Red Sox honor Tim Wakefield with powerful spring training tribute

The Boston Red Sox family lost one of its most beloved members on Oct. 1, 2023 when franchise legend and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield passed away after a private battle with brain cancer at just 57 years old.

It was devastating news in the moment, but it's an absence from this world that has been felt among Red Sox fans and even the organization since as well.

So as the Red Sox continued their spring training play on Sunday afternoon in Fort Myers, FL at JetBlue Park for their home-opener this spring, the NESN broadcast and those in attendance aired a beautiful, emotional and touching tribute that honored Tim Wakefield the pitcher but also and more importantly, Tim Wakefield the friend and world-class human being.

Red Sox honor Tim Wakefield with spring training tribute

Wakefield spent 17 seasons in a Red Sox uniform, joining the club in 1995 and playing until his retirement following the 2011 season. As part of that tenure he, of course, was part of the legendary 2004 team that ended the dreaded World Series drought in Boston, and was also still a part of the organization when the Red Sox captured another three years later in 2007.

For his career, Wakefield won 200 games, recorded more than 2,000 strikeouts, and was a one-time All-Star as well as a recipient of the 2010 Roberto Clemente Award, handed out annually as a league-wide award to the player who best embodies sportsmanship, community impact, and leadership on the team.

That award also embodied what makes Wakefield a lasting presence for Red Sox fans. His contributions on the field were important, without question, but his work with various charitable organizations and as a clubhouse leader and friend were even more vital to his legacy.

The Red Sox have announced that they will wear a "49" patch on their jerseys this season to honor Wakefield throughout all of 2024. The tribute at spring training, though, certainly had every fan quite emotional remembering the legendary knuckleballer and equally legendary person Tim Wakefield was.