Editing Hoyt Wilhelm

{{Short description|American baseball player (1922–2002)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Hoyt Wilhelm
|image=hoyt-wilhelm.jpg
|caption=Wilhelm with the New York Giants in 1953
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{birth date|1922|7|26}}
|birth_place=[[Huntersville, North Carolina]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2002|8|23|1922|7|26}}
|death_place=[[Sarasota, Florida]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 18
|debutyear=1952
|debutteam=New York Giants
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=July 10
|finalyear=1972
|finalteam=Los Angeles Dodgers
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=143–122
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=2.52
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=1,610
|stat4label=[[Save (baseball)|Saves]]
|stat4value=228
|teams=
* [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] ({{baseball year|1952}}–{{baseball year|1956}})
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{baseball year|1957}})
* [[Cleveland Indians]] ({{baseball year|1957}}–{{baseball year|1958}})
* [[Baltimore Orioles]] ({{baseball year|1958}}–{{baseball year|1962}})
* [[Chicago White Sox]] ({{baseball year|1963}}–{{baseball year|1968}})
* [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] ({{baseball year|1969}})
* [[Atlanta Braves]] ({{baseball year|1969}}–{{baseball year|1970}})
* [[Chicago Cubs]] ({{baseball year|1970}})
* [[Atlanta Braves]] ({{baseball year|1971}})
* [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] ({{baseball year|1971}}–{{baseball year|1972}})
|highlights=
* 8× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1953 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1953]], [[1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)|1959]], [[1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)|1959²]], [[1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)|1961]]–[[1962 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)|1962²]], [[1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1970]])
* [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1954}})
* 2× [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders|ERA leader]] (1952, 1959)
* Pitched a [[no-hitter]] on September 20, 1958
* [[Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame]]
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate = [[1985 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1985]]
|hofvote = 83.8% (eighth ballot)
}}
'''James Hoyt Wilhelm''' (July 26, 1922 – August 23, 2002), nicknamed "'''Old Sarge'''", was an American [[Major League Baseball]] [[pitcher]] with the [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]], [[St. Louis Cardinals]], [[Cleveland Indians]], [[Baltimore Orioles]], [[Chicago White Sox]], [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]], [[Atlanta Braves]], [[Chicago Cubs]], and [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] between 1952 and 1972. Wilhelm was elected to the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] in [[1985 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1985]].

Wilhelm grew up in North Carolina, fought in World War II, and then spent several years in the minor leagues before starting his major league career at the age of 29. He was best known for his [[knuckleball]], which enabled him to have great longevity. He appeared occasionally as a starting pitcher, but pitched mainly as a [[relief pitcher|reliever]]. Wilhelm won 124 games in relief, which is still the major league record as of 2025. <ref>{{cite news |last=Denman |first=Elliott |date=July 30, 1985 |title=Wilhelm's a man who persevered |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/asbury-park-press/159929345/ |access-date=November 28, 2024 |work=[[Asbury Park Press]] |page=71 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Abraham |first=Peter |date=April 4, 2004 |title=Who's the all-time best: Mariano or Eck? |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-central-new-jersey-home-news-whos-t/159929398/ |access-date=November 28, 2024 |work=[[Home News Tribune]] |page=107 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/most-wins-by-a-relief-pitcher|title=Most Wins By a Relief Pitcher|website=statmuse.com|language=en|access-date=April 15, 2025}}</ref> He was the first pitcher to reach 200 [[save (baseball)|saves]], and the first to appear in 1,000 games.

Wilhelm was nearly 30 years old when he entered the major leagues, and pitched until he was nearly 50. He retired with one of the lowest career [[earned run average]]s, 2.52, in baseball history. After retiring as a player in 1972, Wilhelm held longtime coaching jobs with the [[New York Yankees]] and [[Atlanta Braves]]. He lived in [[Sarasota, Florida]], for many years, and died there in 2002.

==Early life==
Wilhelm was born in 1922, long thought to have been 1923.{{efn|Biographer Mark Armour notes that Wilhelm's birth year was erroneously believed to be 1923 until he died and his birth certificate was examined.<ref name=SABR/>}} He was one of eleven children born to poor [[tenant farmers]] John and Ethel (née Stanley) Wilhelm in [[Huntersville, North Carolina]].<ref name=SABR /><ref name=Legend>{{cite web|title=Remembering a Huntersville legend|url=http://www.huntersvilleherald.com/news/2011/7/14/2346/remembering-a-huntersville-legend|publisher=[[The Herald Weekly]]|access-date=January 16, 2015|date=July 14, 2011|archive-date=January 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120125723/http://www.huntersvilleherald.com/news/2011/7/14/2346/remembering-a-huntersville-legend|url-status=live}}</ref> He played baseball at Cornelius High School in [[Cornelius, North Carolina]].<ref name=br/> Knowing he could not throw fast, he began experimenting with a [[knuckleball]] after reading about pitcher [[Dutch Leonard (right-handed pitcher)|Dutch Leonard]].<ref name=obituary/> He practiced honing it with a tennis ball,<ref name="obitnyt">{{cite news|last=Lueck|first=Thomas|title=Hoyt Wilhelm, first reliever in the Hall of Fame, dies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/25/sports/hoyt-wilhelm-first-reliever-in-the-hall-of-fame-dies.html|access-date=November 11, 2010|newspaper=New York Times|date=August 25, 2002|archive-date=January 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125193727/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/25/sports/hoyt-wilhelm-first-reliever-in-the-hall-of-fame-dies.html|url-status=live}}</ref> hoping it was his best shot at Big League success.<ref name=hallbio />

