Hoyt Wilhelm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hoyt Wilhelm |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Wilhelm with the Giants in 1953
|
|||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: July 26, 1922 Huntersville, North Carolina, U.S. |
|||
| Died: August 23, 2002 (aged 80) Sarasota, Florida, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| April 18, 1952, for the New York Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 10, 1972, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 143–122 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.52 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,610 | ||
| Saves | 228 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
 Baseball Hall of Fame |
|||
| Induction | 1985 | ||
| Vote | 83.8% (eighth ballot) | ||
James Hoyt Wilhelm (born July 26, 1922 – died August 23, 2002) was a famous American pitcher in Major League Baseball. People often called him "Old Sarge". He played for many teams from 1952 to 1972, including the New York Giants, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago White Sox.
Wilhelm was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985. He was known for his amazing knuckleball pitch, which helped him play for a very long time. He mostly pitched as a reliever, coming into games after the starting pitcher. He holds the record for winning 124 games as a reliever. He was also the first pitcher to get 200 saves and the first to play in 1,000 games.
Hoyt Wilhelm started his major league career at age 29 and played until he was almost 50. He had one of the lowest career earned run averages (ERA) in baseball history, at 2.52. After he stopped playing in 1972, he worked as a coach for the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves. He passed away in 2002 in Sarasota, Florida.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Hoyt Wilhelm was born in 1922 in Huntersville, North Carolina. He was one of eleven children in his family. He played baseball at Cornelius High School. He knew he couldn't throw a fast pitch. So, he started practicing a knuckleball after reading about another pitcher named Dutch Leonard. He even used a tennis ball to practice his special pitch.
Wilhelm began his professional baseball career in the minor leagues in 1942. His career was paused when he joined the United States Army during World War II. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge in Europe. He was wounded in battle and received a Purple Heart medal. He reached the rank of staff sergeant in the Army. He carried a piece of shrapnel in his back from his war injuries for his whole life. This is why he earned the nickname "Old Sarge."
After the war, Wilhelm returned to minor league baseball. He kept working on his knuckleball, even when some coaches told him to stop. He was eventually drafted by the New York Giants in 1947. He spent a few more years in the minor leagues, mostly as a starting pitcher.
Major League Baseball Career
Starting His MLB Journey
Hoyt Wilhelm joined the New York Giants in 1952. He was 29 years old. Even though he was a starter in the minor leagues, the Giants already had strong starting pitchers. So, his manager, Leo Durocher, decided to use Wilhelm as a relief pitcher. This meant he would come in to pitch during games, but not start them.
Wilhelm made his first MLB appearance on April 18, 1952. Just a few days later, in his third game, he hit a home run! It was his first time batting in the major leagues. Even though he batted 432 times in his career, he never hit another home run.
In his first year, Wilhelm was amazing as a reliever. He led the National League with a 2.43 earned run average (ERA). He won 15 games and lost only three. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year Award voting. In 1953, he was chosen for the All-Star team. However, he didn't play because the team's catchers found his knuckleball too hard to catch!
World Series Champion
In 1954, Wilhelm was a very important part of the Giants' pitching team. They won the World Series that year. He pitched 111 innings, had a 12–4 record, and a 2.10 ERA. During one game, his catcher, Ray Katt, had four passed balls in one inning while catching Wilhelm's knuckleball. This set a major league record.
The 1954 World Series was the only time Wilhelm played in the postseason. He pitched in two games and earned a save in Game 3. The Giants won the World Series by sweeping their opponents in four games.
Moving Teams and a No-Hitter
After playing for the Giants, Wilhelm was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1957. He then moved to the Cleveland Indians later that year. In 1958, the Indians tried using him as a starter sometimes. But their catchers also struggled with his knuckleball. So, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in August 1958.
On September 20, 1958, Wilhelm made history. He pitched a no-hitter against the New York Yankees! This means no Yankees player got a hit off him during the entire game. It was only his ninth career start. He allowed only two batters to reach base by walking them. This was the first no-hitter in the Orioles' history since they moved to Baltimore.
