WAKEFIELD RETIRES TONIGHT
FORT MYERS — Tim Wakefield, the longest tenured pitcher in Red Sox history, will not return to the team in 2012, the Red Sox announced. Instead, he will retire. The knuckleballer, who had been offered a minor league contract with an opportunity to compete for a job through an invitation to big league spring training, will have a press conference to announce his decision at 5 p.m. tonight.
Wakefield, 45, signed with the Sox in spring training in 1995 after being released by the Pittsburgh Pirates that spring. He worked with knuckleballers Phil Niekro and Joe Niekro — then in the Sox’ spring training home of Fort Myers as coaches for the Colorado Silver Bullets, a women’s baseball team — to resurrect his career. Wakefield ended up joining the Sox rotation in April of that year, and commenced a spectacular run that saw him go 16-8 with a 2.95 ERA.
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | W | L | W-L% | ERA | G | GS | GF | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | BK | WP | BF | ERA+ | WHIP | H/9 | HR/9 | BB/9 | SO/9 | SO/BB | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 22 | PIT-min | A- | 1 | 1 | .500 | 3.40 | 18 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 39.2 | 30 | 17 | 15 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 42 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1.286 | 6.8 | 0.2 | 4.8 | 9.5 | 2.00 | WLD · NYPL | ||
| 1990 | 23 | PIT-min | A+ | 10 | 14 | .417 | 4.73 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 190.1 | 187 | 109 | 100 | 24 | 85 | 2 | 127 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 1.429 | 8.8 | 1.1 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 1.49 | SAL · CARL | ||
| 1991 | 24 | PIT-min | AA,AAA | 15 | 9 | .625 | 3.12 | 27 | 26 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 187.2 | 163 | 74 | 65 | 16 | 52 | 6 | 124 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 764 | 1.146 | 7.8 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 5.9 | 2.38 | CAR,BFL · SOUL,AA | |
| 1992 | 25 | PIT-min | AAA | 10 | 3 | .769 | 3.06 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 135.1 | 122 | 52 | 46 | 10 | 51 | 1 | 71 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 559 | 1.278 | 8.1 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 1.39 | BFL · AA | |
| 1992 | 25 | PIT | NL | 8 | 1 | .889 | 2.15 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 92.0 | 76 | 26 | 22 | 3 | 35 | 1 | 51 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 373 | 161 | 1.207 | 7.4 | 0.3 | 3.4 | 5.0 | 1.46 | RoY-3 |
| 1993 | 26 | PIT-min | AA | 3 | 5 | .375 | 6.99 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 56.2 | 68 | 48 | 44 | 5 | 22 | 0 | 36 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 265 | 1.588 | 10.8 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 5.7 | 1.64 | CAR · SOUL | |
| 1993 | 26 | PIT | NL | 6 | 11 | .353 | 5.61 | 24 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 128.1 | 145 | 83 | 80 | 14 | 75 | 2 | 59 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 595 | 72 | 1.714 | 10.2 | 1.0 | 5.3 | 4.1 | 0.79 | |
| 1995 | 28 | BOS-min | AAA | 2 | 1 | .667 | 2.52 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25.0 | 23 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 105 | 1.280 | 8.3 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 1.56 | PAW · IL | |
| 1995 | 28 | BOS | AL | 16 | 8 | .667 | 2.95 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 195.1 | 163 | 76 | 64 | 22 | 68 | 0 | 119 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 804 | 165 | 1.183 | 7.5 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 5.5 | 1.75 | CYA-3,MVP-13 |
| 1996 | 29 | BOS | AL | 14 | 13 | .519 | 5.14 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 211.2 | 238 | 151 | 121 | 38 | 90 | 0 | 140 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 963 | 98 | 1.550 | 10.1 | 1.6 | 3.8 | 6.0 | 1.56 | |
| 1997 | 30 | BOS | AL | 12 | 15 | .444 | 4.25 | 35 | 29 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 201.1 | 193 | 109 | 95 | 24 | 87 | 5 | 151 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 866 | 110 | 1.391 | 8.6 | 1.1 | 3.9 | 6.8 | 1.74 | |
| 1998 | 31 | BOS | AL | 17 | 8 | .680 | 4.58 | 36 | 33 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 216.0 | 211 | 123 | 110 | 30 | 79 | 1 | 146 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 939 | 103 | 1.343 | 8.8 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 6.1 | 1.85 | |
| 1999 | 32 | BOS | AL | 6 | 11 | .353 | 5.08 | 49 | 17 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 140.0 | 146 | 93 | 79 | 19 | 72 | 2 | 104 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 635 | 99 | 1.557 | 9.4 | 1.2 | 4.6 | 6.7 | 1.44 | |
| 2000 | 33 | BOS | AL | 6 | 10 | .375 | 5.48 | 51 | 17 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 159.1 | 170 | 107 | 97 | 31 | 65 | 3 | 102 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 706 | 93 | 1.475 | 9.6 | 1.8 | 3.7 | 5.8 | 1.57 | |
