Hoyt Wilhelm
From SoSH
| Born: | July 26, 1922 |
| Birthplace: | Huntersville, North Carolina |
| Height: | 6' 0" |
| Weight: | 195 lbs |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Drafted: | 1947: Purchased by the Boston Braves from Mooresville |
| College: | |
| High School: | |
| Teams: | New York Giants 1952-1956 Cleveland Indians 1957-1958 St. Louis Cardinals 1957 Baltimore Orioles 1958-1962 Chicago White Sox 1963-1968 California Angels 1969 Atlanta Braves 1969-1971 Chicago Cubs 1970 Los Angeles Dodgers 1971-1972 |
Contents |
Overall Career
James Hoyt Wilhelm (July 26, 1922 – August 23, 2002) didn't make his major league debut until the age of 28, but he got off to a fast start by hitting a home run in his first at-bat. Twenty years and a then-record 1,069 games later, he had never done either again; but it was on the mound that he distinguished himself as the game's premier reliever. The knuckleballer won 143 games, including a record 124 out of the bullpen. In a rare start for the Orioles in 1958, he no-hit the Yankees.
Awards
- Elected to Hall of Fame by Baseball Writers in 1985 (83.8% )
- 5-time All-Star (1953, 1959, 1961, 1962 & 1970)
Achievements
- 2-time League ERA Leader (1952/NL & 1959/AL)
- NL Winning Percentage Leader (1954)
- 2-time NL Games Pitched Leader (1952 & 1953)
- 15 Wins Seasons: 2 (1952 & 1959)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1959)
Trivia
- Won a World Series Ring with the New York Giants in 1954
- Hoyt Wilhelm served in the Army during WWII and was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries received during the Battle of the Bulge.
Transactions
- October 28, 1947: Purchased by the Boston Braves from the Mooresville (North Carolina State). (Date given is approximate.)
- November 20, 1947: Drafted by the New York Giants from the Boston Braves in the 1947 minor league draft.
- February 26, 1957: Traded by the New York Giants to the St. Louis Cardinals for Whitey Lockman.
- September 21, 1957: Selected off waivers by the Cleveland Indians from the St. Louis Cardinals.
- August 23, 1958: Selected off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles from the Cleveland Indians.
- January 14, 1963: Traded by the Baltimore Orioles with Ron Hansen, Dave Nicholson, and Pete Ward to the Chicago White Sox for Luis Aparicio and Al Smith.
- October 15, 1968: Drafted by the Kansas City Royals from the Chicago White Sox as the 49th pick in the 1968 Expansion Draft.
- December 12, 1968: Traded by the Kansas City Royals to the California Angels for Ed Kirkpatrick and Dennis Paepke.
- September 8, 1969: Traded by the California Angels with Bob Priddy to the Atlanta Braves for Mickey Rivers and Clint Compton.
- September 21, 1970: Selected off waivers by the Chicago Cubs from the Atlanta Braves.
- November 30, 1970: Traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Atlanta Braves for Hal Breeden.
- June 29, 1971: Released by the Atlanta Braves.
- July 10, 1971: Signed as a Free Agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- July 21, 1972: Released by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
External Links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
- Hoyt Wilhelm: Hall of Fame Page
- 1985 Hall of Fame Class
