Tim Wakefield, who died today, was probably the most universally loved Red Sox player this century — a century that the team has, until recently, dominated. The fans loved him, his teammates loved him and ownership loved him, to the point that toward the end of his career, Wakefield had a perpetual player option at $4.5 million a season — if he wanted to be on the Red Sox, it was his call, because he was as much a part of the team as the color scheme. It’s safe to say we’ll never see that again, but it’s similarly safe to say there won’t be another Wakefield.
Tim Wakefield Was the Best of Us
