Tim Wakefield wondered if it would ever happen. He was stuck on 199 wins for so long, would No. 200 ever come?
"Yeah, it did cross my mind after six or seven starts," Wakefield, 45, said. "I kept telling myself that the milestone doesn't determine me as a person."
It took eight outings, but Wakefield finally did it. He gave away 2-0 and 4-3 leads against the Toronto Blue Jays, but ultimately the Boston Red Sox 45-year-old knuckleballer picked up the win in an 18-6 rout of the Blue Jays on Tuesday at Fenway Park.
After the game, the Red Sox celebrated with champagne in the clubhouse, while in the stands, fans weren't willing to leave until Wakefield appeared.
"I've always said I've been very grateful to wear this uniform as long as I have," Wakefield said. "I've been very fortunate to live out a dream I had as a kid. I'm just thankful that it happened tonight, and I'm very grateful that it happened in front of our home crowd. The standing ovation I got when I walked off the mound in the fifth and in the sixth and to be able to go back out after the game was over with and share it with the 38,000 that were still here -- very special."
And just how old is Wakefield? His catcher during Tuesday's victory, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, was still a year away from entering kindergarten when Wakefield began his major league career.
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-- Houston Mitchell
Photo: Tim Wakefield gets doused with champagne while celebrating his 200th victory with Red Sox teammate Jonathan Papelbon. Credit: Winslow Townson / Associated Press
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