You glanced at your Boston Globe hoping and praying that the headline news is the signing off Manny Ramirez. The previous night, you learned Manny would be making his decision between Boston and Cleveland. Surely enough, the big man made the front page. You went nuts. You probably didn't even notice in size 12 font the signings of Tim Wakefield and Frank Castillo.

Oh well. No one cares, right? Because he just lobs the ball at a mere 60-68MPH, as it seems he is asking the hitters to hit the ball. In fact, he does this about 95 percent of the time, right? Wrong.

It is true that yes, Wakefield did throw pretty much all knucklers last year. It is also true that he had a 5.48 ERA which led us to believe that his form of 1998, when he won 17 games, was lost. However, after talking with Kerrigan, perhaps the most renowned pitching coach in the game, Wakefield only throws about 70 percent knuckleballs. He adds a curveball and even a 77-80 MPH fastball to shock hitters. In fact, he will throw any pitch with three balls. Throwing the fastball and curveball has only made his knuckleball all the more unhittable. In other words, he is a pitcher who doesn't rely on a power pitch any more. He changes speed quite often, like Tim Hudson who also has to do so because of his lack of an overbearing pitch.

A knuckleball as it is, is quite hard to hit. When you expect one, there is a better chance you won't get one, as demonstrated on June 19th against the Devil Rays where Wakefield and Hatteberg used what was working, according to Wakefield. The fastball wasn't on, but the curve and knuckler certainly were. Thus, he one-hit them.

Wakefield is 34, and oddly enough, it may seem as if he is in his prime. He did win 17 games in 1998, but he is 5-1 this year with just a few starts and has, in my opinion, been throwing his best stuff ever. In Red Sox Nation, we can only wait and see what the future holds for Wakefield.

JeffRocks

Note from the webmaster. Jeff wrote this artice before Sunday's game (6/24) I just never got online to get it. Sorry Jeff.