Wilbur Wood, the durable, left-handed knuckleballer who became a cornerstone of the Chicago White Sox rotation throughout the 1970s, has passed away at the age of 84. A true workhorse in every sense of the word, Wood carved out a remarkable career defined by resilience, consistency, and a mastery of one of baseball’s rarest pitches.
Wood spent 12 seasons on the South Side from 1967 to 1978, and his name is etched all over the franchise’s record books. He ranks top-five in team history in wins (163), innings pitched (2,524.1), and WAR (51.7)-a testament to both his longevity and his impact.
What made Wood so unique wasn't just his knuckleball-it was how often he threw it. From 1971 to 1975, he started an astonishing 224 games and logged 1,681.2 innings.
That’s a five-year stretch of durability that’s nearly unthinkable in today’s game. He was the rare pitcher who could take the ball every third or fourth day and still be ready to go again.
His peak came in the early '70s, when he earned three All-Star selections (1971, 1972, 1974) and finished in the top five of Cy Young voting three straight years. In 1972, he came within a whisker of winning the award, finishing second after leading the league in starts (49), innings pitched (376.2), and wins (24).
The year before, he posted a 1.91 ERA over 334 innings, led the league in WAR at 11.7, and finished third in Cy Young voting. That’s not just good-it’s elite.
And then there’s 1973, a season that perfectly encapsulates Wood’s ironman reputation. He once started both ends of a doubleheader against the Yankees.
Yes, you read that right. In a sport where even the toughest starters rarely go on short rest anymore, Wood took the mound twice in one day.
That’s the kind of feat that turns a player into a legend.
Before becoming a dominant starter, Wood was one of the league’s top relievers. He led the American League in appearances for three straight years (1968-1970), racking up 57 saves during his time in the bullpen. In 1968, he posted a 1.87 ERA over 88 games and even earned MVP votes-rare territory for a reliever in that era.
Wood’s journey to Chicago started with a trade from the Pirates in October 1966. The Sox sent back a player to be named later, who turned out to be former All-Star Juan Pizarro.
It proved to be a franchise-altering move for the White Sox. But Wood’s career really took off after he learned the nuances of the knuckleball from Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm.
That pitch became his ticket to longevity, and he used it to baffle hitters for over a decade.
Originally debuting with the Red Sox at just 19 years old in 1961, Wood bounced around a bit early in his career. He pitched parts of four seasons in Boston before being purchased by the Pirates in 1964. But it was in Chicago where he found his stride-and his legacy.
Unfortunately, his career took a downturn in 1976 after a comebacker off the bat of Ron LeFlore struck him in the knee, forcing him to miss most of the season. Though he returned to pitch in 1977 and 1978, he was never quite the same.
Still, his final line with the White Sox speaks volumes: a 3.18 ERA, 1,332 strikeouts, and 163 wins over 578 appearances. That’s not just a great run-that’s a career built on grit, endurance, and a pitch that danced its way into baseball lore.
Wilbur Wood wasn’t flashy, but he was unforgettable. A throwback even in his own time, he gave the White Sox everything he had-day in, day out, sometimes twice in one day. His legacy lives on not just in the record books, but in the memory of every fan who watched him take the mound and make the knuckleball sing.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the entire White Sox community.