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Former Boston Red Sox catcher Kevin Youkilis got choked up on the air while remembering his late teammate Tim Wakefield, who recently passed away due to cancer.
Wakefield, 57 years old, passed away on Sunday, October 1 at the age of 67 years old following a battle with brain cancer.
Speaking about his passing while on the air on Sunday during the Red Sox’s final game of the season, Youkilis — a catcher who played with and caught pitchers from Wakefield while in Boston from 2004 to 2012 — remembered Wakefield as a great teammate, friend, and family man.
“He was just… he was a great competitor when he took that mound. He was just a great teammate. And just a great friend,” Youkilis said.
“I had the luxury to play with him on the field, in the booth, and just glad that I had that opportunity to be alongside him. And just an amazing husband, father, and community leader. He really enjoyed people, being around people. And today we lost one of the good ones.”
"He was a great teammate and just a great friend."
Kevin Youkilis on Tim Wakefield, who passed away this morning at the age of 57. pic.twitter.com/8YPg3cOfgm
— NESN (@NESN) October 1, 2023
Youkilis’ remembrance of Wakefield is certainly backed up by his actions, as Wakefield won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2010, which is given to the MLB player who “best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”
Fellow former Red Sox teammate Jason Varitek, who played with Wakefield in Boston from 1997 to 2011, also shared some heartfelt comments about his passing.
"Wake exemplifies what this uniform is."
Jason Varitek on who Tim Wakefield was as a teammate and a person. pic.twitter.com/vE47H1vPk5
— NESN (@NESN) October 1, 2023
Playing in Major League Baseball for 19 years, Wakefield spent 17 of them with the Boston Red Sox from 1995 to 2011. During his career, Wakefield — a famed knuckleball thrower — won two World Series titles and won 200 games. He also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Wakefield was a key member of the 2004 Boston Red Sox team that broke the “Curse of the Bambino”, having pitched in 32 games while posting a record of 12-10 and an ERA of 4.87.
Following his retirement in 2011, Wakefield began working as a studio analyst for the sports network NESN, where he would go on to cover Red Sox games for the next decade.
Wakefield is survived by his wife Stacy and his two children, Trevor and Brianna. Our thoughts are with his friends, family, and various loved ones during this difficult time.