Derek Lowe
Cleveland Indians – No. 26
Starting pitcher
Born: (1973-06-01) June 1, 1973 (age 39) Dearborn, Michigan
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 26, 1997 for the Seattle Mariners
Career statistics (through May 20, 2012)
Win–loss record	172–148
Earned run average	3.90
Strikeouts	1,674
Saves	85
Teams
Seattle Mariners (1997) Boston Red Sox (1997–2004) Los Angeles Dodgers (2005–2008) Atlanta Braves (2009–2011) Cleveland Indians (2012–present)
Career highlights and awards
2× All-Star selection (2000, 2002) World Series champion (2004) Threw a No Hitter against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on April 27, 2002

Derek Christopher Lowe^[1] (born June 1, 1973, in Dearborn, Michigan)^[2] is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. He throws and bats right-handed. He is 6'6", weighing in at 230 pounds.

Early years[link]

Lowe attended Edsel Ford High School (Dearborn, Michigan) and was a four-sport letterman in baseball, golf, soccer, and basketball. He was an All-League honoree in all four sports, and was a first-team all-state pick in basketball.

Baseball career[link]

Minor leagues[link]

Lowe was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in round 8 of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft. He signed with the Mariners on June 7, 1991. The Mariners immediately assigned him to their rookie league team, where he went 5–3 with a 2.41 ERA in 12 starts.

He spent the next several years working his way through several minor league teams: 1992 – Single-A Bellingham (7–3, 2.42 – 13 starts), 1993 – Single-A Riverside (12–9, 5.26, 26 starts), 1994 – Double-A Jacksonville (7–10, 4.94, 26 starts), 1995 – Double-A Port City (1–6, 6.08, 10 starts), 1996 – Triple-A Tacoma (6–9, 4.54, 16 starts).

Seattle Mariners[link]

Lowe made his major league debut on April 26, 1997, working 3 2/3 innings in relief against the Toronto Blue Jays. He made his first major league start on May 27, 1997, against the Minnesota Twins, giving up four runs in 5 innings. His first career win came on June 6 against the Detroit Tigers, pitching 5 1/3 innings and giving up 3 runs in the Mariners 6–3 victory.

Seattle, however, was desperate for immediate bullpen help and packaged Lowe and catcher Jason Varitek into a deal with the Boston Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb. The Mariners' willingness to trade Lowe may have stemmed from his involvement in an incident earlier that year in Federal Way, Washington. Lowe was charged with fourth-degree domestic violence by King County police after his girlfriend claimed that he struck her. Lowe was released on $1,000 bond the next day, and he allegedly violated a no-contact order by returning to her home shortly after his release.^[3] However, given the subsequent careers of the three players involved in the trade it is now viewed as one of the most lopsided in recent MLB history.

Boston Red Sox[link]

Derek Lowe (left) and Pedro Martínez at the Red Sox World Series Victory Parade in 2004.

Lowe compiled a 5–15 record over his first two seasons, during which he split time starting and relieving, but came into his own in 1999 after being transferred into the closer's role, finishing the season with 15 saves and a 2.63 ERA.

Lowe had his best season as a closer in 2000 when he led the American League with 42 saves. He was regarded as an unconventional closer, however, as he didn't overwhelm hitters. As a result, despite 24 saves early in the 2001 season, Lowe lost the closer's job soon after the trading deadline, July 31, when the Red Sox acquired Ugueth Urbina. Lowe was left in limbo, forced to take various setup jobs in the bullpen.

In 2002, Lowe moved back into the starting rotation, a move which paid off immediately. He posted a 21–8 record, a 2.58 ERA, and finished 3rd in Cy Young Award voting behind Barry Zito and teammate Pedro Martínez. Lowe also no-hit the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Fenway Park on April 27 that year, becoming the first pitcher to do so at Fenway Park since Dave Morehead in 1965.

Lowe struggled through much of the 2003 season, but boosted by the strength of Boston's thunderous offense, posted a 17–7 record despite a 4.47 ERA. He recorded an improbable save in deciding Game 5 of the American League Division Series, helped by two clutch strikeouts.

