Tim Wakefield, the knuckleball pitcher who helped the Boston Red Sox win their curse-busting World Series title in 2004, has died at the age of 57. The Red Sox announced his death in a statement Sunday. Wakefield had brain cancer, according to ex-teammate Curt Schilling, who outed the illness on a podcast last week. Wakefield begin his baseball career in 1989 with the old Welland Pirates of the New York Penn League after being an 8th round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He went on to play in 19 Major League seasons, including two with Pittsburgh and 17 with the Red Sox, winning his 200th game at the age of 45.
