BOSTON — The Red Sox introduced a new addition to their uniform before they hosted the Baltimore Orioles in their home opener at Fenway Park on Tuesday.
The Red Sox will honor the life and legacy of Tim Wakefield this season with a No. 49 patch on their uniform. The traditional Red Sox font will be enclosed by a navy blue heart. It was unveiled on the same day the organization paid tribute to Tim and Stacy Wakefield, as well as other former Red Sox who died this offseason.
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Red Sox manager Alex Cora hopes the patch will carry a deeper meaning for his ballclub this season.
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“A reminder of what a Red Sox is,” Cora said Tuesday before Boston’s home opener against the Baltimore Orioles. “He taught you. He’d teach you the game. He wanted you to become a big leaguer and do it the right way — the way you dressed, the way you act, the way you went about your business. That’s what we want.
“I think that’s a great reminder of who he was for all of us here in the area and obviously in the organization. And a reminder to the players, that guy, he did it right while throwing a knuckleball. He was a great big leaguer. He was a great teammate. He was a champion. He was a World Series champion and a champion in life, too.”
The No. 49 patch was one of the many ways the Red Sox honored Wakefield. The organization held a moment of silence for Tim and Stacy before their children, Trevor and Brianna Wakefield, walked out of the Green Monster and onto the field. They led the 2004 World Series team onto the diamond before Brianna threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Jason Varitek, Wakefield’s former teammate and close friend.
Featured image via D. Ross Cameron/USA TODAY Sports Images
