Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield acknowledges the crowd before throwing a ceremonial first pitch at the home opener of the Boston Red Sox against the Tampa Bay Rays in a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Friday, April 13, 2012

As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, former Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield will be joining the NESN in their coverage of Red Sox games. He’ll be making his debut tonight alongside Tom Caron and Jim Rice.

Here’s the release from NESN that came yesterday:

June 29, 2012 – NESN, New England’s most watched sports network, announced today that former Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield will join the network as a Red Sox studio analyst.

Wakefield’s first appearance will be on Saturday, June 30th at 9:00 p.m. when he joins Tom Caron and Hall of Famer Jim Rice for one-hour of pregame coverage before the Red Sox take on the Mariners in Seattle.

“Tim Wakefield has been an integral part of the fabric of the Red Sox and the New England community for the past 17 years,” said Sean McGrail, NESN President and CEO. “We are extremely happy to add Tim to our all-star lineup of studio analysts and believe that he will bring a unique perspective to our coverage with his knowledge of the team and the rest of the league.”

Wakefield retired at the end of last season after a 19-year MLB career, spending 17 years as a popular member of the Red Sox (1995-2012). He ended his career with 200 wins, 186 of them with the Red Sox, which ranks third behind only Cy Young and Roger Clemens on the Red Sox all-time career win list. He was the American League Comeback Player of the Year in 1995, an All-Star in 2009, and a two time World Series Champion.

He was also a champion off the field as one of the most charitable players in the league. He was nominated eight times for the Roberto Clemente Award, and honored as the 2010 recipient of this prestigious award. His partnership with the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston allowed him to spend time with patients. He has also been active with New England’s Pitching in for Kids organization, the Touch ‘Em All Foundation and the Space Coast Early Intervention Center in Melbourne, Fla.

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photo credit: ap photo