Tim Wakefield has been good, if not great, for the Boston Red Sox. He has stepped up big when it matters the most and I give him all the props in the world.
He is an excellent pitcher with an excellent story. However, he is no All Star.
The All-Star Game is reserved for the 33 best players in the American League. Tim Wakefield is not one of them. However, we will likely get voted in by the managers/players for his feel good story.
Since when does a 4.18 ERA for a starting pitcher get you into the All-Star game? It doesn't and shouldn't. I said Cliff Lee is more deserving and that got shot down.
But Wakefield has a 10-3 record...
Cliff Lee has a 4-7 record. The difference? Lee plays for the Indians and Wakefield plays for the Red Sox. Wakefield gets the eighth most run support whereas Lee gets the third lease run support.
Also, W-L record is not important, and an overrated statistic. Yielding five earned runs in five innings shouldn't be a positive thing for you, like it has been for Wakefield (May 2, 2009 at Tampa Bay).
Just to exemplify how useless the stat is, Wakefield went 4-2 in June, while posting a 6.82 ERA. Run support matters, and Wakefield is a beneficiary.
But Wakefield has 10 quality starts...
Cliff Lee has 13 of those, which is three more than Wakefield. But of course, Lee is only 4-7, so he doesn't deserve a spot in St. Louis.
Once again, quality starts are another overrated statistic. The bare minimum to attain a quality start in three earned runs over six innings pitched—which Wakefield did for two of his starts.
Since when is that quality? Attaining a 4.50 ERA is not quality.
But Wakfield is a workhorse...
False. Wakefield has only lasted to the seventh inning or beyond only four times this season. Cliff Lee has accomplished that feat 10 times this year.
Time to break down Wakefield's starts:
4/10 @ LAA, Loss 3-6: Wakefield gets a "quality start" for this when he achieved the bare minimum (3 ER in 6 IP) to attain it. A 4.50 ERA is nowhere near quality.
4/15 @ OAK, Win 8-2: Wakefield throws a complete game, only yielding two runs. This was an impressive game for him against the worst offense in baseball.
4/22 v. MIN, Win 10-1: Getting a win in Minnesota without their best player, Joe Mauer, is pretty good.
4/27 @ CLE, ND 3-1: Maintaining pace with Cliff Lee was impressive, I'll give Wakefield that.
5/2 @ TAM, Win 10-6: Wakefield gets the win with great run support. Giving up five earned runs in five innings is not good at all.
5/7 v. CLE, Win 13-3: Not hard to beat Cleveland, but every pitcher should win when they're supposed to.
5/13 @ LAA, Loss 8-4: An embarrassing loss for Wakefield against the Angels. He only lasted 4 1/3 innings while yielding seven earned runs and 11 hits.
5/19 v. TOR, Win 2-1: Great outing against a good offense. Eight innings of one-run ball. Props to Wakefield.
5/24 v. NYM, Win 12-5: Another win Wakefield didn't deserve and run support saved him. He got the win despite yielding five earned runs in six innings.
5/29 @ TOR, Loss 6-3: Wakefield didn't even last five innings, yielding six earned runs.
6/4 @ DET, Win 6-3: Decent outing. The run support helped him secure the win.
6/10 v. NYY, Win 6-5: The run support got him the win. He did the bare minimum to get a quality start.
6/16 v. FLA, Win 8-2: Good win against an average team. Props to Wakefield again.
6/21 v. ATL, ND 6-5: The Braves have one of the worst offenses in baseball. Wakefield yielded four earned runs and nine hits over 6 2/3 innings.
6/27 @ ATL, Win 1-0: Great win against a bad offense. He only lasted six innings, but it was still a good win.
In terms of Boston baseball, Wakefield has been great. In terms of all of baseball, Wakefield has been about average.
Does he deserve an All-Star bid? No. It doesn't matter how long he has been around for or how many records he has with the Red Sox. The league doesn't revolve around Beantown—despite how the baseball world wants it to.
Who from Boston does deserve to be an All-Star? One of the best closers in the game, Jonathan Papelbon, definitely does.
The left fielder MVP candidate Jason Bay does. The first baseman, Kevin Youkilis, does with his OPS over 1.000.
Mike Lowell did, before his hip injury. Boston has tons of talent and is the best team in the league. Wakefield has contributed to that, but he still not an All Star.
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