The Boston Red Sox announced the passing yesterday of retired MLB pitcher and former Tim Wakefield. Wakefield was a beloved staple of the sport for decades, retiring in the spring of 2012 with 200 career wins and 3226.1 innings pitched, 68th most in the live ball era and 83rd most since 1900.
A member of a now very rare breed of pitcher, the knuckleballer, Wakefield was a struggling infielder when Pirates coaches noticed him fooling around with the pitch and suggested he try his hand more seriously at it and he never looked back.
Making his MLB debut in 1992, he went 8-1 with a 2.