[[File:James Hoyt Wilhelm Commemorative Statue.jpg|thumb|''James Hoyt Wilhelm Commemorative Statue'' outside Huntersville Athletic Park in Huntersville, NC]]

Wilhelm made his professional debut with the [[Mooresville Moors]] of the [[Class D (baseball)|Class-D]] [[North Carolina State League]] in 1942. He served in the [[United States Army]] in the [[European Theatre of World War II|European Theater]] during World War II and participated in the [[Battle of the Bulge]], where he was wounded, earning the [[Purple Heart]] for his actions.<ref name=obituary/><ref>{{cite book |title=If They Hadn't Gone: How World War II Affected Major League Baseball |pages=150–152 |first=Thomas E. |last=Allen |year=2004 |publisher=[[Southwest Missouri State University]] |location=Springfield, Missouri |isbn=0-9748190-2-6 }}</ref> He rose to the rank of [[staff sergeant]] while in the Army, and played his entire career with a piece of [[Fragmentation (weaponry)|shrapnel]] lodged in his back as a result of the wounds he received in battle.<ref name=hallbio>{{cite web |title=HOYT WILHELM |url=http://baseballhall.org/hof/wilhelm-hoyt |publisher=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]] |access-date=June 3, 2015 |archive-date=December 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214105225/http://baseballhall.org/hof/wilhelm-hoyt |url-status=live }}</ref> Wilhelm carried the nickname "Old Sarge" because of his service in the military.<ref name="obitnyt"/>

After his release from the military, Wilhelm returned to the Moors for the 1946 season, and earned 41 wins over the 1946 and 1947 seasons.<ref name=Legend/> He later recalled being dropped from a Class D minor league team and having the manager tell him to forget about the knuckleball, but he persisted with it.<ref name=Rosenstein/> The [[Boston Braves (baseball)|Boston Braves]] purchased Wilhelm from Mooresville in 1947,<ref name=br>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wilheho01.shtml|title=Hoyt Wilhelm Statistics and History|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=November 1, 2011|archive-date=April 27, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427093817/http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wilheho01.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> and on November 20, 1947, he was drafted by the [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] from the Braves in the 1947 minor league draft.<ref name=br/>

Wilhelm's first assignment in the Giants organization was in Class B with the 1948 [[Knoxville Smokies]], for whom he registered 13 wins and 9 losses. He also spent a few games that season with the Class A [[Jacksonville Tars]] of the [[South Atlantic League (1946–63)|South Atlantic League]], and returned to Jacksonville in 1949, earning a 17–12 [[win–loss record]] and a 2.66 [[earned run average]] (ERA). Wilhelm was promoted to the Class AAA [[Minneapolis Millers]] in 1950, where he was the [[starting pitcher]] in 25 of the 35 games he pitched in, registering a 15–11 record with a 4.95 ERA. His role in 1951 with the Millers was the same as the year before, primarily as a starter, but also making eleven relief appearances.<ref name=br/> His ERA came down to 3.94 in 1951, but his record fell to 11–14.

==Major league career==

===Early years===
Though Wilhelm was primarily a starting pitcher in the minor leagues, he had been called up to a Giants team whose strong starting pitchers had led them to a [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) pennant the year before. Giants manager [[Leo Durocher]] did not think that Wilhelm's knuckleball approach would be effective for more than a few innings at a time. He assigned Wilhelm to the team's bullpen.<ref name="ArmourLevitt2004">{{cite book|last1=Armour|first1=Mark L.|last2=Levitt|first2=Daniel R.|title=Paths to Glory: How Great Baseball Teams Got That Way|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0CmV1N3fU94C&pg=PA101|access-date=January 24, 2015|date=February 1, 2004|publisher=[[Potomac Books]]|isbn=978-1-57488-805-8|page=101}}</ref>

