On Sunday, the Boston Red Sox will face the San Diego Padres for the third and final game of the series between the two teams, and San Diego is sending knuckleballer Matt Waldron to the mound as their starter.
During the series opener on AppleTV, Waldron shared that he grew up a Red Sox fan and had a relationship with the late Tim Wakefield, who helped him with his knuckleball.
"The Padres help set [the meeting with Wakefield] up," Waldron said. "And, I couldn't pass that one up. He just reached out to me. We had a Zoom call, and he just helped me with anything I needed, and a couple of things stuck with me. That's helped me to this day. I'm grateful for the impact he's had on me. He's the reason I started [throwing the knuckleball]. It was a special moment. It's cool to be here.
"I've felt [Wakefield's presence] a little bit, and I went golfing yesterday, and I heard he played at that course. I think I've felt it a couple of times. It's been special. I just want to honor him and do the best I can. I'm humbled by it."
Matt Waldron, the only knuckeballer in the big leagues right now, starts against the Red Sox this afternoon.
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) June 30, 2024
He grew up a Red Sox fan and has opened up about his relationship with Tim Wakefield, who helped him make the transition from a conventional pitcher to a knuckleballer.… pic.twitter.com/MxZ6e7vA4K
Waldron was even crushed by Wakefield's death last season.
“It was devastating. I was bawling the entire day in the dugout,” Waldron said (via. The Boston Globe). “I was sitting in a big league dugout thinking, ‘I throw a knuckleball, and a guy who helped me get to this point just passed away. It just doesn’t feel right.’”
It will be a special moment on Sunday for fans at Fenway Park to see a knuckleball on the mound again. Although, they'll be hoping that it's not dancing as well as Wakefield's did.
