Tim Wakefield retires

[jacksonianmarch]

I respected Wake and I thought it was time to go two years ago. This is a good decision on his part

[User Name]

Watch out E1' date=' the geriatric crew really knows how to circle the wagons this year![/quote']

 

[Muggah]

I'd almost say you can bank on it.

 

That's why I'm holding off saying anything nice about the guy. If we get through mid-August and he's still honoring his word and sitting home, I'll give him some props. Not a minute before.

[jung]

Tried to see if I could find any history of knucklers in Shoppach's history. I really did not look that hard but nothing stood out. That is likely the other shoe that drops on Wake. Does anybody in the Sox FO want to see a repeat of Salty trying to catch (with his nose apparently) a knuckler again?

[a700hitter]

If the three of you ever needed a solid example of why "realist" can be interpreted as "pessimist" this is it.

 

A washed up 45 year old pitcher retires after no offers from any other teams. The Sox are loaded with other, higher ceiling cannon fodder.

 

You three immediately jump to "there's a good chance he could be back"...

 

Realists.

I have to keep hope alive. Wakefield playing for the Sox at some point during 2012 was in my fearless predictions.

[Salty]

I'm glad Wake came to this decision. It would have been brutal to see him anywhere else to finish out his career. The greatest testament I've come to of Wake's career for me personally is just how used to seeing him I got. I don't know if I'm alone on this, but whenever I managed to get my hands on some Sox tickets, I always hoped and hoped that I wouldn't get stuck with a game Wake started. I like to spin that into a positive. It speaks to his longevity and how he was under-appreciated throughout the years. It'll be weird watching the Sox without him there. I wish him and his family the best.

[a700hitter]

A washed up 45 year old pitcher retires after no offers from any other teams. The Sox are loaded with other, higher ceiling cannon fodder.

Before deciding to call it a career, Tim Wakefield had offers from four clubs, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Agent Barry Meister says that one of the four offers was a guaranteed big league deal.

Wakefield didn't consider any of those offers for long, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Upon hearing of the offers, the pitcher asked his agent, "Do they play for Boston?"

[SoxSport]

Wake put some weight on last year--it was noticeable. Maybe his conditioning dropped off, affecting his performance. That could have been a deciding factor in the Red Sox minds.

[Dojji]

Tried to see if I could find any history of knucklers in Shoppach's history. I really did not look that hard but nothing stood out. That is likely the other shoe that drops on Wake. Does anybody in the Sox FO want to see a repeat of Salty trying to catch (with his nose apparently) a knuckler again?

 

Charlie Zink?

[jung]

Boy I don't know about Shoppack and Zink. They could not have been around each other for very long if at all.

 

I will try to see if I can find more of a connection between the two of them just for the fun of it.

[example1]

 

Laughable. If four other teams are making offers for that guy then they are insane.

[a700hitter]

Laughable. If four other teams are making offers for that guy then they are insane.

Only one was a major league deal. Do you think his agent is fabricating the story? What would be the motivation to do that after he announced his retirement?

[a700hitter]

Wakefield said he didn't consider pitching for other teams because he wanted to retire as a member of the Sox. He laughed and said he "probably" would agree to come back if asked later later in the season.

[jung]

Who knows! Every once in awhile you run into a team that historically found a particular guy unhitable. Maybe a team like that thinks he can come in and give them an inning or two of relief out of the pen because whenever they faced him they could never hit him.

 

At his age and given how he was deteriorating at the end I would not want to bring him into a game with men on base. Even when he was going pretty good in relief you really wanted to bring him in to start an inning with nobody on instead of bringing him in to take care of the more traditional relief role....with men on base lookin' to put out a fire. If the wind is blowing the wrong way or the knuckler is not knuckling you are not puttin' out any fires with that thing.

 

I would take him at his word that after 19 years and being away from his family he is not ready to go try this with another team. Sounds like he is preferring family over the Sox never mind some other team.

[jacksonianmarch]

Only one was a major league deal. Do you think his agent is fabricating the story? What would be the motivation to do that after he announced his retirement?

 

to spin himself into a FO job for Boston based on his loyalty?

[Palodios]

Laughable. If four other teams are making offers for that guy then they are insane.

 

I threw out some numbers in another thread, but Wakefield had nearly identical ERA, innings per game and WHIP as Burnett in 2011, in the same division. If someone is willing to give 13 million to Burnett, someone would definitely be willing to give 2-3 million to Wakefield.

 

Look at the numbers of all the Red Sox starters in 2011. No one seems to understand that Wakefield was effectively the Red Sox's #3 starter. He pitched twice as many innings as Buccholz. Better numbers than Bedard/Lackey/Dice-k/Weiland/Miller. He's terrible and I don't want him back, but if someone gets hurt... he's probably better than the other options.

[jacksonianmarch]

I threw out some numbers in another thread, but Wakefield had nearly identical ERA, innings per game and WHIP as Burnett in 2011, in the same division. If someone is willing to give 13 million to Burnett, someone would definitely be willing to give 2-3 million to Wakefield.

 

Look at the numbers of all the Red Sox starters in 2011. No one seems to understand that Wakefield was effectively the Red Sox's #3 starter. He pitched twice as many innings as Buccholz. Better numbers than Bedard/Lackey/Dice-k/Weiland/Miller. He's terrible and I don't want him back, but if someone gets hurt... he's probably better than the other options.