In 1959, Orioles catchers still had trouble with Wilhelm's knuckleball. They set an MLB record with 49 passed balls that season. Catcher Gus Triandos once said, "Heaven is a place where no one throws a knuckleball." Despite these challenges, Wilhelm won the American League ERA title with a 2.19 ERA.
In 1960, the Orioles manager, Paul Richards, came up with a special, larger mitt for his catchers to use. This helped them handle the knuckleball better. Wilhelm continued to be a strong pitcher, often coming out of the bullpen.
Success with the White Sox
In 1963, Wilhelm was traded to the Chicago White Sox. His new manager, Al López, said Wilhelm made their pitching staff much better. He believed Wilhelm could pitch for a very long time, like the legendary Satchel Paige. Wilhelm had 21 saves that year.
From 1964 to 1968, Wilhelm had some of his best years. In 1964, he set career highs with 27 saves and 73 games pitched. His ERA was incredibly low, staying under 2.00 until 1968. In 1967, he had his career-best ERA of 1.31.
Wilhelm also helped another pitcher, Wilbur Wood, learn the knuckleball. Wood later became a very successful pitcher, thanks to Wilhelm's advice. Wilhelm set many MLB records during this time, including career wins in relief and games finished.
Later Career and Retirement
After the 1968 season, Wilhelm was chosen by the Kansas City Royals in an expansion draft. He was then traded to the California Angels. He played for the Angels in 1969 before being traded to the Atlanta Braves. He also played briefly for the Chicago Cubs in 1970.
Wilhelm's final team was the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched in 16 games for them in 1972. He was released by the Dodgers on July 21, 1972. He never played another game.
When he retired, Hoyt Wilhelm had pitched in a record 1,070 games. He was the first pitcher to reach 200 saves and the first to appear in 1,000 games. His last game was just 16 days before his 50th birthday, making him one of the oldest players to ever pitch in the major leagues. He retired with one of the lowest career ERAs in baseball history for pitchers with over 2,000 innings.
Life After Baseball
After retiring as a player, Wilhelm managed two minor league teams for the Atlanta Braves. He also worked as a pitching coach for the New York Yankees for 22 years. As a coach, he didn't try to teach everyone the knuckleball. He believed you had to have a natural talent for it. However, he did help some major league players improve their knuckleballs, like Joe Niekro.
Wilhelm was on the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame for eight years. He was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985. At his induction ceremony, he said he had achieved all his main goals in baseball: playing in a World Series, being an All-Star, and throwing a no-hitter.
Hoyt Wilhelm and his wife, Peggy, lived in Sarasota, Florida. They had three children: Patti, Pam, and Jim. Wilhelm passed away in 2002 from heart failure. In 2013, he was honored for his service in the United States Army during World War II.
Wilhelm's Legacy
Hoyt Wilhelm was known as a "relief ace." His teams used him in a new way, bringing him into close games to finish them. This became a popular strategy in baseball. He was the first relief pitcher ever elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
He is also remembered as one of the most successful "old" players in baseball history. Even though he didn't start in the major leagues until he was 29, he played for 21 seasons. He was the oldest player in Major League Baseball for his last seven seasons.
His teammates and other baseball experts often talked about his amazing knuckleball. Former teammate Moose Skowron said, "You never knew what Hoyt's pitch would do. I don't think he did either."
Before Wilhelm, pitchers usually learned the knuckleball later in their careers to extend their playing time. But Wilhelm started throwing it as a teenager and used it for almost every pitch. He even taught the knuckleball to pitcher Charlie Hough, who then taught it to R. A. Dickey. This shows how Wilhelm's unique approach to the knuckleball influenced future generations of pitchers.
See also
- List of knuckleball pitchers
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in games finished
- List of players with a home run in first major league at-bat