Wilhelm made his MLB debut with the Giants on April 18, 1952, at age 29, giving up a [[hit (baseball)|hit]] and two [[base on balls|walks]] while only recording one out.<ref name=BR52>{{cite web|title=Hoyt Wilhelm 1952 pitching gamelogs|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=wilheho01&t=p&year=1952|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=January 29, 2015|archive-date=August 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814203407/http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=wilheho01&t=p&year=1952|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 23, 1952, in his third game with the New York Giants,<ref name=BR52/> Wilhelm batted for the first time in the majors. Facing rookie [[Dick Hoover (baseball)|Dick Hoover]] of the Boston Braves, Wilhelm hit a home run over the short right-field fence at the [[Polo Grounds]]. Although he went to bat a total of 432 times in his career, he never hit another home run.<ref name=Jaffe>{{cite web|last=Jaffe|first=Chris|title=60th anniversary: Hoyt Wilhelm's only homer|url=http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/blog_article/60th-anniversary-hoyt-wilhelms-only-homer/|work=TheHardballTimes.com|date=April 23, 2012 |access-date=May 6, 2012|archive-date=May 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510174351/http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/blog_article/60th-anniversary-hoyt-wilhelms-only-homer/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Pitching exclusively in relief, Wilhelm led the NL with a 2.43 ERA in his rookie year. He won 15 games and lost three. Wilhelm finished fourth in the NL [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player Award]] voting that season, behind rookie reliever [[Joe Black]] of the Dodgers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1952.shtml|title=1952 Awards Voting|website=Baseball-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-16|archive-date=March 29, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329092634/http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1952.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Jim Konstanty]] had won it for the Phillies in 1950,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1950.shtml|title=1950 Awards Voting|website=Baseball-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-16|archive-date=February 23, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223193441/http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1950.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> and Ellis Kinder had finished seventh in the AL voting in 1951,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1951.shtml|title=1951 Awards Voting|website=Baseball-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-16|archive-date=February 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228204857/http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1951.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> so it was a time when relief pitchers were starting to receive appreciation from the sportswriters. Wilhelm finished second in the [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year Award]] voting to Joe Black. Wilhelm made 69 relief appearances in 1953, his win–loss record decreased to 7–8 and he issued 77 walks against 71 [[strikeout]]s.<ref name=br/> Wilhelm was named to the NL All-Star team that year, but he did not play in the game because team manager [[Charlie Dressen]] did not think that any of the catchers could handle his knuckleball.<ref name=Armour>{{cite book|last1=Armour|first1=Mark|last2=Levitt|first2=Daniel|title=Paths to Glory: How Great Baseball Teams Got That Way|date=2004|publisher=[[Potomac Books]]|isbn=1574888056|pages=101–102|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0CmV1N3fU94C&pg=PA102|access-date=January 19, 2015|archive-date=April 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409004934/https://books.google.com/books?id=0CmV1N3fU94C&pg=PA102|url-status=live}}</ref> The Giants renewed Wilhelm's contract in February 1954.<ref name=Contracts>{{cite news|title=Five Giants ink 1954 contracts|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19540208&id=hiUeAAAAIBAJ&pg=6333,4258279|access-date=January 22, 2015|work=[[The Tuscaloosa News]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=February 8, 1954|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103824/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19540208&id=hiUeAAAAIBAJ&pg=6333%2C4258279|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1954, Wilhelm was a key piece of the pitching staff that led the 1954 Giants to a world championship.<ref name=Gettysburg/> He pitched 111&nbsp;innings, finishing with a 12–4 record and a 2.10 ERA.<ref name=Armour/> During one of Wilhelm's appearances that season, catcher [[Ray Katt]] committed four [[passed ball]]s in one inning to set the major league record; the record has subsequently been tied twice.<ref name="autogenerated5">{{Cite news |last=Duffey |first=Gene |date=August 7, 2013 |title=Red Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway ties big league record with four passed balls |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130806&content_id=56093818&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112162748/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130806&content_id=56093818&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |archive-date=January 12, 2014 |access-date=September 27, 2013 |work=MLB.com}}</ref> When [[Stan Musial]] set a record by hitting five home runs in a [[Doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]] that year, Wilhelm was pitching in the second game and gave up two of the home runs.<ref name=Musial>{{cite web|title=Musial was gentleman killer|url=https://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/Musial_Stan.html|first=Larry|last=Schwartz|publisher=[[ESPN]]|access-date=January 20, 2015|archive-date=July 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712093843/http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Musial_Stan.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[1954 World Series]] represented Wilhelm's only career postseason play.<ref name=br/> He pitched {{frac|2|1|3}} innings over two games, earning a save in the third game.<ref name=WS54>{{cite web|title=1954 World Series|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1954_WS.shtml|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=January 25, 2015|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112042329/https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1954_WS.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> The team won the World Series in a four-game sweep.<ref name=Gettysburg>{{cite news|last1=Eck|first1=Frank|title=Ace reliefers (sic) kept Indians in 1955 race|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=19550927&id=wIg1AAAAIBAJ&pg=4042,2347358|access-date=January 20, 2015|work=[[Gettysburg Times]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=September 27, 1955|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103824/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=19550927&id=wIg1AAAAIBAJ&pg=4042%2C2347358|url-status=live}}</ref>

