Like it or not, Blue Jays fans may see history on Tuesday when Red Sox veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield takes the hill with 199 career wins under his belt.
While 200 wins is little in comparison to the 300 wins that seemingly guarantees induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, in today’s era of relief specialists this is no small achievement.
Of course, what makes Wakefield’s quest for 200 so unlikely is the fact that he was also a reliever for several seasons. In fact, in 1999, Wakefield was the team’s closer, as he picked up a career-high 15 saves.
The 45-year-old hurler has made 460 starts in his career. In comparison, Roy Halladay has made 349 career starts and sits just 14 games shy of 200. Halladay also has 87 fewer losses and a couple more Cy Young awards.
Amazingly, at 45-years old, Wakefield remains solid. Even his recent winless streak can be chalked up to bad luck. Wakefield has actually pitched better in every regard including control and strikeouts since July 24.
Don’t let his season ERA fool you, Wakefield has been getting the job done for the most part this season. Of all pitchers with at least 20 starts and an ERA greater than five, Wakefield and Blue Jays hurler Brandon Morrow have the lowest average of Walks and Hits Per Inning Pitched (WHIP). This suggests some bad luck has been responsible for the high ERA numbers:
Wakefield is truly one-of-a-kind. How many other hurlers rely on one pitch 89 per cent of the time? On that note, how many hurlers can get back by with a 70 mph fastball and a 60 mph curveball? Wakefield predominately throws knuckles except on a few occasions:
If behind on the count: On 2-0, 46 per centfastball, On 3-0, 80 per cent fastball, On 3-1, 63 per cent fastball, On 3-2 42 per cent fastball
If ahead on the count: On 0-2, 7 per cent curveballs, On 1-2, 8 per cent curveballs, On 2-2, 8 per cent curveballs
As you can see based on the high percentage of knuckleballs and fastballs, the opposition knows what’s coming. It doesn’t seem to matter. Wakefield continues to survive with only those three pitches.
On Tuesday evening you will see an aging veteran take on a young flamethrower. The knuckleballer is on the verge of a significant milestone, while the strikeout artist is still looking to establish himself.
Based on stuff alone you would expect this to be a mismatch. Instead, the Red Sox know that their old reliable will keep them in the game.