Baseball's Tim Wakefield, a Melbourne native and resident, dies at 57

Tim Wakefield, whose love of baseball carried him from the baseball fields of the Florida Institute of Technology to the major leagues and an iconic play that won Boston a World Series title, has died. He was 57.

The Red Sox announced the longtime Melbourne resident’s death in a statement Sunday. Wakefield had brain cancer, according to ex-teammate Curt Schilling, who outed the illness on a podcast last week — drawing an outpouring of support for Wakefield. The Red Sox confirmed an illness at the time but did not elaborate, saying Wakefield had requested privacy.

More: Life after the knuckler: Q&A with Tim Wakefield

Wakefield — born in Melbourne and considered one of the most successful sports figures to emerge from Brevard County — was an Eau Gallie High School star player who later attended Florida Tech where he was a record-setting member of the Panthers baseball team in 1986, according to the university’s website. He later was named by the Sporting News as the Major League Rookie Pitcher of the year. He was also known for his charity work, including with the Space Coast Early Intervention Center, now known as the Space Coast Discovery Academy for Promising Futures.

"I want to send my condolences and prayers to the Wakefield family. Fellow Eau Gallie Commodore legend Tim Wakefield will always be known for doing as much in our community as he did on the Baseball field," Melbourne mayor Paul Alfrey posted to Facebook.

More: Tracking Brevard's stars: FIT's Allen in majors; Pressley scores; Taylor cashes in

Other tributes from across the nation also poured in on social media.

"My heart is broken right now because I will never be able to replace a brother and friend like you," said David Ortiz, a Red Sox teammate of Wakefield's.

Drafted in 1988 by the Pirates out of Florida Tech as a first baseman, Wakefield converted to a pitcher after mastering the knuckleball in the minor leagues. Relying on the old-time pitch that had largely fallen into disuse, he went on to win 200 major league games, including 186 with the Red Sox — behind only Cy Young and Roger Clemens in franchise history. He was inducted into the Florida Tech Hall of Fame in 1993.

But it was his role in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry of the early 2000s that turned Wakefield into a fan favorite whose impact went far beyond his numbers. He joined the Boston Red Sox team in 1995. In 1997, Wakefield was struck by a car while jogging near his home in Melbourne, getting knocked several feet and striking his head, according to police reports at the time. Wakefield recovered and returned to the baseball field, soon making a legendary play with his teammates.

After New York rallied to tie Game 7 of the ’03 AL Championship Series, Wakefield came on in relief in the 11th inning and Aaron Boone hit his first pitch for a walkoff home run to end Boston’s season and extend a World Series drought that stretched back to 1918.

The following October, with the Red Sox season again at risk against the Yankees in the ALCS, Wakefield got nine outs in extra innings of Game 5, setting up David Ortiz to win it in the 14th. The Red Sox went on to complete their comeback from a three-games-to-none deficit and then sweep St. Louis in the World Series to claim their first championship in 86 years.

“I was fortunate in Boston to have to have people that believed in me,” Wakefield told Florida Today in a 2014 interview.

The Red Sox, and Wakefield, won it all again in 2007.

“There were some years there where I didn’t know if I was going to come back or not,” Wakefield said at his 2012 retirement news conference. “But I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to put this uniform on for such a long time, and win two World Series for this great city.”

Wakefield was 11-3 when he made his only All-Star Game in 2009, becoming the second-oldest player — second to Satchel Paige — ever selected to his first All-Star Game. Wakefield was the oldest player in baseball at 45 when he earned his 200th win in September 2011, retiring his final six batters.

He announced his retirement the following spring training, seven wins short of breaking the franchise record for wins held by Clemens and Young. He also kept his home ties to Brevard. In 2019, President Dwayne McCay presented Wakefield with an honorary degree in a 2019 graduation ceremony where Wakefield was also the keynote speaker. Despite that, his retirement from the sport he loved was a matter that came down to family.

“I’m still a competitor, but ultimately I think this is what’s best for the Red Sox,” he said at the time. “I think this is what’s best for my family. And to be honest with you, seven wins isn’t going to make me a different person or a better man. So, my family really needs me at home.”

An eighth-round Pittsburgh draft pick in 1988, Wakefield converted to a pitcher two years later in an effort to revive his chances of making the majors. He got his call-up midway through the 1992 season and went 8-1, finishing third in the NL rookie of the year voting.

He added two complete games in the NL playoffs — one in Game 6 to keep Pittsburgh alive. (He was voted the MVP of the Series late in Game 7, before the Atlanta Braves rallied to win on Francisco Cabrera’s single with two out in the bottom of the ninth.)

But Wakefield was unable to recapture his success in his second year in Pittsburgh, going 6-11 with a 5.61 ERA. He was released by the Pirates after another trip through the minors, and signed six days later by the Red Sox.

Wakefield again strung together a dominant run, starting 14-1 in 1995 before finishing the year at 16-8 with a 2.95 ERA. After 17 seasons with Boston, he retired as the franchise leader with 3,006 innings and 430 starts, and second in games and strikeouts.

In all, he was 200-180 with a 4.41 ERA.

Wakefield was also an eight-time nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, which goes to a ballplayer for exemplary sportsmanship and community involvement, winning it in 2010. After retiring, he became an analyst for Red Sox broadcasts and remained active in the team’s charities.

“Tim’s kindness and indomitable spirit were as legendary as his knuckleball,” Red Sox owner John Henry said. “He not only captivated us on the field but was the rare athlete whose legacy extended beyond the record books to the countless lives he touched with his warmth and genuine spirit. He had a remarkable ability to uplift, inspire, and connect with others in a way that showed us the true definition of greatness. He embodied the very best of what it means to be a member of the Boston Red Sox and his loss is felt deeply by all of us.”

He is survived by his wife Stacey.

The Associated Press contributed to this story,

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Cancer claims Melbourne native and Red Sox star Wakefield at 57