Wilhelm's ERA increased to 3.93 over 59 games and 103 innings pitched in 1955, but he managed a 4–1 record. He finished the 1956 season with a 4–9 record and a 3.83 ERA in {{frac|89|1|3}} innings.<ref name=br/> Sportswriter Bob Driscoll later attributed Wilhelm's difficulties in the mid-1950s to the decline in the career of Giants catcher [[Wes Westrum]], writing that baseball was "a game of inches, and for Hoyt, Wes had been that inch in the right direction."<ref name=Driscoll>{{cite news|last1=Driscoll|first1=Bob|title=Hoyt Wilhelm: From skids to stardom|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19590830&id=1TIsAAAAIBAJ&pg=5464,4282741|access-date=January 20, 2015|work=[[Spartanburg Herald-Journal]]|date=August 30, 1959|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103824/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19590830&id=1TIsAAAAIBAJ&pg=5464%2C4282741|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Middle career===
On February 26, 1957, Wilhelm was traded by the Giants to the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] for [[Whitey Lockman]].<ref name=br/> At the time of the trade, St. Louis manager [[Fred Hutchinson]] described Wilhelm as the type of pitcher who "makes us a definite pennant threat ... He'll help us where we need help the most."<ref name=Enthuse>{{cite news|title=Cards enthuse over getting Hoyt Wilhelm|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19570227&id=gllgAAAAIBAJ&pg=5089,4603147|access-date=January 18, 2015|work=[[Star-News|The Wilmington News]]|date=February 27, 1957|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103913/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19570227&id=gllgAAAAIBAJ&pg=5089%2C4603147|url-status=live}}</ref> In 40 games with the Cardinals that season, he earned 11 saves but finished with a 1–4 record and his highest ERA to that point in his career (4.25). The Cardinals placed him on waivers in September and he was claimed by the [[Cleveland Indians]], who used him in two games that year.<ref name=br/>

In 1958, Cleveland manager [[Bobby Bragan]] used Wilhelm occasionally as a starter. Although he had a 2.49&nbsp;ERA, none of the Indians' [[catcher]]s could handle Wilhelm's knuckleball. General manager [[Frank Lane]], alarmed at the large number of [[passed ball]]s, allowed the [[Baltimore Orioles]] to select Wilhelm off waivers on August 23, 1958.<ref name=br/> In Baltimore, Wilhelm lived near the home of third baseman [[Brooks Robinson]] and their families became close friends.<ref name=obituary/> On September 20 of that year, Wilhelm [[no-hitter|no-hit]] the [[1958 World Series|eventual World Champion]] [[New York Yankees]] 1–0 at [[Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)|Memorial Stadium]], in only his ninth career start.<ref name=obituary/><ref>{{cite news |first=Benjamin |last=Hoffman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/20/sports/baseball/knuckleballers-have-a-history-as-colorful-as-their-pitch.html |title=When Knucklers Danced With Greatness |access-date=February 21, 2015 |date=June 20, 2012 |newspaper=The New York Times |archive-date=April 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424021742/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/20/sports/baseball/knuckleballers-have-a-history-as-colorful-as-their-pitch.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He allowed two baserunners on walks and struck out eight.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4IBPAAAAIBAJ&pg=2773,6140967|title=Hoyt Wilhelm knuckeballs no-hitter over Yanks|agency=[[Associated Press]]|newspaper=[[Ocala Star-Banner]]|date=September 21, 1958|access-date=November 12, 2011|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103825/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4IBPAAAAIBAJ&pg=2773%2C6140967|url-status=live}}</ref> The no-hitter had been threatened at one point in the ninth inning when [[Hank Bauer]] bunted along the baseline, but Robinson allowed the ball to roll and it veered foul.<ref name=Brooks>{{cite book|last1=Wilson|first1=Doug|title=Brooks: The Biography of Brooks Robinson|date=2014|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]]|isbn=978-1250033031|pages=76–77|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZYfqAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA76|access-date=January 20, 2015|archive-date=April 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417153409/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZYfqAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA76|url-status=live}}</ref> The no-hitter was the first in the franchise's Baltimore history;<ref>100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Dan Connolly, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2015, ISBN 978-1-62937-041-5, p.212 </ref> the Orioles had moved from [[St. Louis]] after the 1953 season.

