The Boston Red Sox say Tim Wakefield is undergoing treatment for an unspecified disease and asked fans to respect the former pitcher’s privacy after his illness was disclosed without his consent by ex-teammate Curt Schilling.
The Red Sox issued a statement Thursday after Schilling discussed Wakefield’s condition on a podcast, leading to an outpouring of support for Wakefield — and criticism of Schilling.
“We are aware of the statements and inquiries about the health of Tim and Stacy Wakefield,” the Red Sox said. “Unfortunately, this information has been shared publicly without their permission. Their health is a deeply personal matter they intended to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to tackle this disease. Tim and Stacy are appreciative of the support and love that has always been extended to them and respectfully ask for privacy at this time.”
Wakefield, 57, retired in 2012 with a 200-192 record and 4.41 ERA in more than 3,000 major league innings. The knuckleballer was a part of Boston’s 2004 and ’07 World Series championships and was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2016.
Wakefield also has worked for NESN, the Red Sox broadcast network, since 2012 and remained active in Boston charities, including the Red Sox Foundation.
Schilling, who was Wakefield’s teammate from 2004 to ’07, retired in 2009. He worked as an ESPN analyst before he was fired in 2016 for anti-transgender social media posts.
Schilling was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and later said it was in remission. He was enshrined in the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2012, but he fell short of induction in the national Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022, his final year of eligibility, garnering 58.6% of the vote — far short of the 75% needed.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.