Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield passes away at age 57

100-150 INNING STARTER FOR THE YANKEES? IT CAN BE A PLUS. >> TIM WAKEFIELD, THE RED SOX PUTTING OUT A STATEMENT, OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN WITH THE LOSS OF TIM WAKEFIELD. HE EMBODIED TRUE GOODNESS, DEVOTED HUSBAND, TEAMMATE. HE GAVE SO MUCH TO RED SOX NATION. HE AND HIS WIFE HAD CHOSEN TO HIP HIS CONDITION AND HIS WIFE’S CONDITION PRIVATE. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN WITHIN NEWS RANKED UP QUICKLY. >> THIS IS A GUT PUNCH. I CAUGHT TIM LAST SPRING TRAINING, RETIRED AS A MEMBER OF THE RED SOX. I WILL THINK OF TIM WAKEFIELD NOT OF HIS KNUCKLEBALL

BUT OF THE GENTLEMEN THAT HE WAS, GIVING UP THE AARON BOONE HOME RUN, HANDLING THAT WITH CLASS, BEING IN A LOCKER ROOM WITH HIM AND CLUBHOUSE WITH HIM, I CAN JUST SAY MY DEEPEST SYMPATHIES TO THE FAMILY AND ENTIRE RED SOX FAMILY. >> WON 200 GAMES THROWING THAT KNUCKLEBALL AND JOHN IS RIGHT, WHEN YOU TALKED TO PEOPLE AROUND HIM OR PEOPLE WHO GOT TO KNOW HIM, HE TALKED THE PERSON. WE HAD A MUTUAL FRIEND, MUSICIAN SIDNEY BOLLAND AND WHEN I GO UP TO TIM AND TALK ABOUT THAT MUSIC OR CONNECTION, IT GAVE US A CONNECTION.

I ENDED UP INTERVIEWING HIM FOR MY PAUL O’NEILL BOOK AND 1998 YANKEES BOOK AND HE WAS ALWAYS THERE AND ALWAYS LAUGHING. THE THING I’LL REMEMBER IS PAUL O’NEILL

WOULD GO UP AGAINST O’NEILL WITH THE FASTBALL. HE SAID I THREW 95% KNUCKLE BALLS. ON A DARK DAY I’M GOING TO REMEMBER THAT STORY BECAUSE IT BRINGS A SMILE TO MY FACE. >> TRIBUTES POURING IN TO A MAN WHO BECAME AN ICONIC FIGURE IN BOSTON. PRINCIPLE OWNER JOHN HENRY SAID TIM’S KINDNESS AND IN INDOMITABLE SPIRIT.