In 2004, he finished 14–12 with a 5.42 ERA in 33 starts, spending part of the season demoted to the Red Sox bullpen. During the postseason he rebounded with a 3–0 record and 1.86 ERA in four games, three of them starts. He was the winner in the final game of all three postseason series—American League Division Series against the Anaheim Angels, American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees, and World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals (where he threw shutout ball for 7 innings in game 4, to defeat Jason Marquis) — as the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years. Lowe was the first pitcher in baseball history to accomplish this feat. He later said that the team would no longer have to hear "1918", a derisive chant mocking the Red Sox's previously most recent title win, at Yankee Stadium.^[4][5]

Los Angeles Dodgers[link]

Lowe pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006.

On January 11, 2005, he finalized a $36 million, four-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.^[6] Despite his signing with a new team, Lowe wore a Boston Red Sox uniform, with his career-long number of 32, during the Red Sox World Series ring ceremony on April 11, 2005, after already making a start for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

On August 31, 2005, Lowe nearly pitched the second no-hitter of his career. After giving up a leadoff single to the Cubs' Jerry Hairston, Jr., Lowe did not allow another Chicago hit, picking up a one-hit, two-walk, 7–0 complete game victory while facing only 29 batters.

For the 2008 season, after being the opening day starter for the Dodgers for the last three years, he was moved to the second starting position, with the honor of the first position going to Brad Penny. Lowe was chosen by manager Joe Torre to start game one of the National League Championship series against the Philadelphia Phillies on October 9, 2008. Lowe opened the game with five scoreless innings.

Both times that the Dodgers acquired Greg Maddux midseason, Lowe performed visibly better afterwards. He indicated that Maddux helped him considerably, and Maddux was often seen sitting next to him in the dugout.^[7]

Atlanta Braves[link]

On January 13, 2009, it was reported that Lowe had agreed to a four-year, $60 million dollar deal with the Atlanta Braves that was confirmed two days later.

On March 29, 2009, Bobby Cox announced that Lowe would start both Opening Night and the Braves home opener for the 2009 season. Lowe beat the Phillies 4–1 on Opening Night, going 8 innings and giving up just 2 hits and 0 runs.^[8][9] On June 20, 2009, for the first time since leaving the Red Sox, Lowe pitched at Fenway Park against his former team. Despite losing the game giving up three runs, he received a standing ovation coming into and exiting the game in recognition of his role on the 2004 drought-breaking World Series winners.

In 2010, Lowe was one of only two active players, along with Livan Hernandez, to have played 12 or more seasons without going on the disabled list.^[10]

Despite having a mediocre season until August, Lowe was exceptional in the September 2010, with a 5–0 record, a 1.77 ERA, 29 strikeouts while walking only three batters, which helped the Braves secure a playoff berth as the NL Wild Card, being one game ahead of the second place Padres at the end of the regular season. For this, Lowe was named National League Pitcher of the Month.^[11]

On August 31, 2011, Lowe hit his first home run (in 425 at-bats) off John Lannan of the Washington Nationals. (Chipper Jones hit his 450th home run in the same game.)^[12]

Cleveland Indians[link]

Following the 2011 season, the Braves traded Lowe to the Cleveland Indians for minor league left-handed relief pitcher Chris Jones. The Braves will pay $10 million of Lowe's $15 million salary for the 2012 season.^[13] On May 15, 2012 in a road game versus the Minnesota Twins, Lowe recorded his first shutout in seven years and also pitched a complete game in a 5-0 Tribe win, improving his season pitching record to 6-1. Lowe did not record a strikeout in the shutout, becoming the first pitcher to do so since 2002.^[14]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2012)

Personal life[link]

Derek Lowe has advocated for various causes to fight cancer. Himself a survivor of squamous cell carcinoma,^[15] Lowe has worked with the Melanoma Foundation of New England,^[16] the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention,^[17] and The Prostate Cancer Foundation.^[18]

Derek Lowe was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and received permission to treat it with Adderall, a substance banned by Major League Baseball.^[19]

On August 3, 2005, FSN West in Los Angeles announced that Carolyn Hughes, anchor of the network's Dodger Dugout show covering the Dodgers, had been suspended pending an investigation into a potential relationship between her and Lowe. Shortly thereafter, Lowe filed for divorce from his wife of seven years, Trinka Lowe, with whom he fathered two children. Hughes's husband had also filed for divorce. In the aftermath, Hughes ended her broadcasting career, while she and Lowe continued their relationship. The two were married on December 13, 2008 at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan.

