Stacy Wakefield, the widow of former Boston Red Sox pitcher and two-time World Series champion Tim Wakefield, has died.
Her family said in a statement released through the Red Sox that she died Wednesday at her Massachusetts home, less than five months after her husband died at the age of 57. Stacy was 53, according to online records.
“She was surrounded by her family and dear friends, as well as her wonderful caretakers and nurses,” the statement said. “The loss is unimaginable, especially in the wake of losing Tim just under five months ago. Our hearts are beyond broken.”
The family mentioned a diagnosis but did not provide a cause of death. In September, Tim’s former Red Sox teammate Curt Schilling said on a podcast both of the Wakefields had been diagnosed with cancer. Schilling said Tim had brain cancer and Stacy had pancreatic cancer. The news came with an outpouring of support for the Wakefields and criticism for Schilling disclosing the matter without their permission.
“We will remember Stacy as a strong, loving, thoughtful and kind person, who was as down-to-earth as they come,” the family’s statement continued. “We feel so lucky to have had her in our lives, and we take comfort in the fact that she will be reunited with Tim, the love of her life.”
Stacy and Tim are survived by their children, Trevor and Brianna.
As much as Tim was celebrated for his achievements on the field, both he and Stacy were also regarded in Boston for their work in the community.
Stacy worked alongside her husband in raising money for multiple charitable groups, including the Red Sox Foundation. They also worked with the Jimmy Fund, visiting with patients and raising funds for the childhood cancer charity.
RED SOX: Brainer Bonaci, one of the Red Sox’s top-ranked infield prospects, will miss the entire 2024 season.
As first reported by the Boston Globe, Bonaci received a season-long suspension for violating the minor-league domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy. The details of Bonaci’s violation remain under wraps.
Bonaci last played for the Portland Sea Dogs on Aug. 27. He was 16 games into a promotion to Double-A when he was quietly placed on the suspended list and sent home. In early October, he was placed on the restricted list and sent home from the Arizona Fall League after two games.
• Joey Gallo broke a tie game with a two-run double in the fifth inning to help the Washington Nationals top the Red Sox 4-3 at West Palm Beach, Florida.
Mark Kolozsvary drove in two runs for Boston with a single and groundout and Ceddanne Rafaela had an RBI single.
John Winckowski started and pitched two scoreless innings for the Red Sox.
ORIOLES: The Baltimore Orioles agreed to minor league contracts with right-hander Julio Teheran and infielder Kolten Wong, with invites to major league spring training.
Both are veterans with over a decade of big league experience. The 33-year-old Teheran is a two-time All-Star. He spent last season with Milwaukee and went 3-5 with a 4.40 ERA, making 11 starts. He spent his first nine major league seasons with Atlanta before a year with the Los Angeles Angels and one with Detroit.
Wong is also 33. He played for Seattle and the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, hitting .183 in 87 games. Prior to that, he played two years with Milwaukee and eight in St. Louis.
DODGERS: Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out three over two scoreless innings in his spring debut against the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers, giving a glimpse into why the Los Angeles Dodgers believe the right-hander can become a big league ace.
“I was just trying to do my job, trying to stay calm and focus on what I have to do,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter.
Yamamoto opened by striking out All-Star Marcus Semien on six pitches, then gave up Evan Carter’s single before Wyatt Langford grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Yamamoto started the second by striking out Nathaniel Lowe on three pitches and retiring Jonah Heim on a flyout to left.
Working with a long, deliberate windup and a fastball that hovered in the mid-90s, Yamamoto ended his outing by striking out Leody Taveras on four pitches.
He threw 16 of 19 pitches for strikes, showing the impeccable command he became known for in Japan. Lowe and Taveras took particularly weak swings on strike three.
RANGERS: Hector Ortiz, who spent the past 18 years as a manager and coach in the Texas Rangers’ organization, died after a long battle with cancer. He was 54.
The Rangers said Ortiz died at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, not far from the club’s spring training home in the suburb of Surprise.
Ortiz was a coach on the minor league player development staff the past three years after serving on the major league staff under two previous managers, Jeff Banister and Chris Woodward.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.