Ok, but when will Tim Wakefield retire?

[grasshopper]

Last of the knuckleballers

[Alloutwar]

Wakefield will retire in 2012, directly replace by a 33-year-old Charlie Zink, who will then play until he is 47. Boston will have a starting knuckler in the rotation for the next bazillion years. And that is excellent!

I like seeing the knuckler in action, and a pitcher living or dying with it. It's good to spice up the game, when so many guys are throwing 99 mph.

[JeepGuy63]

I don't understand why more pitchers don't try to learn it. It would certainly extend the careers of some pitchers out there and in this day and age with the amounts of bucks being shelled out to even crappy pitchers, extending your career as long as possible is great for your bank account.

[Alloutwar]

Not only that - but what a change-up!! Imagine a knuckler coming on from Zumaya - from 102mph to 60mph!! now THATS a change-up!

It's worthwhile even as a backup, now-and-then pitch, to catch people totally unaware. And it can save your arm, amke you marketable into your 40's - even get you on the list with Neikros, Wake, and Charlie Hough. I'm glad we have Zink carrying on the tradition.

[gRYFYN1]

Not only that - but what a change-up!! Imagine a knuckler coming on from Zumaya - from 102mph to 60mph!! now THATS a change-up!

It's worthwhile even as a backup, now-and-then pitch, to catch people totally unaware. And it can save your arm, amke you marketable into your 40's - even get you on the list with Neikros, Wake, and Charlie Hough. I'm glad we have Zink carrying on the tradition.

Wake could pitch for 5 or 6 more years, but he has had shoulder problems the last 2 years, so who know about his health. The knuckler is so much harder to throw than most people realize, at least on a consistent level.

If a player tries to throw it as an "occasional" pitch no one who swing at it, the arm action would be too radically different from a guy throwing 95. Plus as a change up that it too big a difference in speed.

However, the most entertaining thing about watching Wake pitch is when he blow a 74 MPH high fastball by a guy.

[TheNamelessPoet]

Last of the knuckleballers

there are 2-3 guys out there that thrw it effectivly... some guy nammed Cole and that zink guy they mentioned. Smoltz experemented with it but he is done I think someone out west throws it too...

[RickD]

THis Year

[Alloutwar]

RA Dickey? isnt he a knuckleballer?

[Red Sox Fan 734]

I don't understand why more pitchers don't try to learn it. It would certainly extend the careers of some pitchers out there and in this day and age with the amounts of bucks being shelled out to even crappy pitchers, extending your career as long as possible is great for your bank account.

I can throw a pretty good knuckleball........ except it only goes about 45 feet

[boomboom]

R.A. Dickey of the Seattle Mariners is the only other knuckleballer in the game. Tim Wakefield is the only other one in the majors.

[metsguy234]

Dickey isn't in the Majors?

[Alloutwar]

R.A. Dickey of the Seattle Mariners is the only other knuckleballer in the game. Tim Wakefield is the only other one in the majors.

Not anymore - as of yesterday the Red Sox called up minor leaguer Charlie Zink to replace Wakefield. Zink is a 29 year old knuckler, who is 13-4 in AAA this year. He was a minor league FA pickup in '02. As of today, he is on the major league roster.

So...I guess we're still at 2 in the majors? Whattabout the Tigers, didnt they have one last year?

[TheNamelessPoet]

cole hammels of th ephillies throws it all the time

[Alloutwar]

Uhm, can't confirm that...from his wikipedia page:

Hamels throws a standard four-seam fastball, a slow-breaking changeup (his "out" pitch), and a curveball.[1]

[HoustonGM]

Hamels doesn't throw a knuckleball...