On April 28, 2011, Lowe was arrested and charged with DUI, reckless driving, and improper lane change after Lowe was spotted racing another car down an Atlanta street. The trooper who stopped Lowe detected an odor of alcohol and administered a field sobriety test, which resulted in Lowe’s arrest. Lowe declined to take a breath test before he was released after posting bail. The other driver was not charged with any offense and was released. On May 26, 2011, both the DUI charge and the reckless driving charge against Lowe were dismissed by City of Atlanta Solicitor-General Raines Carter, and Lowe entered a nolo contendere plea (no contest) to a violation of violating basic motor vehicle rules.

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• List of Major League Baseball saves champions
• List of Major League Baseball wins champions
• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Derek Lowe

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Baseball the right choice for Lowe
• Derek Lowe's MLB blog

Marece Richards (born September 2, 1983),^[1] better known by his stage name Rich Boy, is an American rapper from Mobile, Alabama. He is best known for the hit single "Throw Some D's". His self-titled debut album was released in early 2007.

Background[link]

Early career[link]

Richards dropped out of his studies of mechanical engineering at Tuskegee University in order to concentrate on trying to rap. Rich Boy signed a contract with Zone 4 through Interscope Records and started to work on his debut album.^[2] In the meantime, he snuck onto one of Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace compilations and on a few mix tapes, such as Comeback Season by Canadian rapper Drake and Da Bottom, Vol. 5 by DJ Ideal and Jermaine Dupri.

[edit] 2007: Self titled debut album

On March 13, 2007, Rich Boy released his self-titled debut album, with the singles "Throw Some D's," "Boy Looka Here," "Good Things", and "Let's Get This Paper". "Throw Some D's" reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, #3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and #2 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. "Boy Looka Here" and "Good Things" both peaked around #50 on the R&B chart.^[3]

[edit] 2012: Resurrected In Diamonds

He recently released a single "Top of the World", part of the More Than a Game soundtrack album. Rich Boy's second album Resurrected in Diamonds is slated for a 2012 release.^[4] The first single is "She Luvs Me (She Luvs Mi Knot)" featuring Polow da Don and it was released on June 21, 2010. Dr. Dre and Polow da Don produced on the album.^[5] Rich Boy has also worked with R&B singer Lloyd and Young Money artist Drake, on a track called "To the Floor"^[6]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Studio albums[link]

Mixtapes[link]

Singles[link]

Dat Ass[link]

Dat Ass is an internet meme based on a still photograph of rapper Rich Boy that was taken during his studio visit to MTV’s Total Request Live in March 2007. The original picture reveals the young Southern rapper biting his lower lip while trying to listen to someone speaking in the audience. Since its inception, both the facial expression and the catchphrase “Dat Ass” have been used as a popular response to rump threads on message boards.^[13]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Rich Boy on Myspace

Tim Wakefield
Wakefield pitching for the Red Sox on April 9, 2006
Pitcher
Born: (1966-08-02) August 2, 1966 (age 45) Melbourne, Florida
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 31, 1992 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Last MLB appearance
September 25, 2011 for the Boston Red Sox
Career statistics
Win–loss record	200–180
Earned run average	4.41
Strikeouts	2,156
Teams
Pittsburgh Pirates (1992–1993) Boston Red Sox (1995–2011)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star (2009) 2× World Series champion (2004, 2007) 1995 AL Comeback Player of the Year 2010 Roberto Clemente Award

Timothy Stephen Wakefield (born August 2, 1966) is a retired American professional baseball pitcher. Wakefield began his pitching career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but is most remembered for his 17-year tenure with the Boston Red Sox, starting in 1995 and ending with his retirement in 2012 as the longest-serving player on the team.^[1] Wakefield, at the time of his retirement, was the oldest current active player in the majors, and one of the last knuckleballers; the other being R. A. Dickey.

