Tim Wakefield has probably been one of the most successful starting pitchers ever for the Boston Red Sox, maybe behind Cy Young and Roger Clemens.
The 1995 AL Comeback Player of the Year has been a mainstay on the Red Sox roster since '95. He has accepted every role that the Red Sox has given him wholeheartedly. If the manager said something like "Hey, Timmy, I need you to be in the 'pen for about two months", Wakefield would respond with "Sure, no problem skip."
Other than Wakefield, fans are also sending Red Sox players Jason Bay, Dustin Pedroia, Josh Beckett, and Jonathan Paplebon to the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis.
I believe Tim Wakefield deserved the All-Star appearance back in 1995—his best season ever. He went 16-8, with a 2.95 ERA. He had two down-turning years in '96 and '97, going 26-28 combined. Then. in 1998, he went 17-8, but with a hefty ERA of 4.58. Wakefield played a few less-than-satisfactory years from '99-2001, going 22-12 in 2002 and 2003 combined.
However, Wakefield hasn't started the season this well since 1995. Timmy Wake is 22 wins away from 200, and knuckleball pitchers like Wakefield can pitch into their fifties and still be marginally effective.
Wakefield is 42 years old, and is the second oldest first-time All-Star ever, behind Satchel Paige, who was 45.
And Timmy Wake deserves every bit of it.
Take it all in, Mr. Wakefield, enjoy every second of it, because you deserve it all.
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