[[File:Hoyt Wilhelm 1959.png|thumb|right|180px|Wilhelm in 1959]]
Orioles catchers had difficulty catching the Wilhelm knuckleball again in 1959 and they set an MLB record with 49 passed balls.<ref name=obituary/> During one April game, catcher [[Gus Triandos]] had four passed balls while catching for Wilhelm and he described the game as "the roughest day I ever put in during my life."<ref name=SJournal>{{cite news|last1=Richman|first1=Milton|title=Wilhelm's knuckler helps set 'record'|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1798&dat=19590424&id=mxMfAAAAIBAJ&pg=4156,2652166|access-date=January 18, 2015|work=[[Sarasota Journal]]|date=April 24, 1959|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103826/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1798&dat=19590424&id=mxMfAAAAIBAJ&pg=4156%2C2652166|url-status=live}}</ref> Author [[Bill James]] has written that Wilhelm and Triandos "established the principle that a knuckleball pitcher and a big, slow catcher make an awful combination."<ref name="James">{{cite book|last=James|first=Bill|title=The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3uSbqUm8hSAC&pg=PA407|access-date=January 20, 2015|date=May 11, 2010|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|isbn=978-1-4391-0693-8|page=407}}</ref> Triandos once said, "Heaven is a place where no one throws a knuckleball."<ref name=James/>

Despite the passed balls, Wilhelm won the [[American League]] ERA title with a 2.19 ERA.<ref name=br/> During the 1960 season, Orioles manager [[Paul Richards (baseball)|Paul Richards]] devised a larger mitt so his catchers could handle the knuckleball.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KfocAAAAIBAJ&pg=5293,4351335|title=Courtney Uses Out-Sized Mitt To Catch Wilhelm's Knuckler|first=Ed|last=Wilks|agency=[[Associated Press]]|newspaper=[[The Tuscaloosa News]]|page=7|date=May 28, 1960|access-date=November 13, 2011|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103914/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KfocAAAAIBAJ&pg=5293%2C4351335|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Neyer |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Neyer |title=Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Blunders |year=2006 |publisher=[[Fireside Books]] |location=New York City |isbn=0-7432-8491-7 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/robneyersbigbook0000neye }}</ref> Richards was well equipped with starting pitchers during that year. By the middle of the season, he said that eight of his pitchers could serve as starters.<ref name=Hensler>{{cite book|last1=Hensler|first1=Paul|title=The American League in Transition, 1965–1975: How Competition Thrived When the Yankees Didn't|year=2012|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=978-1476600178|page=88|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VL4MErYRKN8C&pg=PA88|access-date=January 18, 2015|archive-date=May 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505193012/https://books.google.com/books?id=VL4MErYRKN8C&pg=PA88|url-status=live}}</ref> Wilhelm started 11 of the 41 games in which he appeared. He earned an 11–8 record, a 3.31 ERA and seven saves. He started only one game the following year, but he was an All-Star, registered 18 saves and had a 2.30 ERA.<ref name=br/>

In 1962, Wilhelm had his fourth All-Star season, finishing with a 7–10 record, a 1.94 ERA and 15 saves. On January 14, 1963, Wilhelm was traded by the Orioles with [[Ron Hansen (baseball)|Ron Hansen]], [[Dave Nicholson]] and [[Pete Ward]] to the [[Chicago White Sox]] for [[Luis Aparicio]] and [[Al Smith (outfielder)|Al Smith]].<ref name=br/> Early in that season, White Sox manager [[Al López]] said that Wilhelm had improved his pitching staff by 40 percent. He said that Wilhelm was "worth more than a 20-game winner, and he works with so little effort that he probably can last as long as [[Satchel Paige]]."<ref name=Lopez>{{cite news|last1=Chamberlain|first1=Charles|title=Hurling gives Sox big boost|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=19630416&id=_44lAAAAIBAJ&pg=1265,1063421|access-date=January 18, 2015|work=[[Gettysburg Times]]|date=April 16, 1963|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103930/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2202&dat=19630416&id=_44lAAAAIBAJ&pg=1265%2C1063421|url-status=live}}</ref> He registered 21 saves and a 2.64 ERA.<ref name=br/>

In 1964, Wilhelm finished with career highs in both saves (27) and games pitched (73). His ERA decreased to 1.99 that season; it remained less than 2.00 through the 1968 season. In 1965, Wilhelm contributed to another passed balls record when Chicago catcher [[J. C. Martin (baseball)|J. C. Martin]] allowed 33 of them in one season. That total set a modern single-season baseball record for the category.<ref name=Murray/> Wilhelm's career-low ERA (1.31) came in 1967, when he earned an 8–3 record for the White Sox with 12 saves.<ref name=br/>

