Pedro Martinez has vowed that he and his fellow Red Sox teammates will be there to support Tim and Stacy Wakefield’s children.
Tim Wakefield died on October at 57 years old after suffering from brain cancer, and his wife, Stacy, died in February of cancer, five months after her husband passed.
The couple had a 19-year-old son, Trevor, and 17-year-old daughter, Brianna.
Trevor and Brianna threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the first Red Sox home game this season.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Martinez said he would be there for them.
“The night before, I got together with the family and I was able to tell them how much I respect Wakey, how much I love them,” Martinez said.
“We looked [out] for each other every single day. Running partners, bullpen partners and family members together,” Martinez adds. “We made sure that our families remained in contact and that we were always together and we never let go.”
Martinez said that the reunion on April 19 was full of “mixed emotions, because we remember the great moments, but also sad to see that this happened to two kids.”
“What are the odds? For the same reasons. It is hard to think of. It’s hard to imagine,” Martinez said, referring to the tragedy that both parents died from cancer within months of each other. “We’re here to be uncles — I’ve supported these kids. [We’re] close uncles that are going to take care of ’em and anything they need.”
Martinez and Wakefield played together on the Red Sox from 1998-2004.
The 2004 season was particularly special for Red Sox fans, as the team erased a 3-0 deficit against the rival Yankees in the ALCS before winning the franchise’s first World Series in 86 years.
