[BigSlick]

Tim Wakefield currently has 195 career wins. 181 of those have come in a Red Sox uniform. As many of you probably are aware, the team record of 199 is currently held by both Cy Young and Roger Clemens.

Now that Daisuke is essentially out of the picture, Wakefield could get 21 more starts this season. If he wins 8 of them he will be 10 shy of tying the record, which he could reach next year.

Of course there are several variables that can derail his chances. Injury to himself, the Sox trading for another SP this year or signing a FA in the offseason to bump him from next years rotation... etc.

The bottom line is, when Jon Lester sets the Sox all time record for wins, will it be Wakefield's record he breaks? I can't see Wakefield pitching past 2012, and as much as I hope he gets to 200 as a Red Sox, I have a hunch that he won't get enough chances to get there.

Discuss.

This post has been edited by BigSlick: 02 June 2011 - 10:26 AM

[BlackJack]

BigSlick, on 02 June 2011 - 10:24 AM, said:

the team record of 199 192 is currently held by both Cy Young and Roger Clemens.

FTFY.

If he stays in the rotation for the rest of the year, which looks likely at this point, he's got a pretty good shot at it.

[BigSlick]

BlackJack, on 02 June 2011 - 10:34 AM, said:

FTFY.

If he stays in the rotation for the rest of the year, which looks likely at this point, he's got a pretty good shot at it.

DAMN! I did it from memory. I should have looked it up.... that changes everything.

[ghostoffoxx]

I've always been an unapologetic fanboy of Wakefield and I hope that he breaks the record. He has been a consummate professional both on and off the field. His charity work has been tremendous. I believe he's won the Clemente Award a couple of times. Sure, Wake's longevity makes his wins something of a counting stat and no one will ever confuse him with Cy Young or Clemens, but I'd like him to have that spot in Red Sox lore. With that said, I don't think he'll make it this year. I don't have any numbers to back this up, but it seems that too often Wake will pitch a decent game and will not get the run support he needs to get the W. I don't see him winning 11 more games this year, but it would be nice.

Quote

Q. We were talking to Terry about your willingness and your ability to be whatever they need whenever they need it. I just wonder what your philosophy is about available, I mean, because you've been in some spots that most guys would not want to be in.

TIM WAKEFIELD: Yeah, ever since I've been here, I've always been that type of player that I always have my spikes on, no matter what. I've been used to pinch-hit a couple of times, I've been used in the emergency relief duty. I just feel like as an athlete, you've got to be prepared for anything that may be thrown at you at any particular point in the game.

This post has been edited by ghostoffoxx: 02 June 2011 - 12:02 PM

[MrNewEngland]

Tim Wakefield pinch hit? What would that situation possibly be? A bunt to move the runner over? I remember Maddux did that a few years ago.

[BigSlick]

MrNewEngland, on 02 June 2011 - 12:07 PM, said:

Tim Wakefield pinch hit? What would that situation possibly be? A bunt to move the runner over? I remember Maddux did that a few years ago.

6/28/2000 laid down a successful sacrifice bunt in the 11th inning against Baltimore. He pinch hit for Rich Garces because the Sox had lost their DH.

http://www.pitchingi..._RedSox_Bio.pdf

Take that you archiving a-hole!!!

Edit: And here's the boxscore. http://www.baseball-...200006280.shtml

This post has been edited by BigSlick: 02 June 2011 - 12:27 PM

[rominer]

He needs 11 wins just to tie the record, 12 to break it. Obviously for him to have a chance, he has to be the one who stays in the rotation when Lackey returns.

If their most recent starts were auditions for the job, then Wakefield (6 IP, 4 ER, at least two of which we know for a fact are on the 2nd base ump) has the edge on Aceves (5 IP, 6 ER). Overall, their numbers as starters this year:

Aceves – 3 starts, 4.50 ERA, .703 OPS against, 1.438 WHIP
Wakefield - 5 starts, 4.25 ERA, .687 OPS against, 1.213 WHIP

There's the whole small sample size thing. Before his most recent start, Aceves had a 1.64 ERA and .569 OPS against as a starter. But Wake has been pretty good, too. The two starts that inflated his ERA had a combination of bad umpiring (the first time around, it was Angel Hernandez's creative application of the balk rule) and less than helpful defense (tough play yesterday, but I think Pedroia catches that bloop into RF more often than he falls on his face and slides across the warning track in foul territory; First time around, Jed Lowrie was just a total disaster). His other three starts have been 1 ER, 1 ER, and 2 ER.

So, I'm guessing he's the guy for now. But it still won't be easy. He had a no decision earlier this year in a game in which he left with 2 outs, a runner on first, and a 2-0 lead – only to see the bullpen blow it. He just doesn't go that deep into games. He threw 98 pitches yesterday. That's the most he's thrown since last July. Maybe as a regular part of the rotation, he'll start to go deeper into games. If not, then the wins and losses are really out of his hands.