In the 1968 season, Wilhelm was getting close to breaking the all-time games pitched record belonging to [[Cy Young]] (906 games). Chicago manager [[Eddie Stanky]] began to think about using Wilhelm as a starting pitcher for game number 907. However, the White Sox fired Stanky before the record came up. Wilhelm later broke the record as a relief pitcher. He also set MLB records for consecutive errorless games by a pitcher, career victories in relief, games finished and innings pitched in relief.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uv0cAAAAIBAJ&pg=5199,4093365|title=45-year-old Hoyt Wilhelm set six records in 1968|first=Harry|last=Eisenberg|agency=[[Associated Press]]|newspaper=[[The Tuscaloosa News]]|date=December 15, 1968|access-date=November 13, 2011|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103828/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uv0cAAAAIBAJ&pg=5199%2C4093365|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite Wilhelm's success, the White Sox, who had won at least 83 games per season in the 1960s, performed poorly. They finished 1968 with a 67–95 record.<ref name=CWSBR>{{cite web|title=Chicago White Sox Team History & Encyclopedia|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHW/|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=January 28, 2015|archive-date=April 6, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110406112522/http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHW/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Wilhelm was noted during this period for his mentoring of relief pitcher [[Wilbur Wood]], who came to the [[1967 Chicago White Sox season|1967 White Sox]] in a trade. Wood sometimes threw a knuckleball upon his arrival in Chicago, but Wilhelm encouraged him to throw it full-time. By 1968, Wood won 13 games, saved 16 games and earned a 1.87 ERA. He credited Wilhelm with helping him to master the knuckleball, as the White Sox coaches did not know much about how to throw it. Between 1968 and 1970, Wood pitched in more games (241) than any other pitcher and more innings―{{frac|400|1|3}}―than any other relief pitcher.<ref name=Wakefield>{{cite book|last1=Wakefield|first1=Tim|title=Knuckler: My Life with Baseball's Most Confounding Pitch|year=2011|publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]]|isbn=978-0547517711|pages=[https://archive.org/details/knuckler00timw/page/27 27]–28|url=https://archive.org/details/knuckler00timw|url-access=registration|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref>

After the 1968 season, MLB expanded and an [[1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft|expansion draft]] was conducted in which the new teams could select certain players from the established teams. The White Sox left Wilhelm unprotected, possibly because they did not believe that teams would have interest in a much older pitcher.<ref name=SABR>{{cite web|title=Hoyt Wilhelm (SABR BioProject) |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/hoyt-wilhelm/|publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref> On October 15, 1968, Wilhelm was chosen in the expansion draft by the [[Kansas City Royals]] as the 49th pick. That offseason, he was traded by the Royals to the [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] for [[Ed Kirkpatrick]] and [[Dennis Paepke]].<ref name=br/>

===Later career===
Wilhelm pitched 44 games for the [[1969 California Angels season|1969 California Angels]] and had a 2.47 ERA, ten saves, and a 5–7 record. On September 8, 1969, Wilhelm and [[Bob Priddy (baseball)|Bob Priddy]] were traded to the [[Atlanta Braves]] for [[Clint Compton]] and [[Mickey Rivers]]. He finished the 1969 season by pitching in eight games for the Braves, earning four saves and recording a 0.73 ERA over {{fract|12|1|3}}&nbsp;innings pitched. Wilhelm then spent most of the 1970 season with the Braves, pitching in 50 games for the team and earning ten saves.<ref name=br/>

On September 21, 1970, Wilhelm was selected off waivers by the [[Chicago Cubs]], for whom he appeared in three games.<ref name=br/> He was traded back to the Braves for [[Hal Breeden]] on November 30, 1970.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1970/12/01/archives/center-fielders-are-exchanged-berry-joins-conigliaro-and-johnson-in.html "Center Fielders Are Exchanged," ''The New York Times'', Tuesday, December 1, 1970.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918053559/https://www.nytimes.com/1970/12/01/archives/center-fielders-are-exchanged-berry-joins-conigliaro-and-johnson-in.html |date=September 18, 2021 }} Retrieved March 10, 2020</ref> As the Cubs had acquired Wilhelm late in the season to bolster their playoff contention, the trade back to the Braves was a source of controversy. [[Commissioner of Baseball|Commissioner]] [[Bowie Kuhn]] investigated the transaction,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GpkgAAAAIBAJ&pg=2525,4102598|title=The Old Man of the Majors Hoyt Wilhelm Causes Debate|first=Dick|last=Couch|agency=[[Associated Press]]|newspaper=[[Lewiston Evening Journal]]|date=December 3, 1970|access-date=November 12, 2011|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103919/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GpkgAAAAIBAJ&pg=2525%2C4102598|url-status=live}}</ref> and in December ruled that he did not find evidence of impropriety associated with the transactions that sent Wilhelm to the Cubs and quickly back to the Braves.<ref name=Dispatch>{{cite news|title=Baseball sessions not too fruitful|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1734&dat=19701205&id=qk4qAAAAIBAJ&pg=6802,2951672|access-date=January 20, 2015|work=[[The Dispatch (Lexington)|The Lexington Dispatch]]|date=December 5, 1970|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103828/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1734&dat=19701205&id=qk4qAAAAIBAJ&pg=6802%2C2951672|url-status=live}}</ref>

Wilhelm was released by the Braves on June 29, 1971, having pitched in three games for that year's Braves. He signed with the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] on July 10, 1971, and appeared in nine games for the Dodgers, giving up two earned runs in {{fract|17|2|3}} innings.<ref name=br/> He also pitched in eight games that season for the team's Class AAA minor league affiliate, the [[Spokane Indians]]. Wilhelm started six of those games and registered a 3.89 ERA.<ref name=BRMinors>{{cite web|title=Hoyt Wilhelm Minor League Statistics and History|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=wilhel002jam|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=January 18, 2015|archive-date=January 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119061453/http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=wilhel002jam|url-status=live}}</ref>

