Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield is battling brain cancer, according to his ex-teammate Curt Schilling, who is now being criticized for revealing the diagnosis.
“This is not a message that Tim asked anyone to share, and I don’t even know if he wants to share it,” Schilling said on his podcast The Curt Schilling Baseball Show. “Tim was recently diagnosed with a very serious, very aggressive form of brain cancer.”
Schilling also told his listeners that Wakefield’s wife, Stacy, is battling pancreatic cancer. The couple have two teenage children and currently live in Florida.
The Red Sox released a statement Thursday saying the Wakefields “respectfully request privacy at this time.”
Wakefield, 57, is a celebrated member of the 2004 Red Sox, who came back from a 3-0 deficit against the rival New York Yankees to win the American League Championship Series en route to the team’s first World Series title since 1918 .played a key role in the postseason by volunteering as a relief pitcher during a blowout loss to the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALCS, saving the other pitchers’ arms for the historic comeback.
Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield is battling brain cancer, according to former teammate Curt Schilling, who is now facing criticism for revealing the news
“Tim was recently diagnosed with a very serious form of brain cancer,” Schilling said
The Red Sox released a statement saying the Wakefields ‘respectfully request privacy’
“Wow, just another punch in the gut,” tweeted Red Sox legend Wade Boggs, who left Fenway two years before Wakefield’s arrival in Boston. ‘@TimWakefield49 diagnosed with brain cancer. (You) can beat it. Brother, keep fighting.”
While many shared their sadness on social media following Schilling’s revelation, former American football star Taylor Twellman criticized the controversial retiree on social media: ‘This is NOT your place (Schilling). It wasn’t your news to share. B.S.’
The Red Sox released a statement Thursday explaining that Tim and Stacy Wakefield hope to keep their health matters private.
“We are aware of the statements and questions about the health of Tim and Stacy Wakefield,” the team statement said. “Unfortunately, this information was shared publicly without their consent.
“Their health is a deeply personal matter that they wanted to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to combat this disease. Tim and Stacy appreciate the support and love that has always been offered to them and respectfully request privacy at this time.”
Tim Wakefield, flanked by his wife Stacy, wipes a tear from his eye at Fenway Park in 2012
Wakefield was drafted as a first baseman by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1988, but after struggling to develop, he decided to learn to throw a knuckleball in hopes of becoming a pitcher.
The trick worked, and in 1992 Wakefield frustrated National League hitters with his fluttering knuckleball — a pitch that never broke 70 mph but somehow managed to avoid bats and often catcher’s mitts.
The Pirates reached the playoffs with Wakefield in 1992, but he began to struggle soon after and eventually found himself back in the minors in the mid-1990s.
However, when Wakefield arrived in Boston in 1995, he turned the corner and established himself as one of the game’s most reliable back-end starters for most of the 2000s.
He would earn his first All-Star nomination in 2009 before retiring after the 2011 season at the age of 44.
Since quitting, Wakefield has been active in charities, including the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston, as well as in broadcasting and a number of endorsements.
Wakefield, a two-time World Series champion, also received the Roberto Clemente Award in 2010 for his charity work.
Former Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs reacted to the news by offering encouragement
Former American football star and ESPN personality Taylor Twellman objected to Schilling’s decision
Others were angry that Schilling decided to reveal Wakefield’s diagnosis on his podcast
Schilling’s decision to announce the diagnosis has drawn criticism, but that is not a new experience for the outspoken conservative.
The Alaska native has ostracized himself after retirement by making hateful comments toward Muslims, transgender people, journalists and others.
He has also blamed liberal BBWAA members for his inability to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He told sports radio host Clay Travis that “the hatred of President Trump and conservatives runs deep.”
Schilling’s insistence that he is a victim of the BBWAA’s supposed liberal bias is contradicted by the 2019 introduction of Mariano Rivera.
The former New York Yankees closer served in the Trump administration as co-chair of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition before becoming the first player to be unanimously selected to the Hall of Fame. Later, after his selection into the Hall of Fame, Trump honored Rivera with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.