The Baseball Reporter* A look back at the unusual career of Wilbur Wood*

Search

Banned
Joined
Sep 20, 2004
Messages
80,046
Tokens
Wilbur Wood- lefthanded knuckleballer, that alone is a bit of an oddity, how many lefthanded knuckleballers can you recall?:icon_conf :icon_conf

I hope to use this column to introduce and/or reacquaint readers with some of these lesser known characters. Though their statistics may not be Hall of Fame caliber, their stories are often worth telling.

Wilbur Wood broke in to MLB at age 19, he never started more than 8 games until he was 29 years old, another peculiar quirk in his very unique career...

From 1971-74 Wood won 90 games,he also lost 69 over that period,but did win 20 or more games in all four seasons.... he was the ultimate rubber-armed pitcher..... in the same four year period he completed 87 games...

A knuckleballer with exceptional control, Wood posted a better than two-to-one strikeouts to walks ratio for those four campaigns. This is the story of one of the most underrated players of the last thirty years.

Wood made history in other ways in 1973. On Monday night, May 28, he took the mound against Cleveland in the completion of a game suspended two nights earlier after 16 innings. He threw five innings, and although allowing an unearned run to the Indians in the top of the 21st inning, Chicago rallied for four in the bottom of the frame, Wood receiving the win.

In the evening's regularly-scheduled game, Wilbur hurled a complete game, four-hit shutout, thus winning two games in the same day. His line for the night: 14 innings pitched, six hits, one unearned run, three walks, nine strikeouts.

All of this my have never happened had Wood not been introduced to famous Knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm who transformed him from a below average pitccher who threw an average fastball and curve into a wicked knuckleballer with incredible control....

Wood had one of the more unique careers in MLB history...

wood_wilbur_card.jpg
 

Official Rx music critic and beer snob
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
25,128
Tokens
Journey - love the old-school baseball coming from you lately. :103631605

Grew up watching Wilbur Wood and Dick Allen (only 2 Sox I liked). Remember when Ron Leflore hit a ball off his kneecap, ending his career. He put up some serious numbers in the early 70's that will not be seen for some time. He averaged 45 starts a season for 5 straight seasons in the 70's.

a9_1_b.JPG

 

Banned
Joined
Sep 20, 2004
Messages
80,046
Tokens
Ron Leflore was an amazing talent...remember Lavar Burton in the Ron Leflore story?

I have always found Wood's career story pretty fascinating...we don't have enough diehard baseball fans around here...old school that is...

A lefthanded knuckleballer even! Can you imagine a lefty knuckler these days, I can't really....

When you look back at Wood's career , he was washed up before he found Hoyt Wilhelm (not Wilheim) ....I actually remember the Monday Night doubleheader he started, if my memory is correct the game was on Monday Night Baseball .

I found it interesting anyway, glad you did too FW..thanks
 

Banned
Joined
Sep 20, 2004
Messages
80,046
Tokens
Also, Wilbur Wood started 97 games over a two year span , can you imagine that today?

The top starters may get 34-35 starts..

Wilbur started 48-and 49 games in back to back seasons, thats nuts! a few starts shy of 1/3 of his teams entire starts :icon_conf :icon_conf :icon_conf


:lolBIG: In the 97 starts , he had 85 decisions !!!
 

Official Rx music critic and beer snob
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
25,128
Tokens
Those 70's White Sox were never dull. They also had Mike Squires who was the last left-handed catcher, and 3rd Baseman. Win yourself a drink with that trivia question.
 

New member
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
2,574
Tokens
I remeber Wood. When I first started following baseball as a Kid he was a damn good pitcher, won 20 4 times in a row.

I used to seperate my baseball cards and I always put my Woods in the special pile. Probably partly because of his name (C'mon Wilber Wood..that's great) and because I knew he was a Sox at one point.

That Ron Leflore Movie was terrible. But the real Leflore could fly and put together a 30 game hitting streak too.
 

Banned
Joined
Sep 20, 2004
Messages
80,046
Tokens
Also recall those crazy shorts uniforms , and those bizarre uniforms with SOX across the chest, in fact they had like 4 entirely different uniforms in the 70's alone. unheard of for back then...

The shower out in the bleachers, Disco Demolition night, Dick Allen, Lamaar Johnson (the guy wore out Baltimore), Ralph Garr, Terry Forster, Carlos May (Lee's brother), Bill Melton,Jorge Orta ,ChetLemon, Ritchie Zisk, Claudell Washington...they were always decent but never had much pitching.
 