Wilhelm pitched in 16 games for the Dodgers in 1972, registering a 4.62 ERA over 25 innings. The Dodgers released him on July 21, 1972. He never appeared in another game.<ref name=br/>

At the time of his retirement, Wilhelm had pitched in a then major league record 1,070 games.<ref name=obituary/> He is recognized as the first pitcher to have [[save (baseball)|saved]] 200 games in his career, and the first pitcher to appear in 1,000 games. Wilhelm is one of the oldest players to have pitched in the major leagues; his final appearance was 16 days short of his 50th birthday.

Wilhelm retired with the lowest career [[earned run average]] of any major league hurler after 1927 ([[Walter Johnson]]) who had pitched more than 2,000&nbsp;innings.

==Later life==
[[File:1983 Nashville Hoyt Wilhelm.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|Wilhelm served as pitching coach of the [[Nashville Sounds]] from 1982 to 1984.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-41270982|title=Hall of Famers|work=Southern League|publisher=Minor League Baseball|access-date=August 8, 2015|archive-date=April 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404173509/http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20070220&content_id=41270982&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_l111&sid=l111|url-status=live}}</ref>]]
After his retirement as a player, Wilhelm managed two minor league teams in the [[Atlanta Braves]] system for single seasons. He led the 1973 [[Greenwood Braves]] of the [[Western Carolinas League]] to a 61–66 record, then had a 33–33 record with the 1975 [[Kingsport Braves]] of the [[Appalachian League]].<ref name=BRMinors/> He also worked as a minor league [[Coach (baseball)|pitching coach]] for the [[New York Yankees]] for 22 years.<ref name=obituary/> As a coach, Wilhelm said that he did not teach pitchers the knuckleball, believing that people had to be born with a knack for throwing it.<ref name=Rosenstein/> He sometimes worked individually with major league players who wanted to improve their knuckleballs, including [[Joe Niekro]].<ref name=Niekro>{{cite news|title=Knuckleball master rescues Niekro|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19870423&id=GFFIAAAAIBAJ&pg=3622,2526569|access-date=January 20, 2015|work=[[Star-News|Wilmington Morning Star]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=April 23, 1987|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103933/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19870423&id=GFFIAAAAIBAJ&pg=3622%2C2526569|url-status=live}}</ref> The Yankees gave Wilhelm permission to work with [[Mickey Lolich]] in 1979 even though Lolich pitched for the [[San Diego Padres]].<ref name=LDN>{{cite news|title=Lolich 'knuckling' down, eyes Padres' starting job|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=110&dat=19790228&id=B9NOAAAAIBAJ&pg=6864,4547211|access-date=January 20, 2015|work=[[Ludington Daily News]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=February 28, 1979|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103829/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=110&dat=19790228&id=B9NOAAAAIBAJ&pg=6864%2C4547211|url-status=live}}</ref>

Wilhelm was on the ballot for the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] for eight years before he was elected.<ref name=Bangor>{{cite news|last1=Hochman|first1=Stan|title=Hoyt's knuckler not always in demand|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=19850110&id=_BE9AAAAIBAJ&pg=2657,3341492|access-date=January 20, 2015|work=[[Bangor Daily News]]|date=January 10, 1985|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103829/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=19850110&id=_BE9AAAAIBAJ&pg=2657%2C3341492|url-status=live}}</ref> After Wilhelm failed to garner enough votes for induction in [[1983 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1983]], sportswriter [[Jim Murray (sportswriter)|Jim Murray]] criticized the voters, saying that while Wilhelm never had the look of a baseball player, he was "the best player in history at what he does."<ref name=Murray>{{cite news|last1=Murray|first1=Jim|title=Voters strike out|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19830131&id=EuBOAAAAIBAJ&pg=6765,7298877|access-date=January 18, 2015|work=[[Wilmington Morning Star]]|date=January 31, 1983|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103830/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19830131&id=EuBOAAAAIBAJ&pg=6765%2C7298877|url-status=live}}</ref> He fell short by 13 votes in 1984.<ref name=Smizik>{{cite news|last1=Smizik|first1=Bob|title=Hall of Fame's loss|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19850105&id=9nIdAAAAIBAJ&pg=4458,3531575|access-date=January 18, 2015|work=[[The Pittsburgh Press]]|date=January 5, 1985|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103951/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19850105&id=9nIdAAAAIBAJ&pg=4458%2C3531575|url-status=live}}</ref> Wilhelm was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in [[1985 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1985]]. At his induction ceremony, he said that he had achieved all three of his initial major league goals: appearing in a World Series, being named to an All-Star team, and throwing a no-hitter.<ref name=Rosenstein/>

