Tim Wakefield is an All-Star

Justin Thrift
Opinion

Manny Ramirez is a selfish prick that has been proven guilty of cheating his way through the past years. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa duped an entire nation of tired baseball fans into feeling magically about their “amazing race”, which was later revealed to be powered by illegal roids. Johnny Damon played for and bolstered one of the most amazing baseball teams ever assembled, breaking a curse winning a legendary championship and being accepted by an entire fan based as family: then he moved to their biggest rival, a rival he vowed never to play for, in search of more money. Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and countless others who’ve recently played the game fit this same mold. The truth is that today the MLB is filled with many players who value salary over fans and embrace cheating as a legitimate way to get ahead – and many of these names have been “All-Star” caliber.

But something very good happened on Sunday in the MLB that defied this recent tread of baseball players being complete cocks. On a gorgeous afternoon at “Rhode Island Day” at Fenway Park, it was announced that Tim Wakefield was officially a 2009 All-Star. The crowd was deafening.

And why shouldn’t they be? This guy has been one of the most dedicated Red Sox of all-time. His 174 wins in a Boston uniform puts him 3rd in all time Sox pitchers behind only the great Cy Young, and (cough) Roger Clemens (cough). His 90 career wins at Fenway Park places him in second in all-time for wins at the Park, and his 15 consecutive seasons in Boston prove that he’s no Damon: Wakefield is the modern quintessential Red Sox, committed and passionate to his team and its fans. He’s also been nominated 7 times over the years for the Roberto Clemente Award due to his endless charity work and community involvement. I couldn’t be happier for a guy who’s career has been one of the highlights of the past 20 years in baseball.

DISCLAIMER: For all you Yankee fans and random people who’ve recently taken to hating everything Boston sports related for no good and senseless reason, to deny Wake’s impressive career and All-Star nod makes you a complete and irrevocable deutsche bag. What you’re about to read may depress you, but it will definitely prove that not many players have as much dedication and heart as Tim Wakefield.

Wakefield signed as a free agent with the Sox in April of the 1995 season, a season that was ultimately made irrelevant by a halting league wide strike. Since his signing in that dreadful year, Wakefield has now been in Boston for 15 seasons, all of which he’s been an active starter and consistent force in the starting rotation. However, looking at the team results that Wakefield endured for the majority of his Boston career, it becomes a miracle that he’s still playing here today. From 1995-2003 (9 seasons), Wakefield stuck with the team through:

- 1 MLB league-wide strike
- 5 seasons without making the playoffs
- 1 loss in the ALDS
- 2 ALCS losses to the Yankees
- 0 Championships
- 0 Pennants
- 9 seasons of complete and embarrassing domination by New York

It’s amazing to think that one baseball player, in the modern MLB where players average around 3 years per ballclub, played consistently through all of that with one team. In reality, it was the brunt ending to 86 years of winless disappointments for the Sox, and that 2004 Championship was the prize at the end of the tunnel. Wakefield deserved his 2004 and 2007 rings, and he deserves this 2009 All-Star selection. His career and his persona have been remarkable models for ballplayers and fans alike. It’s rare that a fan base gets to enjoy a player like this for so long and I consider myself lucky to be witnessing it amongst a current league of Damons and Sosas. Tim Wakefield is no Benedict Arnold, nor is he a cheat. He’s a passion player dedicated to his team who has built a lengthy career on an amazing pitch that players have immense difficulty hitting to this day. His skill to strikeout players and make routine outs has made his age a non-matter; his ability is evident in his Cooperstown worthy stats.

Congratulations Tim on a legendary career thus far and your All-Star nod. May the next couple of years be the best yet.