Wakefield won his 200th career game on September 13, 2011 against the Toronto Blue Jays, and is third on the Boston Red Sox with 186 team victories, behind both Cy Young and Roger Clemens, who have 192 each. He is second in all-time wins at Fenway Park with 97, behind Roger Clemens' 100, and is first all-time in innings pitched by a Red Sox pitcher, with 2,944 (through July 24, 2011), having surpassed Roger Clemens' total of 2,777 on June 8, 2010.^[2][3]

Wakefield was nominated eight times for the Roberto Clemente Award, winning the award in 2010.^[4]

On February 17, 2012, Wakefield announced his retirement from baseball after 19 seasons.^[5]

Early life[link]

Wakefield was born in Melbourne, Florida on August 2, 1966. He attended Eau Gallie High School and then attended Florida Tech. At Florida Tech, he was named the Panthers team MVP as a first baseman in his sophomore and junior years. He set single-season records with 22 home runs and 71 RBI, as well as the career home run record at 40. In 2006, his number 3 was retired by the college.^[6]

Professional career[link]

Pittsburgh Pirates[link]

Wakefield was drafted as a first baseman in 1988 by the Pittsburgh Pirates. After a scout told him that he would never get above Double-A ball as a position player with his skills, Wakefield began developing the knuckleball that has made him so well-known, at the time stating "I just want to be able to say I tried everything I could to make it".^[7]

The following season, Wakefield made his professional pitching debut while playing for the Single-A Salem Buccaneers. His immediate success led to a full conversion to pitcher in 1990, and he led the Carolina League in starts and innings pitched. Wakefield advanced to Double-A in 1991 and continued to improve, leading all Pirates minor leaguers in wins, innings pitched, and complete games when he went 15–8 with a 2.90 ERA.^[7]

1992–1994[link]

In 1992, Wakefield began the season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the American Association. He registered a league-high 6 complete games by July 31—winning 10 games with a 3.06 ERA—and was called up to the majors. In his major league debut, Wakefield threw a complete game against the St. Louis Cardinals, striking out 10 batters while throwing 146 pitches.^[8]

Down the stretch, Wakefield provided a boost for the playoff-bound Pirates, starting 13 games and compiling an 8–1 record with a 2.15 ERA, a performance that won him the National League Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award from The Sporting News. After winning the National League East division, the Pirates faced the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series. Wakefield won both of his starts against Braves star Tom Glavine, throwing a complete game 5-hitter in Game Three of the NLCS and another complete game in Game Six on three days' rest. With the Pirates leading the Braves in Game Seven, Wakefield was poised to be named NLCS MVP until the Braves rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth off Stan Belinda.^[9]

During the first month of the 1993 season, Wakefield walked nine batters twice and ten in another start. After losing his spot in the starting rotation, Wakefield was sent down to Double-A. He was recalled in September and struggled again, but finished the season with two straight shutouts.

Wakefield spent most of 1994 with Triple-A Buffalo. He led the league in losses, walks, and home runs allowed. Wakefield was recalled to the Pirates in September but he did not play due to the players strike.^[10] The Pirates released Wakefield on April 20, 1995.^[11]

Boston Red Sox[link]

Six days after being released from the Pirates, Wakefield was signed by the Boston Red Sox.^[1] He worked with Phil and Joe Niekro, two former knuckleballers, who encouraged him to use the knuckleball as an out pitch. In Triple A Pawtucket, Wakefield went 2–1 with a 2.53 ERA.

