| Wilbur Wood | |
|---|---|
 Wood in 1969 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: October 22, 1941 Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 30, 1961, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 22, 1978, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 164–156 |
| Earned run average | 3.24 |
| Strikeouts | 1,411 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Wilbur Forrester Wood Jr. (born October 22, 1941) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. In a 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he pitched for the Boston Red Sox (1961–64), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1964–65), and the Chicago White Sox (1967–78). A knuckleball specialist after joining the White Sox, he threw left-handed and batted right-handed.
Raised in Belmont, Massachusetts, Wood played several sports in high school and was signed by his hometown Boston Red Sox in 1960. He pitched sparingly for them over parts of four seasons before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1964. Seldom-used by the team in 1965, he spent all of 1966 in the minor leagues before being traded to the White Sox. Wood, who had previously relied on a fastball and curveball, refined the knuckleball with the help of veteran knuckleball specialist Hoyt Wilhelm. He spent the next four seasons as a relief pitcher for Chicago. In 1968, he set a record (broken the next year) with 88 games pitched and was named the Sporting News American League (AL) Fireman of the Year.
The White Sox tried to trade Wood before the 1971 season, but an injury to starting pitcher Joe Horlen caused them to put him in the starting rotation. That season, pitching coach Johnny Sain suggested that Wood pitch with only two days' rest between starts, since knuckleball specialists do not put as much stress on their arms as other pitchers. Wood proceeded to lead the AL in games started from 1972 through 1975, starting a career-high 49 games in 1972. That season, he also recorded a career-high 376+2⁄3 innings pitched. He won 20 or more games for four straight years, leading the AL in 1972 and 1973 with 24 wins. In 1973, Wood also became the first pitcher to win and lose 20 or more games in a season since Walter Johnson did so in 1916. Wood was an All-Star in 1971, 1972, and 1974.
After making 43 starts in 1975, Wood made only seven in 1976. A line drive off the bat of Ron LeFlore fractured Wood's kneecap in a game against the Detroit Tigers. Despite months of rehabilitation, Wood was "gun-shy" upon his return in 1977 and posted the worst earned run average among qualifying AL pitchers in 1978 (5.20). He retired after the season. Wood's 90 wins from 1971–74 were the most by a major league pitcher during that span. A lifelong New England resident, Wood held a number of jobs in the Boston area after his retirement from baseball.