Two Boston sports legends passed away this week. First, Boston Red Sox hall of famer Tim Wakefield died of cancer.
Wakefield is an absolute legend. There is no way he should have been as dominant as he was throwing those goofy little knuckleballs, but when he was on he was untouchable. Dan Douquette is a hero for eternity for signing this guy after the Pirates cut him. He could have been a villain for all eternity after Aaron Freakin’ Boone hit that playoff series losing walk off home run off of him in 2003, but he was such a pro and the roll model team player that he was able to rise above it. Taking one for the team as the Yankees were pummeling us in game three in 2004 and thus saving the bullpen to spark the comeback that lead to the Red Sox breaking their 86 year world series drought sure helped to win the doubters back.
Rest in peace, Red Sox hero and two time world series champion, Tim Wakefield.
That was yesterday. Today, we found out we lost former Patriots star tight end Russ Francis.
I am not a football guy, but I sort of was a fan when I was a kid, back in the days when the Patriots were eternally pathetic. I remember Francis from back then… a little bit. I think I may have had his football card, and he was a pro bowl caliber player at a time when the Pats were league renown door mats. I can’t remember actually seeing him play at all. I didn’t get football enough to know who was doing what back in those days, but I do remember hearing his name on the game broadcasts and I knew it was bad news when he left.
Rest in peace, Russ Francis.
As I said, it’s been a bad couple of days for Boston sports fans.
