‘I love him dearly’: Red Sox greats remember Tim Wakefield during team’s Winter Weekend
“He’s exemplified everything it means to wear this uniform, not only on, but off the field.”
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The Red Sox made sure to pay tribute to Tim Wakefield during the team’s Winter Weekend festivities in Springfield, Mass. last week.
A panel consisting of Red Sox greats Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek, and host Jonathan Papelbon, allowed the former players to reflect on the life of their beloved friend and teammate. Wakefield passed away due to brain cancer at age 57 on Oct. 1 last year.
In a shortened video posted by NESN recapping the emotional discussion, Ortiz is the first of the group of three panelists to talk about Wakefield.
“He means a lot to me in so many different ways. It was a family,” Ortiz said. “When you don’t really know him, you want to get to know him. … That was my guy. Me and Tim, we got so close. He was amazing. Incredible human being. Guy that was always wanting to help. Someone very special to me.”
Ortiz and Wakefield were Red Sox teammates from 2003-2011 until the pitcher’s retirement.
Martinez, a fellow pitcher, reflected on Wakefield next. He was visibly emotional and was consoled by Ortiz while talking.
“For me, it’s really difficult to put it into words to describe Tim and what he meant to me,” Martinez said. “He was my pitching coach. He was the one that supported me when I first got here. … He became not only my friend, but my running partner, my support. He taught me to walk around Boston and the clubhouse. But more important than anything, he really taught me how to be a better man at home than I was on the mound.
“… It’s hard to imagine that he’s not here, and it’s hard for me to also talk about it. I also lost my dad to cancer and it really hurt me. As brave as I was, I never wanted to see a friend go. Someone so special to me, it’s really hard to kind of put it into words. But I know that wherever he is, he’s in a better place. …I love him dearly, I’m praying for his family, I’m hoping that everything just continues to be fine like he always thought.”
Martinez and Wakefield spent seven seasons together in Boston between 1998-2004.
Lastly, Varitek, Wakefield’s longtime Red Sox teammate, reminisced about him as a man and an athlete.
“He’s exemplified everything it means to wear this uniform, not only on, but off the field,” Varitek said. “Constant professional, classy, grew in every aspect of being a teammate, a competitor, a father, a husband. He truly exemplifies, for me, what it means to wear this uniform and appreciated every bit of it.
“But importantly, what he leaves to all of us is carrying that on to other people, mentoring other people, how self isn’t worth as much as what he gives back. We can always learn from Tim – what we give back means more than self. Tough times, but we shouldn’t just reflect back on him as a player. That’s one unbelievable man.”
Varitek spent his entire Red Sox career teammates with Wakefield from 1999-2011. Both retired following the 2011 season.
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