The veteran pitcher will announce his retirement on Friday night at the Red Sox' new spring training home, JetBlue Park, at 5 p.m. on Friday night.
The news conference will air live on NESN.
Wakefield was by far the longest-tenured member of the Red Sox through the 2011 season, as the knuckleballer played 17 seasons in Boston. Wakefield came to Boston prior to the 1995 season. He collected 186 of his 200 career wins in a Red Sox uniform, and was a part of two World Series clubs in 2004 and 2007.
Wakefield's contributions in Boston weren't exclusive to the field, though. He was an active member in the community throughout his run in Boston, something he was awarded for in 2010 when MLB presented him the Roberto Clemente Award for community service. Wakefield's charity, Pitching in for Kids, was established in 2004 and it is "dedicated to providing specifically earmarked grants designed to improve the lives of children across the New England region."