He and his wife Peggy lived in [[Sarasota, Florida]]. They raised three children together: Patti, Pam, and Jim. Wilhelm died of [[heart failure]] in a Sarasota nursing home in 2002.<ref name=obitnyt/>

In 2013, the [[Bob Feller Act of Valor Award]] honored Wilhelm as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in the United States Army during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://actofvaloraward.org/hof-players/ |title=WWII HOF Players – Act of Valor Award<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=August 11, 2021 |archive-date=October 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008204152/https://actofvaloraward.org/hof-players/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Legacy==
{{quote box
|quote=[Hoyt] had the best knuckleball you'd ever want to see. He knew where it was going when he threw it, but when he got two strikes on you, he'd break out one that even he didn't know where it was going.
|source=&nbsp;– [[Brooks Robinson]]<ref name=obituary>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/classic/obit/s/2002/0824/1422325.html|date=August 29, 2002|title=Wilhelm first reliever elected to Hall of Fame|agency=Associated Press|publisher=ESPN|work=ESPN Classic|access-date=November 1, 2011|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093707/http://espn.go.com/classic/obit/s/2002/0824/1422325.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|width = 33%
|align = right
}}

Wilhelm was known as a "relief ace", and his teams used him in a new way that became a trend. Rather than bringing in a relief pitcher only when the starting pitcher had begun to struggle, teams increasingly called upon their relief pitchers toward the end of any close game.<ref name="James2010">{{cite book|last=James|first=Bill|title=The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3uSbqUm8hSAC&pg=PA234|access-date=January 20, 2015|date=May 11, 2010|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-4391-0693-8|page=234|archive-date=February 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215005001/https://books.google.com/books?id=3uSbqUm8hSAC&pg=PA234|url-status=live}}</ref> Wilhelm was the first relief pitcher elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.<ref name=obituary/>

He is also remembered as one of the most successful and "probably the most famous 'old' player in history."<ref name=SABR /> Although, due largely to his military service, Wilhelm did not debut in the major leagues until he was already 29 years old, he nonetheless managed to appear in 21&nbsp;major league seasons. He earned the nickname "Old Folks" while he still had more than a decade left in his playing career.<ref name=SABR /> He was the oldest player in Major League Baseball for each of his final seven seasons.<ref name=hallbio />

Former teammate [[Bill Skowron|Moose Skowron]] commented on Wilhelm's key pitch, saying, "Hoyt was a good guy, and he threw the best knuckleball I ever saw. You never knew what Hoyt's pitch would do. I don't think he did either."<ref name=Rosenstein>{{cite news|last1=Rosenstein|first1=Johnny|title=Hoyt Wilhelm 1923–2002|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2002/08/25/hoyt-wilhelm-1923-2002/|access-date=January 16, 2015|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=August 25, 2002|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208100042/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-08-25/sports/0208250363_1_oversized-mitt-orioles-catchers-knuckleball|url-status=live}}</ref> Baseball executive [[Roland Hemond]] agreed, saying, "Wilhelm's knuckleball did more than anyone else's ... There was so much action on it."<ref name=Rosenstein/>

Before Wilhelm, the knuckleball was primarily mixed in to older pitchers' repertoires at the end of their careers to offset their slowing [[fastball]]s and to reduce stress on their arms, thereby extending their careers. Wilhelm broke with tradition when he began throwing the pitch as a teenager and threw it nearly every pitch.<ref name=SABR /> ''[[The New York Times]]'' linked his knuckleball with that of modern pitcher [[R. A. Dickey]], as Wilhelm taught pitcher [[Charlie Hough]] the knuckleball in 1971, and Hough taught it to Dickey while coaching with the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]].<ref name=grandfather>{{cite web|last1=Waldstein|first1=David|title=Wilhelm, Grandfather of Dickey's Knuckleball, Once No-Hit Yankees|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/22/sports/baseball/hoyt-wilhelm-grandfather-of-r-a-dickeys-knuckleball-once-no-hit-yankees.html?_r=0|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=January 16, 2015|date=June 21, 2012|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106103834/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/22/sports/baseball/hoyt-wilhelm-grandfather-of-r-a-dickeys-knuckleball-once-no-hit-yankees.html?_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of knuckleball pitchers]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career ERA leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career saves leaders]]
* [[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]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=w/wilheho01 |fangraphs=1013945|brm=wilhel002jam}}
*{{Baseball Hall of Fame profile|wilhelm-hoyt}}
*{{SABR Baseball Biography Project|hoyt-wilhelm}}
*{{Find a Grave|6892380}}

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{{succession box| title=[[Save (baseball)|All-Time Saves Leader]]| years=1964–1979 | before=[[Roy Face]]| after=[[Rollie Fingers]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Jim Bunning]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Major League Baseball no-hitters|No-hitter pitcher]]|years=September 20, 1958}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Don Cardwell]]}}
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