
Over his 19 seasons, he was not known as a dominant pitcher, but when it mattered most, Wakefield was there to help the team. In his first season with the Red Sox, he had his best year ever, finishing third in Cy Young voting and solidifying himself as a franchise player.
He sadly never got a good taste of the postseason and struggled, but he helped lead the Red Sox to the postseason many times, as his best trait was being able to eat innings.
Wakefield was known as one of the best and nicest players in the game. This was shown in the eight times he was nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award, which he ended up winning in 2010. This award is given to players who "best exemplify the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement, and the individual's contribution to his team."
In 2012, Wakefield joined the NESN team as a studio analyst, and the next year in 2013, he was named the "Honorary Chairman of the Red Sox Foundation." Wakefield is one of the nicest people, and it is sad to hear what he and his family are going through.
