Following Curt Schilling’s disclosure of Tim Wakefield’s illness without his permission, the Boston Red Sox have confirmed that Wakefield is receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment and have pleaded with fans to respect the former pitcher’s privacy.
After Schilling exposed Wakefield’s illness on a podcast on Thursday, the Red Sox released a statement, sparking an outpouring of sympathy for Wakefield and criticism of Schilling.
The Red Sox stated, “We are aware of the statements and inquiries regarding Tim and Stacy Wakefield’s health. “Unfortunately, their consent was not obtained before this information was made public. As they undergo therapy and fight this cancer, their health is a very personal topic that they are meant to remain private. Tim and Stacy politely want privacy at this time and are grateful for all the love and support that have always been shown to them.
Wakefield, 57, finished his major league career in 2012 with a 200-192 record and a 4.41 ERA over more than 3,000 innings. The knuckleballer was a member of Boston’s World Series title teams in 2004 and 2007, and he was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 2016.
Wakefield has also been employed by the Red Sox broadcast network, NESN, since 2012 and has continued to be involved in other Boston-area charities, notably the Red Sox Foundation.
Wakefield’s colleague Schilling from 2004 to 2007 retired in 2009. Before being fired in 2016 for his anti-transgender social media rants, he was an ESPN analyst.
In 2014, Schilling had a throat cancer diagnosis; he later declared it to be in remission. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2012, but in 2022, his final year of eligibility, he was denied election into the National Baseball Hall of Fame after receiving only 58.6% of the vote, which was well below the required 75%.