Wakefield was a knuckleballer,* one of that rare breed of pitchers who deliberately don't throw the ball very hard and make it work through a combination of guile, cunning, and mathematically chaotic aerodynamics. Among other things, this meant he didn't need the extravagant amounts of rest between outings that modern power pitchers require to keep their arms from falling off too soon, which enabled him to pull off stunts like being a starter and a reliever as the tactical situation required.

He was also, by all reports I've seen, just a generally cool guy. (This is a personality trait that is often reported in knuckleballers, along with eccentricity. Maybe it's something about the relatively lower level of aggression in their pitching method.) In a cruel touch of irony that would get a scriptwriter thrown out of the producer's office, during his long and illustrious career with the Red Sox (which included the 2004 and 2010 World Series championship seasons), Wakefield was among the most active supporters of the Red Sox organization's charity of choice: the Jimmy Fund, which benefits the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

--G.
* For a more in-depth explanation of the ins and outs of the knuckleball, consult the late Jim Bouton's memoir, Ball Four. In fact, consider consulting Ball Four anyway if you haven't already, because it's hilarious and what the hell, I mean, 3 bucks on Kindle? C'mon.
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Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
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