Wakefield spent nearly three decades in the Red Sox organization
Former Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield died Sunday, the club announced. He was 57 years old.
After breaking into Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1992, Wakefield joined the Red Sox organization in 1995 as a free agent. The knuckleballer went on to play the rest of his career in Boston, where he won two World Series championships and earned an American League All-Star appearance in 2009. Wakefield in 2010 also won the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the big league player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team.”
Wakefield currently owns the Red Sox all-time records for starts (430) and innings pitched (3,006). He also ranks second in franchise history in strikeouts (2,156) and third in wins (186).
After wrapping up his 19-year playing career, Wakefield joined NESN as a Red Sox analyst in 2012. Four years later, he was inducted into the franchise’s Hall of Fame.
Wakefield is survived by his wife, Stacy, and their two children, Trevor and Brianna.