[ChicagoConservative27]

How sad. RIP

[plain talk]

Brain cancer is rough. May he RIP.

[ComputerGuy]

I can’t think of the knuckleball without thinking of Charlie Lau.

[Libloather]

[Golden Eagle]

I have a close personal friend who was good friends with Tim a long time ago. They were in the minor leagues together, back before Tim was a pitcher. Tim was actually an infielder, to start, as was my friend.

They were warmup partners before the games, and Tim used to throw my friend those crazy knuckleballs to try to catch as a prank. It apparently always caused a lot of commotion, so some coaches decided to let him try it some during batting practice, which eventually let to him being put into some games to see how it went. The rest is history.

[dwg2]

I got my autographed baseball of Gaylord Perry through him.

[leaning conservative]

My husband is a huge Red Sox fan & very sad. Wakefield’s wife is also battling pancreatic cancer. Just horribly sad.

[escapefromboston]

My favorite pitcher
Damn

[Laslo Fripp]

Tim Wakefield was one of the few gentlemen in baseball.

RIP

[Honorary Serb]

Memory Eternal!

57 is too young to die.

[Ransomed]

RIP, very entertaining to watch a knuckleball game. It’s a shame the knuckleball seems to be one step from dodo bird territory in MLB. Not enough patience on the developmental side, it’s a money thing.

There’s a really cool documentary called ‘knuckleball!’ which features Wakefield heavily. I think he might even be on the cover. It was made after/during R.A. Dickey’s 2012 Cy Young season.

Freegards

[Major Matt Mason]

Pirates fan here remembering how Wakefield got his start and initially made his name while pitching for the Pirates in the early 90's. RIP.

[Vermont Lt]

RIP Tim.

His wife has pancreatic cancer. Prayers for her as well.

Curt Schilling is a jerk.

[Adder]

RIP, Tim Wakefield.

Knuckler is hard to throw but you were great.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

The Seattle Mariners were eliminated from post season play yesterday. George Kirby, their starting pitcher today, opened the game with a first pitch knuckleball in Wakefield’s honor. This pleased the gods of the baseball diamond, who granted the Mariners a 1-0 win.

[_longranger81]

A great man gone too soon.

[Srednik]

Wake was a joy to watch. May God be graceful to his family.

[Living Free in NH]

This is absolutely horrible news. I loved watching him pitch. Prayers to his family.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

A lot of people don’t remember that Wakefield started out with the Pirates. Had a great year in 1992, then lost the feel for the knuckler and was getting hit hard - a knuckleball pitcher has no plan B. The Pirates were deconstructing so they dumped him. Their loss.

[PallMal]

Just found out that another well-known New England athlete, Russ Francis of the New England Pats, was killed yesterday in a plane crash.