Sorry Charlie, Maybe Next Year: Red Sox Exercise Wakefield's Option for 2009

Don't go framing and hanging up your number 49 Red Sox jersey just yet, the 42 year-old knuckleball-hurling Tim Wakefield just had his $4 million option exercised by the Boston Red Sox.  The 2009 season will mark the 15th season that Wakefield has been in beantown. 

Finishing the 2008 regular season with a 10-11 record out of 30 games and a 4.13 ERA Wakefield had a bit of a rollercoaster season.  Giving up 7 earned runs over a 1.2 inning performance against the high powered Texas Rangers offense, it was one of the worst performances of his career.  But in true veteran form he came back in his next start against the Toronto Blue Jays, who always play Boston tough, and had one of the best performances of his career going eight full shut-out innings and earning four strikeouts.

In his 14 seasons with the Sox Wakefield has accumulated 164 regular season wins, that ranks him third best in franchise history.  192 is the most career wins by a single pitcher in the franchise, and it is a tie between Roger Clemens and Cy Young.  Along with his 164 impressive wins for the Red Sox Wakefield has also earned 1,797 strikeouts over the 2,582 innings he has pitched.

Boston skipper Terry Francona thought Wakefield pitched better in 2008 than he did in 2007, despite his win-loss record.  "I thought with Wake's year, it was deceiving," Francona said.  "He won, what, 17 [games] the year before?  I actually thought, 'Well maybe that's not fair.'"

Deceiving it was considering seven times over the course of the season Wakefield left the game with the lead and didn't earn the win.  Other games he was right on cue, but wasn't getting any run support from the offense.

As long as Boston continues to renew Wake's contract for the following season at $4 million a year, it's Pawtucket for fellow knuckleballer Charlie Zink.  Though an active member of Boston's 40 man roster Zink is being mentored by Wakefield, and was even awarded a start for the Red Sox on August 12, 2008 against the Texas Rangers at Fenway.  An honor to which Zink replied, "It was more than I ever could have imagined.  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd be pitching at Fenway Park in front of everyone -- my mom, my friends. I still don't know how to describe it. It was surreal being at Fenway. But the journey was worth it. It's been my dream ever since I was a kid."

Zink finished his season at Pawtucket with 14 wins, a 2.84 ERA, and earning the Minor League Baseball Triple-A Starting Pitcher of the Year award.  Considering that there are only two knuckleball pitchers currently in MLB and Wakefield's 4.13 ERA is the lowest of the two, a 2.84 ERA is down right incredible.  R.A. Dickey of the Seattle Mariners is the only other knuckleballer in the bigs and has a 5.21 ERA.