Tim Wakefield: 2009 All-Star

Congratulations, Tim Wakefield.

Tim Wakefield, for all he has accomplished as a Boston Red Sox, had never been selected as an All-Star. This year, thanks in large part to Tampa Rays manager Joe Maddon, Wakefield earned his first All-Star appearance in 2009.

The veteran knuckleballer was deserving of an All-Star nod in 1992 and 1995 more so than this year, but one could look at this as just being overdue. Joe Maddon is paying back Wakefield with a deserving reward. It is a nice gesture amidst a heated AL East battle.

Red Sox fans in general are happy to see Wakefield receive the recognition. Some critics of the selection point out that the All-Star game should be based your 2009 stats. They remind us that the All-Star game should not be a “Lifetime Achievement Award” as Joe Maddon alluded it was in this case, on ESPN.

While this is certainly fair, it’s still doubtful that Wakefield will even see the mound. It’s an honorary recognition.  Tell Josh Hamilton to sit.

ESPN’s Keith Law is particularly unhappy about the choice of Tim Wakefield:

“Maddon actually did a respectable job with his part of the roster, but the selection of Tim Wakefield is disgraceful. Sure, it’s a feel-good story, but there’s the minor fact of him posting a 4.30 ERA, good for just 29th in the AL, with nothing in his peripherals to suggest that he’s pitched better than his ERA would indicate. A.J. Burnett has thrown as many innings, struck out 46 more batters and has an ERA a half a run lower, and didn’t make the team — nor should he have. Wakefield is here because of the idiotic fascination that people have with win totals.

But it gets worse. The inclusion of Wakefield — and Jonathan Papelbon, maybe the fifth-best reliever in the American League right now, if we’re generous — comes at the expense of his far superior teammate, Jon Lester. Lester has been extraordinarily unlucky this year (his FIP, or fielding-independent ERA, is 3.41) and still has a lower ERA than Wakefield, and he has more than double Wakefield’s strikeout total in only four more innings.”  Keith Law, ESPN

So Wakefield isn’t one of the best dozen starters in the American League, but when considering the ballot-box stuffing, fan-boy, popularity-contest that is the All-Star Voting –  is the Wakefield selection really such a travesty?

It’s a feel good story that will help cap a great Red Sox career for Wakefield. There is a time and place for that.

Who can say when the right time is, but Joe Maddon felt this was it and so he did it.

If the All-Star game goes extra innings then it will be fun to watch Wakefield fluster the National League hitters with a knuckleball. It will also be funny to watch Joe Mauer try to catch it.

Wakefield is currently third in career Red Sox wins.  He sits just 28 more wins away from passing Roger Clemens* and Cy Young.  Maybe he stays long enough to take first?

Regardless, Congrats Wake!

Red Sox (49-33)

Darryl Johnston is the Red Sox correspondent for Fanball.com. He has many years of sports writing under his championship belts. Email him – redsoxdj@gmail.com

Tags: 2009 MLB All-Star Game, AL East, Boston Red Sox, Career Wins, Cy Young, Darryl Johnston, ESPN, Fanball, Joe Maddon, Joe Mauer, Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Keith Law, Roger Clemens, Sox Tea Party, Tampa Bay Rays, Tim Wakefield