Tim Wakefield, 1966-2023

Ordinarily I don’t post on the weekends, but I have to make a sad exception today. While I was out and about with my wife earlier, I heard the terrible news that Tim Wakefield had passed away from brain cancer.

We’d just learned he was ill a few days ago, terrible news learned in an even more terrible way. Candidly, I can think of few acts more despicable than to betray the trust of a beloved friend and former teammate by not allowing him to die on his own terms. Please click the link above to read the full story if you aren’t aware of the details, because I’ve decided I’m never again writing the name of Wakefield’s despicable teammate. There’s little I can do about the situation that will really matter, but I’m going to do my small part in denying this jerk the thing he wants more than anything else; Attention.

Tim Wakefield deserved better. Anyone would, but Wake in particular. He was a good teammate by all accounts, and an even better person. I know this from personal experience. I’ve written before about the small kindness that he showed to my daughter at her first ever ballgame, turning an already special memory into an enchanting one.

That story is linked below. Please read it and get a sense of the good person the world lost today.

I mentioned in that article that Katie still has the ball he gave her, but I realized that I forgot to include a picture. Here it is, taken a few minutes ago by the little girl from that story, the one a good man noticed in the stands and decided to bless with a kindness, for no reason other than he could.

Rest in Peace, Wake. And thank you.