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
1,459
Tokens
70's white sox don't forget Walter "no neck" Williams. got a walk he ran full out to first base. FWarning Dick Allen was one of my favorites too. he was a great talent. dick hit no cheap home runs either. alot were to dead center at old comiskey which was a long haul then.
 

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
1,459
Tokens
J Man, Carlos May lost part of his thumb in a accident part way through his career also and still played.
 

I don't know enough to know I don't know
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
12,483
Tokens
Good read and many things I had forgotten about. The biggest thing I forgot was that he was a southpaw. Can you imagine him today in the middle of a Astro staff. How about you face Houston in a four game series and you must face Pettitte then Clemens then Wood then Oswalt? Talk about keeping a lineup off balance.
 

Banned
Joined
Sep 20, 2004
Messages
80,046
Tokens
VegasVic said:
Good read and many things I had forgotten about. The biggest thing I forgot was that he was a southpaw. Can you imagine him today in the middle of a Astro staff. How about you face Houston in a four game series and you must face Pettitte then Clemens then Wood then Oswalt? Talk about keeping a lineup off balance.

:lolBIG: That is a great point Vic....I think Wood would command a huge contract in todays game...97 starts in 2 years, and 85 decisions...
 

Listen we r all here to give and take! does it mat
Joined
Apr 28, 2005
Messages
713
Tokens
not so good with baseball but i think

lefthanded knuckleballer is Tim Wakefield was the most effective knuckleballer
 

Official Rx music critic and beer snob
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
25,128
Tokens
Speaking of Dick Allen, he had quite the career too. A few facts about him:

- Always wore long-sleeves because he was embarrassed about how big his biceps were

-Was traded from Philly to St Louis in 1970. What made it a big deal was Curt Flood was the player going to Philly. Flood never reported and through the court system, ended up a few years later in free agency for the players.

-Allen used a 40 oz bat.

--In 1974 he led the league in HR's. He walked out on his team at the end of August and did not play in September.
 

I don't know enough to know I don't know
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
12,483
Tokens
In today's game even the most mediocre of lefties pitch seemingly into their 40s.

A left handed knuckleball pitcher...Good grief!
 

Official Rx music critic and beer snob
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
25,128
Tokens
Trendsetter said:
lefthanded knuckleballer is Tim Wakefield was the most effective knuckleballer

Wood and Phil Niekro were far better.
 

I don't know enough to know I don't know
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
12,483
Tokens
FairWarning said:
Speaking of Dick Allen, he had quite the career too. A few facts about him:

- Always wore long-sleeves because he was embarrassed about how big his biceps were

-Was traded from Philly to St Louis in 1970. What made it a big deal was Curt Flood was the player going to Philly. Flood never reported and through the court system, ended up a few years later in free agency for the players.

-Allen used a 40 oz bat.

--In 1974 he led the league in HR's. He walked out on his team at the end of August and did not play in September.

Dick always did march to his own dummer.
 

Banned
Joined
Sep 20, 2004
Messages
80,046
Tokens
I didn't realize Allen missed the entire month of September in '74...that was his last big season, traded back to Philly, he was only 32 in 1974...and I just looked he was only 5-11 190, I always thought he was a big man, the story of the large bat etc...how did he swing a bat that large being 5-11 , 190???

I read he had a bad alcohol problem,, seems to fit...he was one of the first colorful chracters I remember, he wore those Reggie Jackson glasses and the helmet in the field...
 

I don't know enough to know I don't know
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
12,483
Tokens
Speaking of always wearing long sleeves due to being embarrassed about the size of his biceps.....NOT an issue for Wilbur.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Banned
Joined
Sep 20, 2004
Messages
80,046
Tokens
More on Wood

ERA 1971 (his first yr as a starter) 42 GS 1.91
1972 , 49-GS 2.51 ERA....
1973 , 48-GS 3.46 ERA...
He retired at age 36, did his arm fall off?

Career ERA 3.24 (knuckleballer)
 

Forum statistics

Threads
1,106,906
Messages
13,439,464
Members
99,345
Latest member
08winlink
The RX is the sports betting industry's leading information portal for bonuses, picks, and sportsbook reviews. Find the best deals offered by a sportsbook in your state and browse our free picks section.FacebookTwitterInstagramContact Usforum@therx.com