Pawtucket’s Alex Prieto forces out Rochester’s Matt Tolbert at second base during yesterday’s game.

THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL / Glenn Osmundson

PAWTUCKET — The ability to throw the knuckleball effectively, especially at the professional level, is a unique talent, one not many pitchers have.

If, however, anyone can throw the magical pitch, chances are you’ll end up in the Boston Red Sox organization because it seems the club has cornered the market.

The Red Sox apparently have a fascination with knuckleball pitchers since they have three in the organization — Tim Wakefield, Charlie Zink and John Barnes.

Wakefield has become one of the all-time legendary knuckleball pitchers, joining Joe Niekro and Charlie Hough. Wakefield and Chicago White Sox pitcher Charlie Haeger are the only knucklers in the majors right now, but Barnes and Zink are trying to add to that list as they continue to hone their skills with the Pawtucket Red Sox.

“There’s value because it’s such a tough pitch to handle,” PawSox manager Ron Johnson said. “A guy like Wake — he’ll take the ball every five days and eat up innings and always give you a six-, seven- or eight-inning outing, and that’s a big value to a pitching staff throughout the course of a season.”

Johnson believes a knuckleball pitcher is a staff stabilizer, pointing to the fact that Wakefield has earned a decision in every one of his starts this season.

“As a manager, that’s nice to have,” he said. Knuckleball pitchers “are durable and dependable. It’s a real big value. It’s really hard to do, and there are probably a lot of guys who have tried to do it. It’s a hard pitch to master, but when you get a guy who can do it, it’s a big value.”

Johnson says he’ll manage the game differently with a knuckleball pitcher on the mound, noting that a lot of walks and hits are expected.

Barnes, 31, played 10 years in the minors as a position player and compiled a career .303 average before converting to a pitcher last season. In 2000, he was named Minnesota’s Minor League Player of the Year and won the Pacific Coast League’s batting title with a .365 average for Triple-A Edmonton. He also has 20 games of major-league experience with the Twins in parts of two seasons (2000 and 2001).

Now, he feels his second career is just beginning.

“I think it’s great,” Barnes said when asked about having three knuckleball pitchers in the Red Sox organization. “I’m just happy to be here and that the Red Sox gave me an opportunity to pitch. We’ll see what happens.”

Barnes spoke with Wakefield during spring training and just last week spoke with legendary knuckleballer Charlie Hough, who also works with Wakefield.

Zink, 27, was recently promoted from Double-A Portland for the second time this season after spending the majority of last season in Pawtucket, where he led the club in victories with a 9-4 record.

Both pitchers have been solid in their last outings.

Barnes tossed a complete-game two-hitter against Rochester in the second game of a doubleheader Friday at McCoy Stadium, allowing just two hits with four strikeouts. Zink earned the win yesterday, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with two walks and one strikeout.

Success is contagious, and it seems the two are feeding off of each other.

“It’s fun,” said Zink. “Just about every day I get to see someone throw a knuckleball. It’s very entertaining for me and I think we can all learn from each other. It’s a good situation to be in right now.”

Another knuckleballer, Jared Fernandez, also was in the Red Sox organization. He signed with Boston as a free agent in 1994. He never saw any big-league time and signed with the Cincinnati organization in 2000. He is pitching in Japan this season.

Barnes says he has been throwing the knuckler since he was 10. He said he pays close attention to Wakefield and Zink when they pitch, and the small fraternity of pitchers will talk about their craft when needed. Ironically, of the three, each holds and throws the pitch differently. Barnes throws his with a little more velocity, while Zink is more consistent at one speed — like Wakefield.

Throwing it is the easy part of the equation; catching is a different story.

Red Sox fans witnessed first-hand how important it is to have a catcher who can handle a knuckleball. Red Sox backup catcher Doug Mirabelli is Wakefield’s personal catcher and after Boston traded him to San Diego, it wasn’t long before the club brought him back. Everyone remembers the police escort Mirabelli received when he returned to the Red Sox in the middle of last season.

Even Barnes and Zink say it can be difficult getting used to a new batterymate.

“It’s tough,” said Barnes. PawSox catcher Kevin “Cash has done a great job. It’s nice when they can catch them. Even if they miss it, that’s a good thing, too, because that’s showing you the ball is moving. As a knuckleball pitcher, you want the ball to move.”

Because the Red Sox pitching staff is loaded with talented arms, plus the fact the minor-league system has a few prospects, it’s a long shot that another knuckleballer will toe the rubber at Fenway.

“I’m just trying to have fun with it,” Barnes said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. If the Red Sox don’t give me an opportunity down the road, maybe somebody else will. I would love to pitch for the Red Sox. That would be incredible. I’m just going to go out there and try to have as much fun as I can each start for the rest of my career.”

Zink agrees.

“All I can worry about is pitching well and hopefully it’ll work out with the Red Sox or with somebody else,” he said. “Hopefully someone will like me and give me a chance to pitch in the big leagues because that’s what we’re all trying to do.”

jmcdonal@projo.com