The Internet is abuzz with the news that Tim Wakefield will announce his retirement in a press conference being broadcast on NESN at 5pm today.
Wakefield made his Major League debut on July 31, 1992 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and has been with the Red Sox since 1995, spending 17 seasons with the Olde Towne Team. He leaves with 19 Major League seasons and a record of 200 wins and 180 losses behind him.
Never an elite pitcher, Wakefield’s longevity and his ability to fit in wherever the team needed him (whether as a starter, a closer or in long relief) made him a fan favorite.  Where other players probably would have been forever, unfairly maligned, when he gave up the ALCS-winning home run in game 7 against the Yankees in 2003, there was no blame to be placed his way. In fact, the fans embraced him even more to let him know they wouldn’t be making him the goat.  He made a tremendous impact on the outcome of the 2004 ALCS when he took on the role of saving the bullpen in Game 3 when the Yankees beat the Red Sox 19-8 by stepping up to eat up innings and in the process losing his position as the next day’s starting pitcher.
As beloved as he is, few fans would argue that it was time for him to retire. Â It can’t be easy to make the decision to stop doing the thing you love. Â Wakefield has a history of doing what’s best for the team because, ultimately, what’s best for the team is best for him. Today it seems he’s doing that again.
(Originally published on Examiner.com)