A diehard fan rooting against Tim Wakefield...?

As crazy as it may seem to those of you that know me, I am indeed actually rooting against Wake getting his 200th career win tonight. No, I'm not changing allegiances or anything of the sort, just casually hoping that Wakefield pitches well, gets a no-decision and the Sox find a way to win. I may be the only one in Red Sox Nation who feels that way, but it is simply due to the fact that I will be attending Wakefield's next scheduled start on Friday at Fenway against the Oakland A's. A milestone is special no matter what way you look at it but to win his 200th game in Fenway with the support of 35,000 fans would be extra special. It also has to do with the fact that Wakefield is the longest-tenured member of the Red Sox and winning it in Kansas City just would not be as special as winning it in Fenway.

Like I mentioned before, I may well be the only one hoping that Wake does not get the win tonight. The other 99.9% of people in the Nation may just want to see the drama end, especially given that tonight is his 5th attempt at the ever-elusive victory. There are also those that feel Wakefield should no longer be a part of the rotation, they expressed beliefs that Francona is only sticking with him to get the milestone then demote him to a long-relief role. My main problem with that view is who else is there to take his spot in the rotation, with all due respect to Andrew Miller, do you really trust him to come out and win you a game in the postseason when the intensity is ratcheted up to a completely different level? Granted, Miller did pitch well last night but it is only one start against a lineup of mostly prospects in the Royals. One can never be sure if he can repeat the performance against a far more powerful lineup such as the Yankees or Rangers. With that being said, I have full faith in Tim Wakefield to make a start in the postseason and battle his way to win. After all, that is what he has done throughout his whole career in Pittsburgh and Boston.

Ever since he signed with the Red Sox following the 1994 season, Wake has done whatever the team has asked of him with hardly a noise made. This includes a stint shuttling back and forth between the rotation and bullpen from 2000-2002, back during the days when the team often struggled to find a consistent closer. However, Wakefield is most well-known by some fans for serving up Aaron Boone's walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS after which he apologized to all of Red Sox Nation. Doing what he always does though, Wake battled back and came up big in some key relief situations during the 2004 postseason. He also won 16 games in the 2005 season, 17 in 2007 and made his first all-star appearance at the young age of 42 in 2009.

The only exception to Wakefield's typically quiet demeanor occurred prior to the 2010 season when Tim was not too happy about being placed in the bullpen following the return of Dice-K Matsuzaka, which may have seemed like his umpteenth return from the Disabled list to some fans. Injuries would eventually force Wake back into regular rotation duty, but he struggled, finishing the season with a record of 4-10 and posting a 5.32 ERA. The record may explain why Wake started this season in the bullpen, but has since been moved to the rotation following Dice-K's 4th trip to the DL.

The point I'm trying to make is that Tim Wakefield deserves to earn his 200th win at Fenway Park on Friday night with all the support in the world from Red Sox nation. Despite how much others may want Wakefield to get the win tonight, I will hope for a no-decision so I can be present for what has potential to be one of the most storied nights in Fenway Park History. The longest-tenured member of the Red Sox recording his milestone win in front of the home crowd? That is truly what sports is all about, stories that make even the strongest men reduce to the brink of tears.

One last thing, I'd like to say congratulations to Ryan Lavarnway for getting his 1st major league hit Friday night off of Jeff Francis. That's all for now, folks and oh yeah, Go Sox!