Padres’ Matt Waldron brings back knuckleball Tim Wakefield memories at Fenway Park

Waldron, a 27-year-old who made his major league debut last year, doesn’t use the pitch exclusively, but it is the most prominent part of his four-pitch arsenal, an pitch he employs about 40 percent of the time. to mystify opponents. And Wakefield, the beloved player who proudly used the field in the big leagues between 1992 and 2011, played a role in both the field’s origin story and Waldron’s development.

The Padres right-hander first learned to pitch as a kid growing up in Omaha, Neb., thanks to Wakefield.

“(Knuckleball) was floating up there. As a kid, it was just magical,” Waldron said. “I’ve learned more since playing (as him) in a video game. Then I said, “This is the most wonderful thing.” “

Waldron and his twin brother realized that the joint was some kind of code. They came to an understanding.

“We were like, ‘You can’t use it. It’s not fair. This is not baseball,’” he said with a laugh.

While they made this decision while playing, they also realized that the real-world application of the pitch could be extraordinary. The twins Googled an image of Wakefield demonstrating his knuckleball grip and headed straight to their backyard.

“I swear, I learned it in about five minutes,” Waldron said.

However, the pitch was a novelty item, a toy to use between games rather than part of his arsenal during his four years at the University of Nebraska and after being taken in the 18th round 2019 draft pick by Cleveland, his start. minor league career.

That changed in early 2021. The Padres had seen Waldron mess with the pitch and encouraged him to use it in games. By the middle of that season, the team had made arrangements to introduce Waldron to Wakefield in a two-hour Zoom meeting.

“I was like, ‘Oh man, what are we going to talk about for two hours?’ But it went like this,” he said with a snap of his fingers.

Wakefield spoke to him not only about grip and mechanics, but also about the mindset required to be an effective knuckleballer. Waldron appreciated the mix of micro- and macro-level topics—while enjoying a revelation about the person he was conversing with.

“You could tell he had a very sweet life. I just thought, “I could do that! I wish I had that life! Waldron said. “But more than that, he was a very helpful and giving guy. This is what I noticed and admired. That was cool. It made me comfortable.”

Later in the season, another two-hour Zoom meeting was scheduled, this time after Wakefield watched some of Waldron’s starts for the High A Fort Wayne TinCaps. At that point, Waldron was getting more advanced in discussing his pitch intent, at one point catching Wakefield by surprise when he said he tried to throw the pitch as hard as possible.

“Turning my head a little bit at that point was a little bit of motivation to keep me going,” Waldron said. “Was awesome.”

Waldron was still adjusting to the idea that the Padres wanted him to throw it as a dominant offering. His eyes widened when Wakefield talked about using him 80 to 90 percent of the time.

Gradually, Waldron began to rely more on the pitch, and it played a big role in making his way to the big leagues. But he never got the chance to connect with Wakefield about reaching the highest level of the game. News of Wakefield’s sudden death came on the final day of the 2023 season, when the Padres were in Chicago to play the White Sox.

“It was devastating. I roared all day in the dugout,” Waldron said. “I was sitting in a dugout in the big leagues and I was thinking, ‘I’m throwing a ball, and a guy who helped me get to this point just died. It just doesn’t feel right. “

Not yet – for anyone who knew Wakefield or crossed paths with him. Still, when Waldron saw that the program would bring the Padres to Boston this year, he immediately recognized the importance of the visit as an opportunity to honor a mentor and inspiration.

Waldron circled the series before the season and knew long ago that he was slated to start Sunday’s series finale at Fenway. So he panicked on June 14 in New York when rain delayed the start of the scheduled outing against the Mets and threatened to postpone it — and push Waldron out of a scheduled start at Fenway.

“I said, ‘This rain needs to go,” he said.

Finally, the rain disappeared too On Sunday — weather permitting — Waldron will bring the knuckleball back to where he pitched Wakefield in 303 regular-season games spanning 1,553 innings.

The occasion will have an amazing character. Batting practice ringer Matt Noone suggested it would be “bittersweet” – happy to think of Wakefield, painful to think of his absence. Sox home club manager Tommy McLaughlin presented Waldron with a Wakefield cap and patch.

“Any friend of Wake is a friend of mine,” McLaughlin said.

Waldron understands it will bring back memories of the pitcher in a region that still misses him. It’s an opportunity and a responsibility he doesn’t take for granted.

“I wouldn’t have missed that. It’s special to be here,” he said. “I was asked, ‘Do you feel his presence (at Fenway) a little bit?’ Yes, I can. It’s interesting and hard to put into words.”

Alex Speier can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @alexspeier.