Wilbur Wood, who pitched 376 2/3 innings in 1972, died Saturday in Burlington, Mass. He was 84 years old.
No cause of death has been reported as of Sunday evening.
Wood is widely regarded as the best knuckleball pitcher of all-time.
He played for 17 years in the major leagues, pitching for his hometown Boston Red Sox (1961-64), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1964-65) and, most notably, the Chicago White Sox (1967-78).
Wood, a southpaw, was primarily used out of the bullpen until 1971. Due to his fringe status on the White Sox in 1967, he began to develop and refine the knuckleball.
Wood did appear in a modern-day major league record 88 games in 1968, a mark which lasted one year as Wayne Granger of the Cincinnati Reds took the mound 90 times the following year. The 88 appearances is still tied with four others for 15th-most in a single season by a relief pitcher in major league history.
After earning 52 saves from 1968-70, the White Sox converted Wood into a starter in 1971. He promptly won 22 games (22-13) and pitched to a 1.91 ERA, earning his first All-Star appearance.
Wood’s 376 2/3 innings pitched in 1972 were the highest American League total since Ed Walsh hurled 393 innings in 1912 and remain the most in a season by a starter in the live ball era (since 1920). His 49 starts that season were the most in the AL since Walsh started 49 in 1908, helping him finish second in Cy Young voting and seventh in MVP voting.
Wood went 24-17 in 1972 and also won 24 games in 1973. He earned All-Star honors two more times, in 1972 and 1974 and led the league in victories in 1972 and 1973.
Wood started both games of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees on July 20, 1973, taking the loss in both games. To date, he’s still the most recent pitcher to start both halves of a doubleheader.
The portly Wood compiled a career record of 164-156 with 114 complete games, 24 shutouts and 57 saves. He pitched to an ERA of 3.24 in 651 games (297 starts).
He was The Sporting News Fireman of the Year in 1968 and the outlet’s AL Pitcher of the Year in 1972.
–Field Level Media
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