Tim Wakefield RIP

 If you are a baseball fan, you probably heard of the passing of Tim Wakefield. If you are a Red Sox fan, it probably was very upsetting to see that he died at the young age of 57. If you live in Eau Gallie/Melbourne, where I have lived since 1979, we knew him as a local boy who made the big leagues. My parents became fans of him while he was playing baseball at Eau Gallie High School in the Mid-1980s. Back then he was known for his slugging ability. I found this team photo online.

After graduating, he stayed in Melbourne and attended the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) where he played baseball. My parents continued to follow him there. He was playing at the same time I was attending FIT to get my Masters in Applied Mathematics. I never went to the games because I also was working. Most people do not realize that he was a first basemen on the Panthers team. He was named MVP in 1987 as a sophomore and 1988 as a junior. Some of his records still stand, including single season slugging percentage and homeruns in 1987 (.798 and 22, respectively) and his career slugging percentage of .646. He was not a pitcher yet.

In 1988, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him for his hitting at 1B, but he did not do well in the minors and started to throw a knuckleball that would become his career. The story goes that the Niekro brothers took an interest in him and taught him the fine art and life of a knuckleballer.

My Mom stayed a fan, and when we heard he was going to be at FIT to help in the dedication and renaming of the baseball field, I took her down for the small event. Here is Mom with my friend Bill on that day in January of 1999.

For some cosmic reason, I pulled a box out and started to go through some memorabilia and newspaper clippings. And near the top was this clipping with Tim Wakefield. I may have been looking for autographs.

I do not even remember cutting it out. Maybe mom did and I inherited it when she passed. Regardless, I had other photos I took from that day. This next one is of Tim standing by Andy Seminick (blocked by pole). The field was being renamed the Andy Seminick Les Hall Field. Les Hall was the coach of Tim at FIT, and Andy was FIT's biggest sports fan. He played on the 1950 World Series Phillies as catcher and known as "Grandpa Whiz" of the "Whiz kids". He showed me his World Series ring at a FIT basketball game, although they lost to the Yankees, both teams get rings.

Appropriately, the pitcher Tim Wakefield threw out the first pitch to catcher Andy Seminick. You can see the new field name in the upper left of this photo.

I remember that Mom wanted me to go down and get Tim's autograph for her, but I told her she was his fan and she should go down. I remember her going down and Tim was so sweet to her and she got the autograph. She was so happy and proud of herself. Now, I wonder where that autograph is.

I also got Tim's autograph at a Golf tournament put on by Cecil Fielder. Cecil's son Prince Fielder also played at Eau Gallie HS before entering the MLB. I can't find that autograph either.

I grabbed a couple of photos people have posted online, there have been lots.  First is showing him as the starting pitcher on the green monster.

He was a well-liked player and a great person who has left this world way too early.

If I find either of the autographs of Tim, I will share...