Name--Year
Nestled amongst the likes of John
Smoltz, Dennis Eckersley and
Mudcat Grant in baseball history
appears the lefty from Chicago---
Wilbur Wood.
Eckersley found the move to the
bullpen to be his ticket to the Hall of
Fame after 390 saves and John
Smoltz stands to have his Hall ticket
punched after he departs the game
with over 200 wins and 150 saves.
Mudcat Grant is in the short line of
thirteen African-American pitchers
who have won 20 or more games in
the bigs.
And Wood, well, the portly
southpaw enjoyed a four-season
string of 20-win seasons (1971-74)
as well as two 20-loss seasons.
Heck, in 1973 the knuckleballer won
24 and lost 20, as he and Stan
Bahnsen (18-21) were both the
alpha and the omega of the White
Sox staff.
Which begs us to wonder, why
would Wood be listed in this group
of four pitchers?
The quartet are the only hurlers to
have logged both 20-win and 20-
save seasons. Unlike the first three,
Wood started his career as a
reliever, while Smoltz, Eck and
Mudcat found the bullpen to the
liking later in their careers.
Wood bounced from the Pirates to
the Red Sox to White Sox before
Hoyt Wilhelm taught him the
knuckler. The lefty then proceeded
to be a pillar of the Pale Hose staff,
routinely tossing 290 or more
innings per season.A line drive off
the bat of Detroit’s Ron LeFlore in
1976 shattered Wood’s kneecap,
ultimately leading to the end of his
career.
All totaled, Wood went 164-156,
3.24 in 17 seasons; while finding
himself in elite company.
Editor's Note: Don't you just love
the old Sox uniform, especially the
white stirrups with blue sox
underneath?
(3/4/10)
Smoltz, Dennis Eckersley and
Mudcat Grant in baseball history
appears the lefty from Chicago---
Wilbur Wood.
Eckersley found the move to the
bullpen to be his ticket to the Hall of
Fame after 390 saves and John
Smoltz stands to have his Hall ticket
punched after he departs the game
with over 200 wins and 150 saves.
Mudcat Grant is in the short line of
thirteen African-American pitchers
who have won 20 or more games in
the bigs.
And Wood, well, the portly
southpaw enjoyed a four-season
string of 20-win seasons (1971-74)
as well as two 20-loss seasons.
Heck, in 1973 the knuckleballer won
24 and lost 20, as he and Stan
Bahnsen (18-21) were both the
alpha and the omega of the White
Sox staff.
Which begs us to wonder, why
would Wood be listed in this group
of four pitchers?
The quartet are the only hurlers to
have logged both 20-win and 20-
save seasons. Unlike the first three,
Wood started his career as a
reliever, while Smoltz, Eck and
Mudcat found the bullpen to the
liking later in their careers.
Wood bounced from the Pirates to
the Red Sox to White Sox before
Hoyt Wilhelm taught him the
knuckler. The lefty then proceeded
to be a pillar of the Pale Hose staff,
routinely tossing 290 or more
innings per season.A line drive off
the bat of Detroit’s Ron LeFlore in
1976 shattered Wood’s kneecap,
ultimately leading to the end of his
career.
All totaled, Wood went 164-156,
3.24 in 17 seasons; while finding
himself in elite company.
Editor's Note: Don't you just love
the old Sox uniform, especially the
white stirrups with blue sox
underneath?
(3/4/10)
