Gordon Edes has a wonderful piece on Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield in The Globe this morning. Edes catches up with Wakefield in Florida a few months after the knuckleballer gave up the pennant-clinching home run to Aaron Boone. Fortunately, Wakefield, who pitched brilliantly during the 2003 off-season, has not become the new Bill Buckner in Boston. Wakefield talks about how he’s dealt with the Game 7 loss to New York, and how the 2003 season was the happiest he’s had in Boston since he joined the club in 1995:
“That was the biggest thing for me, sharing it with our fans,” Wakefield said, “and with the guys on our team who had never been in that position before, like Todd Jones. You could see a look on his face like a little child.
“Mike Timlin, myself and Todd Jones, it was weird, but the three of us ended up in the middle of the field, sitting on the mound. We were just so blessed. I think we all felt the same way. I feel so fortunate putting that uniform on every day. I work, or play a child’s game, for a living. Yes, it’s work, but it’s still a game, something I started playing when I was 5 years old.”
Wakefield has been my favorite Red Sox for years; call it a soft spot for knucklers. This article proves that he’s a real mensch too. Check it out.
