Hoyt Wilhelm

James Hoyt Wilhelm (July 26, 1922 – August 23, 2002) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. During his career, he pitched for the New York Giants (1952–1956), St. Louis Cardinals (1957), Cleveland Indians (1957–1958), Baltimore Orioles (1958–1962), Chicago White Sox (1963–1968), California Angels (1969), Atlanta Braves (1969–1970; 1971), Chicago Cubs (1970), and Los Angeles Dodgers (1971–1972). He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.

Wilhelm was best known for his knuckleball, which enabled him to have great longevity; occasionally as a starting pitcher, but mainly as a specialist relief man (in which role he won 124 games, still the record for relief pitchers). He is recognized as the first pitcher to have saved 200 games in his career, and the first pitcher to appear in 1,000 games. He is also 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 pitched more than 2,000 innings.

Early life
Wilhelm played high school baseball in Huntersville, North Carolina. There, he began experimenting with a knuckleball after reading about Dutch Leonard.

Wilhelm served in the United States Army in the European Theatre during World War II. Wilhelm participated in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was wounded, earning the Purple Heart for his actions. He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. Because of his military service, he was nicknamed "Ol' Sarge".

Career
Wilhelm made his professional debut with the Mooresville Moors of the Class-D North Carolina State League in 1942. He returned to the Moors in 1946, following his military service.

The Boston Braves purchased Wilhelm from Moorsville in 1947. On November 20, 1947, Wilhelm was drafted by the New York Giants from the Braves in the 1947 minor league draft.

Wilhelm made his MLB debut with the Giants on April 18, 1952 at age 29. Pitching exclusively in relief, Wilhelm led the National League with a 2.43 earned run average (ERA) in 1952. On April 23, 1952, in his second game with the New York Giants, Wilhelm came to the plate for the first time in the majors. Facing rookie Dick Hoover of the Boston Braves, Wilhelm swung and sliced a home run over the short right-field fence at the Polo Grounds. Although he played 21 seasons and went to bat a total of 432 times in his career, he never hit another home run.

In 1954 Wilhelm, pitching to Ray Katt, put Katt in the record books as Katt committed four passed balls in one inning to set the major league record, which was later matched by Gino Petralli catching knuckleballer Charlie Hough in 1987. The record was again later tied by Ryan Lavarnway of the Boston Red Sox in 2013, catching knuckleballer Steve Wright in his first major league start.

On February 26, 1957, Wilhelm was traded by the Giants to the St. Louis Cardinals for Whitey Lockman. On September 21, 1957, he was selected off waivers by the Cleveland Indians from the Cardinals.

In 1958, Cleveland manager Bobby Bragan used Wilhelm occasionally as a starter. Although he had a 2.49 ERA, none of the Indians' catchers could handle Wilhelm's knuckleball. General manager Frank Lane, alarmed at the large number of passed balls, allowed the Baltimore Orioles to select Wilhelm off waivers on August 23, 1958.

On September 20, 1958, Wilhelm threw a no-hitter against the New York Yankees. He allowed two baserunners on walks and struck out eight.

Orioles catchers set an MLB record with 49 passed balls in 1959. However, Wilhelm also won the American League ERA title with a 2.19 ERA. During the 1960 season, Orioles manager Paul Richards kept Wilhelm in the rotation, and devised a larger mitt so his catchers could handle the knuckleball.

On January 14, 1963, Wilhelm was traded by the Orioles with Ron Hansen, Dave Nicholson and Pete Ward to the Chicago White Sox for Luis Aparicio and Al Smith.

Wilhelm set MLB records with the most consecutive errorless games for a pitcher, games pitched for a relief pitcher, most career victories in relief, most games finished, most innings pitched in relief, and most games pitched during the 1968 season. On October 15, 1968, Wilhelm was chosen in the 1968 expansion draft by the Kansas City Royals from the White Sox as the 49th pick. That offseason, he was traded by the Royals to the California Angels for Ed Kirkpatrick and Dennis Paepke.

On September 8, 1969, Wilhelm was traded by the Angels with Bob Priddy to the Atlanta Braves for Clint Compton and Mickey Rivers. On September 21, 1970, he was selected off waivers by the Chicago Cubs, and then traded back by the Cubs to the Braves for Hal Breeden after the season. As the Cubs acquired Wilhelm late in the season to bolster their playoff contention, which was a source of controversy, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn investigated the transaction.

Wilhelm was released by the Braves on June 29, 1971. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 10, 1971, but they released him on July 21, 1972. At the time of his retirement, Wilhelm pitched in a then-MLB record 1,070 games.

Career perspective
His success as a reliever helped the gradual change in usage patterns of pitchers, and the popularity of the concept of a "relief ace." Wilhelm was the first relief pitcher elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Along with Phil Niekro, Wilhelm is considered by many as one of the greatest knuckleballers to have played the game.

Post-playing career
Wilhelm worked as a minor league pitching coach after his retirement.

In other media
In the Billy Crystal directed movie 61*, Wilhelm was portrayed by fellow knuckleball pitcher Tom Candiotti.