Tim Wakefield

On this date in 2012, Tim Wakefield retires.

"Honestly, seven wins aren't going to make me a different person or a better man." - on retiring seven wins short of the record for wins by a Red Sox pitcher

Bryce Harper

Super prospect and all but it never hurts to develop a secondary skill......just in case things don't work out theway you thought they would.

Especially with Tim Wakefield creating a void.

The guy's advisor is a genius.

Tim Wakefield retires

Rumor has it that the Pirates management was sitting by the phone in the event that he wanted to sign a one-day contract and retire as a Pirate.

But it wasn't to be.

"The personal goals were outweighing some of the team goals"

Ok but I remember SOMEONE giving the rotting corpse of Tim Wakefield 8 starts to get his 200th win.

Just sayin'.

Next year, Wakefield pitches it

Sorry, too easy now.

How did they get stuck with that?

So the Phillies see knuckleballers on two straight nights facing Tim Wakefield last night and R. A. Dickey tonight.

Oh man, I bet that gets old real quick!

They should complain to Bud about this scheduling.

Throwing a knuckleball really seems like kind of a passive-aggressive pitching strategy that I am sure batters DON'T appreciate.

Come on, throw that ball like a man, you weasel!

You know, I bet Wakefield and Dickey frequently dine alone on the road.

Just a feeling.

Victor Martinez sure likes that first baseman's glove

I see that in last night's Red Sox/White Sox game, Victor Martinez used a first baseman's glove to catch knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.

If you think about it, this makes quite a bit of sense if the catcher is comfortable with a first baseman's glove. The first baseman's glove would seem to have much more flexibility than a catcher's glove making it easier to catch a fluttering, unpredictable pitch. Also since a knuckleballer is only throwing 60 or 70 mph, a catcher would not necessarily need the added padding of a catcher's mitt which itself is one reason why the catcher's mitt is so inflexible. Makes perfect sense.

How come nobody thought of this before? This could have saved plenty of passed balls and wild pitches over the years.

Victor Martinez, you are a true baseball innovator, visionary, sage, prophet whatever. We salute you.

One tip though. Keep this kind of quiet otherwise the Baseball Hall of Fame which seemingly wants any relic which could remotely be considered historical might want that glove and I am sure that you would rather keep it.

If they come calling, give them another one. They will never know.

Don't feel guilty either.

Remember Toy Story 2? How many people wanted Woody to end up as a museum artifact?

I rest my case.