Tim Wakefield once again took the mound in search of his 200th career victory. Once again he was somewhere between mediocre and terrible. Once again he somehow managed to leave the game with the lead.
And once again the Red Sox bullpen, specifically Daniel Bard, blew the lead and Wakefield remained stuck at 199 career wins.
On August 20th Wakefield’s quest for 200 wins was becoming exhausting. Now that it’s September 8th, it’s become unbearable.
It’s amazing how ridiculously important this stat is to Red Sox fans. Red Sox fans are so obsessed with getting Wake his 200th victory that Twitter exploded at Tito Francona for not trying to squeeze a five-out save out of Jonathan Papelbon in what was essentially a meaningless game.
So, here’s what I’d do if I were Francona.
The next time the Red Sox have a game like Tuesday, where they jump out to a 13-0 lead before their starting pitcher takes the mound in the 5th inning, I’d pull the starter and throw Wakefield into the game. If he blows a 13 run lead, he doesn’t deserve 200 wins.
Then, once he “earns” his elusive 200th win, they can give him a gentle push into the world of retirement.
Frankly, I’m not sure why people care so much about 200 wins. Chuck Finley and George Uhle finished their careers with 200 wins. 108 other pitchers have surpassed 200 wins.
But nobody in MLB history has finished their career with 199 wins.
Right now, Tim Wakefield is in a club by himself. Why ruin that by continuing to let him start baseball games?
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