In 1992, Tim Wakefield beat Tom Glavine and the Atlanta Braves twice during the National League Championship Series. But this was not how Wakefield expected his career to end up. In 1988, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Wakfield as a first baseman. He had no experience as a pitcher. With Wakfield facing release, his coach observed him throwing knucklers during practice, then watched him pitch in the bullpen. So impressed was the coach, he made Wakefield a full time pitcher. In the middle of 1992, Wakefield made his MLB debut with the Pirates as a knuckleball pitcher. He started 13 games, and finished the season with an 8 - 1 record, a 2.15 era, 4 complete games and 1 shut-out. He placed third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, garnering two first place votes. Most astounding about his success as a rookie was that Wakefield's knuckleballs rarely topped 60 mph, some clocking in at the 40 mph range, and he relied on the knuckler 90% of the time. After that season, Wakefield began to struggle with control, and batters began hitting his trademark pitch consistently. However, in 1995, after being released by the Pirates, the Boston Red Sox signed Wakefield as a free agent. Wakefield started throwing his knuckler between 60 and 70 mph consistently, and had the best season of his career in 1995, placing third in American League Cy Young votes. The rest, of course, is history.
5 окт 2024
