Happy birthday to our favorite knuckle baller, Tim Wakefield! Have you read KNUCKLER? Today seems like a good day to start. 

Available in paperback today, the story of the now-retired Red Sox pitcher, Tim Wakefield. 

In KNUCKLER, Tim Wakefield shares the story of his life with baseball most confounding pitch. He is an enigma. At forty-four years old, he was the longest-serving member of one of baseball’s most popular franchises. He pitched more games than any other player in Red Sox history, and in 2011 he reached the milestone of 200 career victories. Yet few realize the full measure of his success. In fact, that his career can be characterized by such words as longevity and consistency defies all odds, because he has achieved all of this with the game’s most mercurial weapon—the knuckleball. 

KNUCKLER is the story of how a struggling position player risked his future on a fickle pitch that would eventually define his career, making him one of the most respected players in the game. It is also a lively and entertaining meditation on the dancing pitch, its history, its mechanics, its mystique, and the inevitable ironies it brings to bear. 

Out now, KNUCKLER: My Life With Baseball’s Most Confounding Pitch by Tim Wakefield with Tony Massarotti. Enter now for your chance to win a baseball signed by Tim Wakefield - and 25 runners up win a signed copy of the book! Check out the site for details, plus an excerpt, video and more.

At forty-four years old, Tim Wakefield is the longest-serving member of one of baseball’s most popular franchises. He is close to eclipsing the winning records of two of the greatest pitchers to have played the game, yet few realize the full measure of his success. That his career can be characterized by such words as dependability and consistency defies all odds because he has achieved this with baseball’s most mercurial weapon—the knuckleball.

Knuckler is the story of how a struggling position player bet his future on a fickle pitch that would define his career. The pitch may drive hitters crazy, but how does the pitcher stay sane? The moment Wakefield adopted the knuckleball, his career sought to answer that question. With the Red Sox, Wakefield began to master his pitch only to find himself on the mound in 2003 for one of the worst post-season losses in history, followed the next year by one of the most vindicating of championships. Even now, as Wakefield battles, we see the twists and turns of a major league career pushed to its ultimate extreme.

A remarkable story of one player’s success despite being the exception to every rule, Knuckler is also a lively meditation on the dancing pitch, its history, its mystique, and all the ironies it brings to bear.