Kenny Chesney Mourns the Death of Red Sox Pitcher Tim Wakefield

Kenny Chesney is mourning the death of a baseball legend whom he also counted as a friend. On Tuesday (Oct. 3), the country star shared a social media tribute to the late former Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, who died over the weekend at 57 years old.

"A very tough time for Red Sox Nation and [No Shoes Nation]," Chesney writes in the caption of his post, emphasizing the overlap between Wakefield's fan base and his own with two photos of the two of them together on the ball field.

"Goodbye to my friend Tim Wakefield who I shared a lot of laughs with," Chesney continues. "Tim threw batting practice to me and a few friends at [Fenway Park] in 2004. He came to countless shows over the years and I'm sure gonna miss him."

"Rest in peace, pal," Chesney concludes.

Wakefield pitched for the Red Sox for 17 years, becoming the longest-standing player on the team from when he joined in 1995 until he retired in 2012. He helped the Boston team win the World Series in 2004. That win ended an 86-year streak of the Red Sox not winning the World Series that fans dubbed "the Curse of the Bambino," a nod to the team's supposed bad luck after Babe Ruth was sent to the New York Yankees after the 1919 season.

According to ESPN, the Red Sox announced Wakefield's death in a statement on Sunday (Oct. 1), confirming that he had been ill but declining to provide further detail.

During a podcast appearance that took place last week, Wakefield's former teammate Curt Schilling stated that Wakefield had suffered from brain cancer, presumably disclosing that information against Wakefield's wishes.