GOOD NEWS, WITH TEARS: Mike Timlin Honors Tim Wakefield with 192-Mile Ride to Fight Cancer
BOSTON — The road from Boston to the Cape Cod coast is long, winding, and unforgiving. For Red Sox legend Mike Timlin, every mile of a 192-mile bike ride carried the weight of memory and love for a teammate gone too soon.
This past weekend, Timlin joined thousands of cyclists in the Pan-Mass Challenge, the nation’s largest single athletic fundraiser for cancer research. His mission was deeply personal: to honor the late Tim Wakefield, his former Red Sox teammate and close friend, and to raise funds to fight the disease that claimed both Wakefield and his wife, Stacy, within a heartbreaking year.
Wakefield, the beloved knuckleballer and two-time World Series champion, passed away from brain cancer in 2023. Just months later, Stacy lost her own battle with the same cruel disease. For Timlin, who shared countless innings, championship celebrations, and family moments with the Wakefields, the loss left a hole that no trophy could fill.
“Tim was more than a teammate,” Timlin said before the ride, adjusting his Red Sox cap as dawn broke over Sturbridge. “He was a brother. Riding these 192 miles is my way of saying he’s never forgotten—and to help make sure fewer families have to feel this pain.”
Timlin pedaled through heat, wind, and the rolling hills of Massachusetts, greeted at every stop by fans wearing Red Sox jerseys and Wakefield’s iconic No. 49. Some held signs with messages of support; others simply offered hugs. “You could feel the love,” Timlin said. “It was like Tim was right there with me.”
The Pan-Mass Challenge, which benefits the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has long been a signature event for New England’s sports community, but Timlin’s ride resonated far beyond the region. Former teammates sent messages of encouragement, while Red Sox fans across the country donated to his fundraising page, helping him surpass his $250,000 goal.
“Mike’s dedication reminds us why this team is a family,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “It’s not just about baseball. It’s about being there for each other when it matters most.”
For Timlin, the ride was both a tribute and a call to action. He spoke of the laughter he and Wakefield shared in the clubhouse, of fishing trips with their families, of quiet conversations about life after baseball. “Tim never stopped giving back,” Timlin said, his voice catching. “He taught me that it’s not about the games you win, it’s about the lives you touch.”
As the final miles passed beneath his tires and the Atlantic breeze cooled the August air, Timlin crossed the Provincetown finish line to cheers and tears. He raised his bike overhead and looked skyward. “This is for you, Tim,” he whispered.
The ride may be over, but Timlin’s mission continues. He has vowed to keep fundraising and to return next year. “Cancer took my friends,” he said, “but it will not take our hope. We ride because we believe in something better.”
In a sport built on numbers and statistics, Mike Timlin’s 192-mile journey stands as a testament to something far more enduring: the power of friendship, the strength of a promise, and the unbreakable spirit of a teammate’s love.
