06-26-08 Story 1 - Red Sox Win/Wakefield

The Red Sox and Diamondbacks are going -- Tim Wakefield for the Red Sox have Randy Johnson for the Diamondbacks and this is one of those moments that happen every year and and it's beautiful. If you Red Sox and it's not a matter of if it's a matter of winning it with Tim Wakefield will he give you one of these games in which -- did you list these game night. Get -- stretch shut out a stretch of two hit shutout but. Have three or four starts we have over his last four starts awake he's given up seven runs yeah. Every year to do is get on the ball and wait and Terry Francona said it best he said it last year. I've never really had anyone like never had never had that. -- manage a knuckleball so when you manager knuckleballer the number one thing you have to do as a manager is it on your hand. And just trying to work through the inevitable rough patch because the rough patches come. But not happen like -- now I don't. Yeah that's not thought about that this comment cup. On the other side could also well recollection plea of practices for the building flawed -- hooked -- but -- that brought that. There's going to be something special for every year now. Went to Tim Wakefield was pitching for bad Red Sox -- and 1996 give -- thirty starts he's going to be around 500. ERA is going to be around 5 -- taste but it all evens out in the going to be some of those great start and unbeaten start. -- He'll give up five or six runs in in -- Jupiter's Jose just inhabited but 1998 better team give them the ball. Seventeen and eight ERA around four and a half.

The mistakes that other managers of Maine and and by other managers and talking about Joe Kerrigan and Jimmy doing. -- invented this race of their abusing our versatility. Derek and it sounds dirt the -- To myself is that something that you should be arrested for you have abuse this man's versatility used to be ashamed of yourself pay your debt to society. They made the mistake. Taking -- out of the rotation and put him in the -- putting him in the bullpen spot in the bullpen -- fifteen saves one year. But what you want to do. Is that -- in the rotation leave Malone and get discloses that can't 200 innings when he's healthy. And you know exactly what -- gonna -- and baseball that's what you want you don't you don't rely on him as your number one starter. He can be anywhere from a 35. And you've got to give you a lot of production 200 innings is what boys and girls 600 out what the tough thing to -- in today's baseball today's Major League Baseball. Get outs. He can do that for a left right. I just I enjoy watching him do his thing and I enjoy watching Major League pitcher in Major League hitters. Accomplished Major League hitters look foolish when he talked a minute.

That's how it's tough to approach right that you can't approach -- D backs took some infield yesterday took some BP is well. Often knuckleballer and can do anything with -- so. It's fun when you look at it and talked about his last four ops or right quality starts this year -- Hoosier veiled threats it's Tim Wakefield. That's what he's doing at the age of almost 42 and you're exactly right it's it's unbelievable holly gets out there. And stale is able to get that local -- Pirates and get Major League hitters out and that's a good raise rent nice keyword Major League hitters before.

With this -- Everything is with him. Some knuckleballer is they just they just beat the okay. This is is the knuckleballer is comic and you hit it if you can hit it on trouble if you can't your job -- some. With the Wakefield. And I I'd like to ask him. What the difference is between I think 95 in 200895 pretty good season for him to Red Sox in the playoffs. And he had an incredible stretch of 1995. When he first got here the guy looked like a cy young winner when he was amazing. But 95 and I'm guessing that he threw 98% knuckleball. Today it's probably 80%. And and I think you know Jerry Remy pointed this out during the broadcast. That was one of the things that was keep an airs on our balance right take that infield. Against the knuckleballer from Arizona who probably probably has not thrown -- as well with Tim Wakefield. If one thinks and -- you're geared up knuckleball knuckleball and here's a guy who's a nerve that.

Seven more mile an hour fastball at bats and now. Okay I'm going to throw a curve ball to -- the ball well.

Kevin Cash last month was the best -- a week and that scared. Again gives up just two -- go seven innings last night it's that it wasn't the best -- him up -- last night. Ball's moving all over the place and you know for him to have to be able to get into a situation like that -- actually need at the moment to get another win for the at the road. A forum come out like he's found. He's showing why he's still around -- earning every bit of that four million bucks we talked about price and and and salary yesterday with a Lugo in the clubhouse is up to we talked about. --