| 2001 | 34 | BOS | AL | 9 | 12 | .429 | 3.90 | 45 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 168.2 | 156 | 84 | 73 | 13 | 73 | 5 | 148 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 732 | 116 | 1.358 | 8.3 | 0.7 | 3.9 | 7.9 | 2.03 | |
| 2002 | 35 | BOS | AL | 11 | 5 | .688 | 2.81 | 45 | 15 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 163.1 | 121 | 57 | 51 | 15 | 51 | 2 | 134 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 657 | 162 | 1.053 | 6.7 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 7.4 | 2.63 | |
| 2003 | 36 | BOS | AL | 11 | 7 | .611 | 4.09 | 35 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 202.1 | 193 | 106 | 92 | 23 | 71 | 0 | 169 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 872 | 114 | 1.305 | 8.6 | 1.0 | 3.2 | 7.5 | 2.38 | |
| 2004 | 37 | BOS | AL | 12 | 10 | .545 | 4.87 | 32 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 188.1 | 197 | 121 | 102 | 29 | 63 | 3 | 116 | 16 | 0 | 9 | 831 | 100 | 1.381 | 9.4 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 5.5 | 1.84 | |
| 2005 | 38 | BOS | AL | 16 | 12 | .571 | 4.15 | 33 | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 225.1 | 210 | 113 | 104 | 35 | 68 | 4 | 151 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 943 | 109 | 1.234 | 8.4 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 6.0 | 2.22 | |
| 2006 | 39 | BOS | AL | 7 | 11 | .389 | 4.63 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 140.0 | 135 | 80 | 72 | 19 | 51 | 0 | 90 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 610 | 103 | 1.329 | 8.7 | 1.2 | 3.3 | 5.8 | 1.76 | |
| 2007 | 40 | BOS | AL | 17 | 12 | .586 | 4.76 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 189.0 | 191 | 104 | 100 | 22 | 64 | 1 | 110 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 800 | 100 | 1.349 | 9.1 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 5.2 | 1.72 | |
| 2008 | 41 | BOS | AL | 10 | 11 | .476 | 4.13 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 181.0 | 154 | 89 | 83 | 25 | 60 | 0 | 117 | 13 | 0 | 12 | 754 | 112 | 1.182 | 7.7 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 5.8 | 1.95 | |
| 2009 | 42 | BOS-min | AAA | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2.89 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 0.750 | 4.8 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 6.8 | 3.50 | PAW · IL | |
| 2009 | 42 | BOS | AL | 11 | 5 | .688 | 4.58 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 129.2 | 137 | 67 | 66 | 12 | 50 | 0 | 72 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 572 | 103 | 1.442 | 9.5 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 1.44 | AS |
| 2010 | 43 | BOS | AL | 4 | 10 | .286 | 5.34 | 32 | 19 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 140.0 | 153 | 92 | 83 | 19 | 36 | 3 | 84 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 610 | 82 | 1.350 | 9.8 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 5.4 | 2.33 | |
| 2011 | 44 | BOS | AL | 7 | 8 | .467 | 5.12 | 33 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 154.2 | 163 | 110 | 88 | 25 | 47 | 1 | 93 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 677 | 83 | 1.358 | 9.5 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 5.4 | 1.98 | |
| 19 Seasons | 200 | 180 | .526 | 4.41 | 627 | 463 | 78 | 33 | 6 | 22 | 3226.1 | 3152 | 1791 | 1582 | 418 | 1205 | 33 | 2156 | 186 | 8 | 134 | 13939 | 105 | 1.350 | 8.8 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 6.0 | 1.79 | ||||
| 162 Game Avg. | 12 | 11 | .526 | 4.41 | 39 | 29 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 201 | 197 | 112 | 99 | 26 | 75 | 2 | 135 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 870 | 105 | 1.350 | 8.8 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 6.0 | 1.79 | ||||
| Lg | W | L | W-L% | ERA | G | GS | GF | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | BK | WP | BF | ERA+ | WHIP | H/9 | HR/9 | BB/9 | SO/9 | SO/BB | Awards | |||
| BOS (17 yrs) | 186 | 168 | .525 | 4.43 | 590 | 430 | 77 | 26 | 3 | 22 | 3006.0 | 2931 | 1682 | 1480 | 401 | 1095 | 30 | 2046 | 176 | 7 | 125 | 12971 | 106 | 1.339 | 8.8 | 1.2 | 3.3 | 6.1 | 1.87 | ||||
| PIT (2 yrs) | 14 | 12 | .538 | 4.17 | 37 | 33 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 220.1 | 221 | 109 | 102 | 17 | 110 | 3 | 110 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 968 | 91 | 1.502 | 9.0 | 0.7 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 1.00 | ||||
| AL (17 yrs) | AL | 186 | 168 | .525 | 4.43 | 590 | 430 | 77 | 26 | 3 | 22 | 3006.0 | 2931 | 1682 | 1480 | 401 | 1095 | 30 | 2046 | 176 | 7 | 125 | 12971 | 106 | 1.339 | 8.8 | 1.2 | 3.3 | 6.1 | 1.87 | |||
| NL (2 yrs) | NL | 14 | 12 | .538 | 4.17 | 37 | 33 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 220.1 | 221 | 109 | 102 | 17 | 110 | 3 | 110 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 968 | 91 | 1.502 | 9.0 | 0.7 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 1.00 | |||