1995–1998[link]

With the Boston Red Sox rotation struggling from injuries to top of the rotation starters Roger Clemens and Aaron Sele early in the 1995 season, Wakefield was called up from Triple A, and soon proved to be their most dependable starter.^[12] He began the season with a 1.65 ERA and a 14–1 record through 17 games - 6 of which were complete games. He ended the year 16–8 with a 2.95 ERA, helping the Red Sox win the American League East division title, and capturing the Sporting News American League Comeback Player of the Year. He finished third in the AL Cy Young Award balloting.

Over the next three seasons (1996–1998), Wakefield won 45 games and had ERAs of 5.14, 4.25 and 4.58 over the three seasons as a starter. In 1997, he led Major League Baseball by hitting 16 batters with a pitch. He would repeat this feat in 2001 plunking a career-high 18 batters.

1999–2002[link]

In 1999, Boston's closer Tom Gordon was injured and manager Jimy Williams installed Wakefield as the new closer during the middle part of the season. On August 10, 1999, he joined a select group of pitchers who have struck out four batters in one inning. Because the fluttering knuckleball produces many passed balls, several knuckleballers share this honor with him. He recorded fifteen saves before Derek Lowe emerged as the new closer and Wakefield returned to the starting rotation.

Because of his success out of the bullpen, Wakefield was regularly moved from the position of relief pitcher to starter and back again over the next three seasons (2000–2002). After being moved back into the rotation in late July 2002, Wakefield became a permanent regular starter.

2003–2008[link]

In the 2003 ALCS, Wakefield allowed three runs over 13 innings against the New York Yankees. He started Games One and Four of the Series against Mike Mussina and won both starts. He was also called in to pitch in extra innings of Game Seven, after the Yankees tied the game. The Red Sox had been leading 5–2 in the eighth inning. After retiring the side in order in the 10th, Wakefield gave up a home run to Aaron Boone on his first pitch of the 11th, sending the Yankees to the World Series. Wakefield apologized to fans after the game.

Wakefield (right) and 2004 World Series Trophy

In 2004, Wakefield helped the Red Sox win the ALCS against the Yankees, a best-of-seven series to advance to the World Series. The Red Sox lost the first two games of the ALCS and were losing badly in Game Three when Wakefield asked to be put into the game to save the other pitchers for the next day. He pitched 3⅓ innings which prevented him for starting Game Four. ^[13] Derek Lowe started Game Four in his place which the Red Sox ultimately won. In Game Five, Wakefield again pitched out of the bullpen and was the winning pitcher in a 14-inning game, throwing three shutout innings as the Red Sox won 5–4. The Red Sox beat the Yankees and went on to the World Series. He pitched Game One of the 2004 World Series but did not get a decision as Boston defeated the Cardinals, 11–9. The Red Sox swept the Cardinals for their first World Series title in 86 years.

On April 19, 2005, Wakefield agreed to a $4 million, one-year "rolling" contract extension that gave the Red Sox the ability to keep Wakefield for the rest of his career.^[14] In the 2005 season, Wakefield led the Red Sox pitching staff with 16 wins and a 4.15 ERA. On September 11, 2005, he set a career high in strikeouts (12) in a 1–0 complete game loss to the New York Yankees.^[15]

In 2007, he finished the season with a 17–12 record.

He was left off the Red Sox team roster for the 2007 World Series due to an injured shoulder that had been bothering him since late September.^[16]

The 12 passed balls while he was pitching topped the majors in 2008.^[17]

2009[link]

Wakefield entered his fifteenth season with the Boston Red Sox in 2009.^[18] On April 15, 2009, a day after the Red Sox bullpen was tasked with pitching over 11 innings of relief, Wakefield told Terry Francona: "I understand the circumstances and I just wanted you to know: Whatever happens, don't take me out; let me keep going." He went on to carry a no-hitter into the eighth inning, and earned a complete-game win.^[19] At 42, this made him the oldest Red Sox pitcher to pitch a complete game, a record he would break himself in his next start when he pitched a second consecutive complete game win, this time in a seven-inning, rain-shortened game.^[20]

