Tim Wakefield has been in Boston longer than most of the bars currently on Lansdowne Street, and the relationship between the knuckleballer and his bosses has been a positive one over the years, for the most part.

However, every once in a while, usually when Wakefield’s role is a topic of debate, the team’s senior member will cause a small stir with a quote here and there.  This hasn’t happened in 5 years or so (I don’t think we’ve seen it happen since his run-in with Aaron Boone in 2003), but Wakefield is once again demanding “respect”.

Here’s the most eyebrow-raising portion of his interview with the Herald:

“Hopefully they respect me enough to give me the ball when we get to spring training as a member of this rotation. I think I’ve earned the right to be a full-time starter and go from there,…I did make the All-Star team last year. It seems every year, and I don’t know why, my name gets brought up like this when I don’t feel I need to prove myself every day. I don’t know where the rumors are coming from, but I try not to pay attention. I know my role and I know what my approach is going to be when I get to spring training: be a starter and help us win the World Series.”

Yikes.  I hate to go all Nancy Kerrigan’s Brother on the poor old guy, but let’s break this down.

“Hopefully they respect me enough to give me the ball when we get to spring training as a member of this rotation. I think I’ve earned the right to be a full-time starter and go from there.”

Dude, really?  “Respect”?  You’re a 43-year-old who just posted the lowest innings total and lowest K/9 ratio of your Red Sox tenure last year.  Remember how people responded when Pedro Martinez pulled the “respect” card?  Well, he was a Hall of Famer in his prime.  Maybe rethink the use of that word?

“I did make the All-Star team last year.”

Holy shit.  I honestly had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating here.  He did not just say…wait, yes he did.  Everyone knows that the All-Star appointment was charity for a guy who has been underappreciated throughout the bulk of his long yet dwindling career.  The logic was “Hey, Wakefield has a few wins and hasn’t embarrassed himself on the mound this year.  He’s been around forever and has never made an All-Star team.  Look, I know there are a dozen more deserving pitchers, but let’s throw the old guy a bone, shall we?”  There’s no way his All-Star berth should be used as evidence for anything other than the fact that sentimentality is not yet dead among baseball people.

“It seems every year, and I don’t know why, my name gets brought up like this when I don’t feel I need to prove myself every day.”

You are the 6th-best starter currently on the roster, and the rotation can only fit 5 pitchers.  It’s not exactly quantum physics, sport.

“I don’t know where the rumors are coming from, but I try not to pay attention.”

I wouldn’t really classify them as “rumors” per se.  A more appropriate classification might be “the writing on the wall”.

“I know my role…”

Wow, that’s amazing.  You might want to clue your manager into this knowledge.  I’m sure he would be relieved to have a resolution to the dilemma that is Tim Wakefield’s role.

“and I know what my approach is going to be when I get to spring training: be a starter and help us win the World Series.”

You got moxie, kid.  You got fire.  I like that about you.

Comments are closed