 

other than the fact that Wakefield couldnt stay on the field and is 10 yrs older, but yeah, they're the same, lol

[Muggah]

Laughable. If four other teams are making offers for that guy then they are insane.

 

Absolutely. I think that comment was merely poetic license in trying to let the guy walk away with some dignity. People have to remember that contrary to what Tim said yesterday, this wasn't his choice. If the Sox had said there was a roster slot for him--he'd have taken it in a heartbeat.

 

Remember, too--that his agent is the same guy who said just months ago that if the Sox didn't bring Tim back he was going to win 15 games for some other team. Ya right.

 

But it's fine. Let the guy say what he wants. Just as long as he STAYS retired.

[Palodios]

other than the fact that Wakefield couldnt stay on the field and is 10 yrs older' date=' but yeah, they're the same, lol[/quote']

 

One pitcher threw 154 innings. The other pitcher threw 190 innings. Wakefield made 2 million in 2011, Burnett made 16.5 million in 2011.

 

Are 40 innings worth 14 million? Hell, are they worth the 11 million difference in guaranteed money that these two guys would cost in 2012?

[SoxSport]

Somebody mentioned Burnett, who the Yankees just dumped on the Pirates, paying about 60% of his salary the next two years. The Pirates are getting a guy with good stuff who couldn't hack it consistently in NY--for $5 mil the 1st year and $8 mil the 2nd. The Yankees are eating $20 mil over 2 years.

 

This looks to me like a good deal for the Pirates. Burnett is likely to be better in the NL, and worth what the Pirates, a smart-poor organization, will pay him. But how is this being spun in the media? The Yankees just found another $13 mil to spend. More like they just burned $20 mil.

 

Wake mentioned there were four other teams after him. Wanna bet one was Pittsburgh? His original team.

[SoxSport]

Another thing about Wake: Did he look slimmer in his press conference, or what? He had a chubbier face last year, and a paunch around his waist. Looked trimmer in his suit.

[Muggah]

Another thing about Wake: Did he look slimmer in his press conference' date=' or what? He had a chubbier face last year, and a paunch around his waist. Looked trimmer in his suit.[/quote']

 

Oh ya. Last year his body resembled Rosie O'Donnell's. But that pissed me off, too. At Ortiz's golf tournament this winter he made a statement about having lost 15 lbs. and being in better shape for this season. Well great, but what's that say about his effort last year? All it says is he din't give two shits last year--that's what it says.

 

Let's just be happy he's gone (for now). I'm still not convinced he's done for good.

[FredLynn]

I threw out some numbers in another thread, but Wakefield had nearly identical ERA, innings per game and WHIP as Burnett in 2011, in the same division. If someone is willing to give 13 million to Burnett, someone would definitely be willing to give 2-3 million to Wakefield.

 

Look at the numbers of all the Red Sox starters in 2011. No one seems to understand that Wakefield was effectively the Red Sox's #3 starter. He pitched twice as many innings as Buccholz. Better numbers than Bedard/Lackey/Dice-k/Weiland/Miller. He's terrible and I don't want him back, but if someone gets hurt... he's probably better than the other options.

 

This is not the Burnett that ANYONE would be willing to pay ANYTHING to. That was the Burnett of five years ago (or thereabouts). This Burnett would have a hard time making the minor leagues. Hell, the Yankees paid the Pirates to take the bum off their hands. They were STUCK with him and did the smart thing by getting rid of him, just like we did with Wakefield when we didn't offer him another one year contract.

[v2freak]

So Tek gets a job in the organization if he retires. No similar offer for Wake?

[BSN07]

So this means Ortiz is the only remaining player from the 2004 Championship team right?

[VA Sox Fan]

So this means Ortiz is the only remaining player from the 2004 Championship team right?

 

Youk played on the 2004 team.

[Dojji]

So this means Ortiz is the only remaining player from the 2004 Championship team right?

From the playoff roster, yes. Youks was on the bench for part of the season in 04

[Dojji]

Youk played on the 2004 team.

 

I don't think he made the playoff roster, did he?

 

he may have been part of the team but he wasn't one of The 25.

[SoxSport]

This is not the Burnett that ANYONE would be willing to pay ANYTHING to. That was the Burnett of five years ago (or thereabouts). This Burnett would have a hard time making the minor leagues. Hell' date=' the Yankees paid the Pirates to take the bum off their hands. They were STUCK with him and did the smart thing by getting rid of him, just like we did with Wakefield when we didn't offer him another one year contract.[/quote']

 

Burnett was inconsistent in NY. He had good starts and bad starts. Some say he couldn't handle the big market limelight. He certainly wasn't worth what they were paying him. But with the Yankees, it's all "Chinese" money anyways. Don't listen to what they say, watch what they do. When they have a need, they fill it--regardless of luxury taxes.

 

The Pirates have a good organization--maybe better than the Yankees--considering what they get out of the little they have to spend. This could be a good deal for them if he can get back to his Toronto form. They say he still has good stuff. The problem is in his head--and keeping his mechanics consistent. NL will be easier for him.

[Bellhorn04]

I don't think he made the playoff roster, did he?

 

he may have been part of the team but he wasn't one of The 25.

 

Youk got 2 AB's in the ALDS, that was it.

 

As I recall he was a great cheerleader though. Youk and I think it was Cesar Crespo, you can see them with their jackets on being very vocal supporters in the ALCS.