Wakefield led the team with a 10–3 record through June 27.^[21] With his start on July 3, 2009, Wakefield surpassed Roger Clemens for the most starts in franchise history.^[22] His success on the mound had him atop the major leagues with 10 wins at the time of the 2009 All Star selection. On July 5, 2009, he was announced as an AL All-Star, making him the second-oldest first-time All-Star at 42, behind only Satchel Paige who was 45.^[23] By the All Star break, Wakefield possessed a major league-best 11–3 record.^[24] Wakefield did not see action in St. Louis, as he was not needed by Joe Maddon. Wakefield missed the next six weeks with a lower back and calf injury. He made his next start on August 26 against the Chicago White Sox and pitched 7 innings with 1 earned run and no decision.

2010[link]

Wakefield entered his 16th season with the Boston Red Sox in 2010. He began the year in the starting rotation until Daisuke Matsuzaka came off the disabled list. He later rejoined the rotation due to an injury to Josh Beckett. On May 12, Wakefield recorded his 2000th career strikeout against Vernon Wells of the Toronto Blue Jays in a 3-2 loss. He joined Jamie Moyer, Javier Vazquez, and Andy Pettitte as the only active pitchers with at least 2000 career strikeouts. On June 8, Wakefield passed Roger Clemens for the most innings pitched by a Red Sox pitcher. He went on to win that game 3-2 over the Cleveland Indians. On June 13, Wakefield joined Moyer and Pettitte as the only active pitchers with 3,000 innings pitched. He accomplished this feat by retiring Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies on a fly ball to left. On July 2, he surpassed Clemens for another record, this for starts at Fenway; he went 8 innings to win 3-2 over the Baltimore Orioles.

On September 8, against the Tampa Bay Rays, he became the oldest Red Sox pitcher ever to win a game; he is also the oldest player to appear in a game for the Red Sox at Fenway;^[25] only Deacon McGuire appeared as an older player.

On October 28, before Game 2 of the 2010 World Series, Wakefield received the Roberto Clemente Award.

2011[link]

Wakefield started his seventeenth season in a Red Sox uniform as a reliever. Injuries to John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka moved him into the starting rotation.

On May 11, 2011, Wakefield pitched 1 ¹⁄₃ innings in relief as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Red Sox 9–3 at the Rogers Centre. He became, at 44 years, 282 days, the oldest player ever to appear for the Red Sox. At the All-Star break, Wakefield had a 5-3 record with a 4.74 ERA.^[26] On July 24, 2011, while pitching against the Seattle Mariners, Wakefield recorded his 2,000th strikeout in a Red Sox uniform against Mike Carp. He also recorded his 199th career win in that game.

It took Wakefield eight attempts to earn his 200th career win after his 199th, finally doing so in an 18-6 rout over the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park on September 13, 2011. The victory came at a time when the Red Sox were in dire need of wins, with the Tampa Bay Rays gaining substantial ground in the race for the American League Wild Card as Boston fell four games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East division standings. Boston eventually missed the playoffs by one game, and Wakefield ended the season at 7-8 with a 5.12 ERA.

For the 2012 season, Wakefield was offered a minor league contract, with an invitation to spring training, by the Red Sox. Wakefield announced his retirement on February 17, 2012.^[27]

Wakefield finished his Red Sox career third in wins (behind Roger Clemens and Cy Young), second in strikeouts (behind Clemens), second in game appearances by a pitcher (behind reliever Bob Stanley), first in games started as a pitcher, and first in innings pitched.

Catcher[link]

