Wilbur Wood
It was a wise decision when Wilbur Wood listened to teammate Hoyt Wilhelm and concentrated his efforts on the knuckleball. Floundering with his mediocre fastball and curve, Wood turned to the fluttering pitch and made a career for himself, first as a top-notch reliever. The stocky left-hander later flourished after Chuck Tanner arrived to manage the White Sox in 1970. In Tanner's first full season at the helm, he made Wood a starting pitcher, and Wilbur responded with 22 victories and a sparkling 1.91 ERA. Pitching nearly every third day for the next three years, Wood won 20 games each season. When Tanner left, Wood's magic was gone too, and he was done after going 10-10 at the age of 36 in 1978.
Quotes About Wood
"The funny thing about Wilbur is that he wasn't overjoyed in the beginning to be made a starter. He suspected it might be jeopardizing his career." — manager Chuck Tanner, who plucked Wilbur Wood from the bullpen and made him a starting pitcher.
"You know what you ought to call him? Wilbur Wonderful!" — manager Chuck Tanner after Wilbur Wood tossed his third straight shutout in eight days in early 1973
Played For
Boston Red Sox (1961-1964)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1964-1965)
Chicago White Sox (1967-1978)
Minor League Experience
Drafted by his hometown Red Sox, Wood banged around in their farm system for five years. He was 15-11 at York in 1962, and 15-8 for Seattle in 1964, but was left unprotected by the Red Sox and drafted by Pittsburgh as a free agent. In Columbus in 1966, he had a good season: 14-8 with a 2.40 ERA. That caught the attention of someone in the White Sox organization, and he was purchased by Chicago in October of 1966.
Born
Wilbur Forrester (Jr.) Wood was born on October 22, 1941, in Cambridge, MA.
Batted: Right
Threw: Left
Primary Position: P
Primary Team: CHA
Major League Debut
June 30, 1961
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1961
Carl Yastrzemski
Lou Brock
Boog Powell
Jim Fregosi
Sam McDowell
Dean Chance
Al Downing
Bill Freehan
Eddie Brinkman
Nicknames
Wilbah
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1984 |
BBWAA |
14 |
3.5% |
1985 |
BBWAA |
16 |
4.1% |
1986 |
BBWAA |
23 |
5.4% |
1987 |
BBWAA |
26 |
6.3% |
1988 |
BBWAA |
30 |
7.0% |
1989 |
BBWAA |
14 |
3.1% |
|
The Pitches He Threw
Wood's father was a good semi-pro ballplayer in the Boston area and taught Wilbur how to throw a fine palmball. In his early teens, Wilbur moved his top two fingers below the seem and dug his nails into the ball and had a fine knuckleball. Struggling in the majors, and at the urging of teammate Hoyt Wilhelm in 1967, Wood began throwing the knuckler almost exclusively. "Hoyt convinced me that if the knuckler was my best pitch, I'd succeed only if I threw it at least 70% of the time," Wood said.
Notes
Of Wood's 49 starts in 1972, 25 came on two days rest, and 24 were on three days rest. On two days rest he was 12-10 with a 2.50 ERA, and with three days rest the left-hander was 12-7 with a 2.52 ERA... Wood was a fine hockey player (a defenseman) as a youth and loved the game. He dreamed of getting a hockey scholarship to Boston University... When Wood won 24 games in 1972, he did not win any after September 7th...
All-Star Selections
1971 AL
1972 AL
1974 AL
Other stories on the Web about Wilbur Wood
Wilbur Wood's Rubber Arm ⇒
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