Brianna Wakefield, the daughter of late Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield and his wife, Stacy Wakefield, threw the first pitch prior to the Red Sox's home opener against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday.
B/R Walk-Off @BRWalkoffBrianna Wakefield, daughter of Tim and Stacy Wakefield, threw out the first pitch to Jason Varitek at the Red Sox home opener ❤️<br><br>(via <a href="">@Steve_Perrault</a>) <a href="">
The pitch was caught by Red Sox coach Jason Varitek, former teammate and friend of Tim Wakefield.
Brianna Wakefield was surrounded by players from the 2004 championship team as she threw the pitch.
She and her brother Trevor then lifted the World Series trophy and led the championship team out onto the field.
Wakefield helped the Red Sox to World Series wins in 2004 and 2007. His 430 career starts marks a franchise record.
After beginning his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wakefield spent 17 seasons with the Red Sox, with whom he became known for his knuckleball.
Following his MLB career, Wakefield worked as a studio analyst for NESN.
Both Tim and Stacy Wakefield were involved in Boston-area charities, including the Red Sox Foundation and the Jimmy Fund.
The Jimmy Fund, a fundraising program for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, said in a tribute shared on Instagram before the home opener that the Wakefields' contributions "helped lead to remarkable progress in the treatment of cancer for children and adults."
Stacy Wakefield continued helping young cancer patients at the hospital after her husband's death, Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press reported.
Brianna Wakefield also joined her parents in their charity work, according to Steve Buckley of The Athletic.
Red Sox players will wear Wakefield's No. 49 in heart-shaped patches, a nod to his work with the Red Sox Foundation, on their jersey sleeves for the rest of the 2024 season.
Fans attending the game also received a heart-shaped pin featuring the jersey number as part of the tribute.
The Red Sox also honored former Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino prior to the home opener. Lucchino, who was a part of Red Sox leadership for the 2004, 2007 and 2013 championships and also served as a leader with the Jimmy Fund, died April 2 at age 78.