Because of the difficulty of catching a knuckleball, the Red Sox sometimes carried a backup catcher who specialized in defense and who caught most or all of Wakefield's starts. For several years, his personal catcher was Doug Mirabelli, who used a league-approved mitt similar to a softball catcher's mitt for catching Wakefield. Josh Bard briefly caught Wakefield during the first month of the 2006 season, before Boston reacquired Mirabelli on May 1 after trading him to San Diego the previous offseason. Mirabelli was released in the spring of 2008 and Wakefield's catcher was Kevin Cash during 2008. George Kottaras became his personal catcher in 2009. Victor Martinez was acquired by the Red Sox on July 31, 2009 and began catching for Wakefield on August 26, 2009. Martinez experimented catching Wakefield's pitches with various gloves and mitts before settling on a first baseman's mitt.^[28] Due to injuries to both Martinez and Jason Varitek, Boston reacquired Kevin Cash from the Houston Astros on July 1, 2010, to serve as Wakefield's catcher as well as the primary catcher. Martinez became Wakefield's catcher once more when he returned. In 2011, Wakefield began the season in the bullpen and both Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jason Varitek caught him when he entered games. When Wakefield returned to the rotation, Saltalamacchia was the catcher in each game he started.

Pitching style[link]

Wakefield pitched with what is said to be a slow sidearm motion, but is actually a 3/4 overhand motion. This also revealed some of his pitches to hitters, because they can see his hand. Wakefield's primary pitch, the knuckleball, is normally thrown about 64–68 mph and has a great deal of variance in how much it 'flutters'. The flutter of the knuckleball depends on a variety of factors including temperature, humidity, precipitation (both type and intensity), air resistance, wind speed, wind direction, the condition of the ball, and very small changes in his grip or the orientation of the seams. Wakefield also features a 71–75 mph fastball, a slow curve (57-61 mph), and a slower version of his knuckleball (59-62 mph).

Knuckleball pitchers are traditionally believed to be able to pitch more frequently and for more pitches per game than conventional pitchers. Throughout the first decade of his career, Wakefield followed a similar pattern: on April 27, 1993, he threw 172 pitches over 10+ innings in a game for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Atlanta Braves.^[29] In his first two weeks with the Red Sox, Wakefield pitched a total of 33 ¹⁄₃ innings, including two complete games in addition to a 7⅓-inning emergency start on just two days' rest.^[30] As late as the 2003 and 2004 ALCS, Wakefield was making relief appearances between starts. In recent years, however, the Red Sox have generally treated Wakefield more like conventional pitchers in terms of pitch count, rarely allowing him to pitch more than about 110 pitches per game, and giving him four days of rest. Also, because of the relatively low wear on their pitching arms, knuckleball pitchers tend to have longer professional careers than most other pitchers.

As of 2011, Tim Wakefield was 7th on the all-time hit batters list.

Batting[link]

Due to the designated hitter rule, Wakefield only batted for the Red Sox when playing in National League parks. While with the Pirates, a National League team, he had a .071 and a .163 batting average in his two years. He was also able to get one career home run in 1993. His overall batting average was .121.

A sign for Wakefield at the 2007 World Series Rolling Rally celebration

Charitable contributions[link]

Wakefield was well known throughout Major League Baseball as one of its most charitable players. He was nominated eight times by the Red Sox for the Roberto Clemente Award, presented to the player who best reflects the spirit of giving back to the community, winning the award in 2010.^[31] Since 1998, Wakefield has partnered with the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston to bring patients to Fenway Park to share time with him on and off the field. He has also hosted an annual celebrity golf tournament for 18 years. Wakefield has also been active with New England's Pitching in for Kids organization (a program dedicated to improving the lives of children across the New England region), the Space Coast Early Intervention Center in Melbourne, Florida, and the Touch 'Em All Foundation founded by Garth Brooks.

In 2007, Wakefield released a charity wine called CaberKnuckle in association with Longball Vineyards with 100% of the proceeds supporting Pitching In For Kids and raised more than $100,000.^{[citation needed]}

Personal[link]

Tim met his wife, Stacy Stover, in Massachusetts. They were married November 9, 2002. Their two children are Trevor (born in 2004) and Brianna (2005). ^[32] They own a home in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida.^[33]

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• List of top 100 Major League Baseball strikeout pitchers
• List of top 100 Major League Baseball hit batsmen leaders
• List of oldest Major League Baseball players

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tim Wakefield

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Wakefield's career with the Pirates
• Baseball Library - biography and highlights
• Retrosheet - specific game info and transaction dates
• Tim Wakefield - SoSH Wiki