Wakefield

[speedloader88]

Tim Wakefield is still waiting for an offer.  Could he help out the back end of our rotation?  If you can get innings from him, knuckleballers have a way of screwing up the timing of hitters making other pitchers in the rotation more effective during a series.  Wakefield part deux would be retro cool anyway and worth tripping to the Burgh to watch.  We've signed novelty acts in the past for worse reasons.

[gorillagogo]

Tim Wakefield is still waiting for an offer.  Could he help out the back end of our rotation?  If you can get innings from him, knuckleballers have a way of screwing up the timing of hitters making other pitchers in the rotation more effective during a series.  Wakefield part deux would be retro cool anyway and worth tripping to the Burgh to watch.  We've signed novelty acts in the past for worse reasons.

Would Wakefield even consider coming to the Pirates? I highly doubt it. He's spent 17 years in Boston playing for division titles and World Series berths most of that time. He'll be 45 this year, and has already made $56M in his career. I don't think he'd be willing to put up with the rigors of another 162 game season just to collect another few million and watch the Pirates lose. He would probably return to the Red Sox, his longtime employer and a team that was guaranteed to be in the playoff hunt again.

[markson33]

I always liked Tim, but I think its better for the Pirates to find out if Lincoln/Locke/Wilson/Owens et al can be parts of the team moving forward.  We are already taking up space with Bedard/Corriea.

[CAfan]

I'm pretty sure he would only play for the Sox.  He loves it there and took a lot less to be there.

[mouse]

He's had contact from other teams (according to MLB trade rumors at one point recently) but wants the Red Sox.

[gamecckfn]

Tim Wakefield is still waiting for an offer.  Could he help out the back end of our rotation?  If you can get innings from him, knuckleballers have a way of screwing up the timing of hitters making other pitchers in the rotation more effective during a series.  Wakefield part deux would be retro cool anyway and worth tripping to the Burgh to watch.  We've signed novelty acts in the past for worse reasons.

Would Wakefield even consider coming to the Pirates? I highly doubt it. He's spent 17 years in Boston playing for division titles and World Series berths most of that time. He'll be 45 this year, and has already made $56M in his career. I don't think he'd be willing to put up with the rigors of another 162 game season just to collect another few million and watch the Pirates lose. He would probably return to the Red Sox, his longtime employer and a team that was guaranteed to be in the playoff hunt again.

This.   

[ECBucs]

So Wakefield doesn't think the Bucs can contend this year?

Someone needs to remind him of how things looked last July 4th.

[Possum]

If the Buccos were sure of being competitive then maybe a minor league contract with invite to ST.  But I don't think Tim would go for that.

I am one that thinks the Buccos should give the kids a chance if they are needed due to injury or failure on the part of one of the starters.  Could be we find a gem in the rough that could be around more than one year.

[Dogknot3]

I don't see this happening, but I would love it. 

I still think if Wakefield was brought in back in 1992, the Pirates win that series.  I would have never let Drabek start that 9th inning.  Belinda should have been brought in to start the inning like he did all year if wakefield wasn't going to be used.  Sorry, I still remember.

[The Moose]

  Sorry, I still remember.

It's kinda hard to forget. Even after 19 years.

[DocJon49]

I don't see this happening, but I would love it. 

I still think if Wakefield was brought in back in 1992, the Pirates win that series.  I would have never let Drabek start that 9th inning.  Belinda should have been brought in to start the inning like he did all year if wakefield wasn't going to be used.  Sorry, I still remember.

Any Pirates fan that saw it will remember 'till their dying day.  "If Only." There were about ten "If Only's" around the 9th inning alone.

It's way too tempting to talk about that again, but I'm not gonna go there.

The Pirates not knowing what to do with Wakefield when he 'lost it', however, was inexcusable.  Boston & the Niekro brothers sure figured it out fast enough. Wakefield would probably retire rather than pitch for the current-day Pirates, but if we were a couple years further along with "the plan", it might be different.