If he does stay in the rotation, he gets close enough that the team feels a lot of pressure to bring him back next season. But 12 wins after June 1? Last time he did that (or 12 wins, period) was 2007, when he won 17 overall. To even tie the record this year, he would have to finish with 13 wins. He's only done that 5 times in his previous 16 seasons in Boston, and just twice in the last 12. It would take a hell of a run for him to get there this year.

[BlackJack]

rominer, on 02 June 2011 - 12:33 PM, said:

It would take a hell of a run for him to get there this year.

Breaking (or even tying) the record this year is probably not going to happen. But tying or breaking the record by the end of 2012 got a lot more realistic now that Daisuke will be out for the year.

If Wakefield stays in the rotation when Lackey returns, if he stays healthy and if the Sox don't go out and get another starter to bump Wakefield back to the 6th starter/long man role, then he should get 17-18 more starts this year.

Over the last 4 years he's averaged a ND in about 1/3 of his starts and about .500 win percentage. Apply that to those remaining starts and you're looking at around 8-9 total wins for Wakefield this year. That would put him within 4-5 games of the record.

He's got a pretty good shot if he sticks in the rotation this year and plays in 2012.

[rominer]

BlackJack, on 02 June 2011 - 02:42 PM, said:

He's got a pretty good shot if he sticks in the rotation this year and plays in 2012.

But that's the catch.

If the Sox are going into 2012 knowing that they need a 5th starter, I think that they're more likely to bring someone in (or up) than hand the job to Wakefield. Then that leaves you with the same hand-wringing we had this year about using a roster spot on a pitcher who is starter-insurance, but whose only real value out of the bullpen is as a mop-up guy. Especially when he's gone from an above league average option to slightly below since turning 40 (pre-40 ERA+ in Boston was 111, post-40 is 99, and in his mixed role since the start of 2010 it's 84).

He throws 66 mph knuckleballs. He can pitch until he's 50. He's a good athlete, not just a guy with a trick pitch. He has a reasonable contract that keeps him with the Red Sox until infinity or retirement, whichever comes first. I'm just not sure that it really plays out that way. If he gets to 190, there's no way that he's not back next year, even if it's on some sort of "we'll bring you back, and you'll agree to retire after you set the record if we don't have a spot for you" handshake agreement. If the Sox call up Miller or Millwood (who apparently got shelled last night), or make a trade, or Wake struggles and Aceves takes his spot, or whatever, and he only gets to 185 or so this season...then I don't think it's a sure thing.

[Mike LansWho]

I appreciate Wakefield as much as the next guy, but am I the only one who remembers him bitching multiple times about moving from the rotation to the bullpen over the years? Why is that always white-washed when it comes to his professionalism? I understand all the other stuff like always having the spikes on and willing to fill in where needed. It just seems like people either forget about this or just choose to ignore it because he is an absolute professional otherwise.

[rominer]

Mike LansWho, on 02 June 2011 - 03:39 PM, said:

I appreciate Wakefield as much as the next guy, but am I the only one who remembers him bitching multiple times about moving from the rotation to the bullpen over the years? Why is that always white-washed when it comes to his professionalism?

I don't think it's whitewashed – but I think the point is that he bitches like anyone would about being demoted, but then goes and does the job, as opposed to some players who just maintain a steady diet of bitching, or refuse to pitch (I can't recall any reports of Wakefield ever doing this), cause a distraction, hang the team out to dry, try to get out of their contracts, or whatever. I don't know if it's some great, heroic thing so much as it's that a lot of other athletes are spoiled, whiny little girls. But it's nice to have a guy on your team who doesn't grow a vagina at the first sign of adversity.

[JMDurron]

ghostoffoxx, on 02 June 2011 - 12:01 PM, said:

I believe he's won the Clemente Award a couple of times.

I believe he has been the team's annual nominee for the Clemente Award (each team has one, I think), but has only won it once, in 2010.

Clemente Award Winners from MLB.com

Matsuzaka's injury gives Wakefield a pretty good shot at being at least 6th on the depth chart going into 2012, so I think he gets the record near the end of the 2012 season if he stays relatively healthy. "Relatively" means no more than 1 15-20 game DL stint per season, I figure that gives him roughly 30-35 chances over the next year and a half to get 12 wins. That's including a few extra inning "long reliever" stints, a la Aceves on Saturday.

[RedSoxAnni]

Interesting note by Pete Abraham

[Soxier]

RedSoxAnni, on 09 June 2011 - 03:17 PM, said:

Interesting note by Pete Abraham

Also, now Wake needs 10 wins to tie the record...11 to surpass. Go Timmeh!!!