Wilbur Wood
| Birthdate | 10/22/1941 |
| Death Date | |
| Debut Year | 1961 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Pirates, Red Sox, White Sox |
| Position | Pitcher |
The Sporting News’ Pitcher of the Year in 1972, four-time 20-game winner Wilbur Wood led all MLB pitchers in victories from 1971-1974.
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The trajectory of Wilbur Wood's career changed after refining his knuckleball with the help of Hoyt Wilhelm
The trajectory of Wilbur Wood's career changed after refining his knuckleball with the help of Hoyt Wilhelm
Wilbur Wood broke into the big leagues in 1961 as a reliever with the Boston Red Sox. He bounced between the majors and the minors through the 1966 season.
In October of ’66, Wood was traded to the White Sox. Previously a fastball and curveball pitcher, Wood worked with knuckleball specialist and Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm.
Soon Wood mastered the new pitch. In 1967 he established a new career high by appearing in 51 games. Wood went 4-2 and posted his sub-3.00 ERA at 2.45.
From 1968-1970 Wood was terrific. The left-hander led the AL in appearances each year. In 1968 he set a Major League record by appearing in 88 games and was named the Sporting News AL Fireman of the Year.
By that time, he threw the knuckleball almost exclusively.
Wood told Sports Illustrated the his catcher always knew what pitch was coming. “Eddie (Herrmann) never even had to put down a sign, he knew what I was going to throw, I knew what I was going to throw, and the fans knew what I was going to throw.”
In the collection is this pair of 1972 Topps baseball cards autographed by Wilbur Wood.
When Wood became a starter in 1971 he reeled off four straight 20-win seasons
When Wood became a starter in 1971 he reeled off four straight 20-win seasons
In 1971 White Sox skipper Chuck Tanner inserted Wilbur Wood into the starting rotation. The move paid immediate dividends. Wood won 22 games with a sparkling 1.91 earned run average. He posted a career-best 191 ERA+ and finished third in Cy Young voting.
The following season his workload was astonishing. His 49 starts were the most since Hall of Fame pitcher Ed Walsh matched the total in 1908. Wood’s 376 2/3 innings pitched was the most since Walsh threw 393 in 1912. The White Sox ace finished second in Cy Young balloting to Gaylord Perry.
His 1973 campaign featured 24 wins and 20 losses. It was the first time a pitcher both won and lost at least 20 contests since Walter Johnson in 1916.
Wood reached the 20-win plateau each season from 1971-1974. An All Star in three of those four seasons, Wood averaged 348 innings and 45 starts per year. He led all of baseball with 90 wins in those four seasons.
By the time he retired in 1978 Wood had 297 starts and 354 relief appearances. He led the league in games three times and in starts four times. Twice Wood posted a single-season WAR over 10. His career WAR stands at 52.1, higher than Cooperstown pitchers Early Wynn, Hoyt Wilhelm, Dizzy Dean, Jack Morris, and others.
Shown here is a Topps baseball card showing the 1973 wins leaders. It is autographed by 24-game winner Wilbur Wood.
