Steven Wright has bounced around the minors for years. Now, as Wright embarks on another spring training, he’s turning to someone who carved out a very successful big league career for some advice.
Wright, who was acquired by the Red Sox last July, will soon meet Tim Wakefield. The two presumably will discuss the art of the knuckleball, which Wright began throwing as his primary pitch back in 2011. Wakefield, of course, won 200 games with the knuckleball as his go-to pitch, so it’s understandable that Wright wants to pick the former Red Sox hurler’s brain a little bit.
“I’ve talked to him here and there, just text messages and stuff,” Wright said, according to the Boston Herald. “He wants to watch me throw and see, and then, he’ll probably make some notes and I’ll have some questions. Right now, I’m blank on what I would ask him because it’s something where you go off of what you feel that day. It’s just nice to get another view in what he did to make himself successful and for him to pass it to me. I’ll try to take as much as I can and implement it into what my routine is.”
Wright began his career in the Indians organization, bouncing all over the place before eventually getting dealt to the Red Sox last season in exchange for Lars Anderson. The right-hander started four games with Triple-A Pawtucket last year, going 0-1 with a 3.15 ERA.
Wright has reached out to other former knuckleballers in the past, including Tom Candiotti and Charlie Hough, and he certainly appreciates all the support he has received, even if it hasn’t led to any big league call-ups.
“For them to let me reach out to them and be so open, I feel like I can pick up the phone and call them whenever I need any type of advice, good or bad,” Wright said. “Wake is the same way. [R.A.] Dickey is the same way. Once you get in that fraternity and get accepted, it’s a very tight-knit group.”
Wright is expected to finally meet Wakefield in person next week.
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