Legendary Chicago White Sox pitcher Wilbur Wood, known for his knuckleball and durability, has died at age 84, the team announced late Sunday. Wood played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball, spending his final 12 years with the White Sox. His career highlights include multiple All-Star selections and leading the majors in starts and innings pitched during the 1970s.
Wilbur Wood, a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, signed with his hometown Boston Red Sox in 1960 and made his MLB debut the following year at age 19. He spent much of the 1961-66 seasons in the minors with the Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates, appearing in 73 big-league games with 11 starts and a 4.17 ERA.
Traded to the Chicago White Sox after the 1966 season, Wood transitioned to a full-time knuckleballer and found success. From 1967-70, he posted a 2.49 ERA and led the majors in relief appearances each year from 1968-70, earning MVP votes in 1968. Reflecting on his pitching style, Wood told Sports Illustrated in 2019: "I was signed as a fastball/curveball pitcher and did very well with those in the minor leagues, but they just weren't good enough for the majors... I just decided to junk my curve and everything else and go 100% with the knuckleball."
An injury in 1971 opened a rotation spot for Wood, launching a dominant five-year stretch. He won 20 games four times, led the majors in starts four times, and recorded a 3.08 ERA over 1,681 ⅔ innings from 1971-75. Wood finished in the top five of Cy Young voting three times, including second place to Gaylord Perry in 1972. Known for his rubber arm, he often pitched on two or three days' rest, leading baseball with 224 starts—23 more than any other pitcher—and those innings, 87 more than anyone else. Only Tom Seaver surpassed him in WAR during that period. Wood added: "People said I didn't get sore because all I threw was the knuckleball, but that's not true... I did get sore."
His career was derailed on May 9, 1976, when a line drive broke his kneecap, ending the season. Wood struggled upon return, posting a 5.11 ERA in 290 ⅔ innings from 1977-78 before retiring at 37. "I just couldn't do what I could do before I got hurt. That took the fun out of it," he explained.
Wood ended with a 164-156 record, 3.24 ERA, and 2,684 innings pitched. A three-time All-Star (1971-72, 1974), he remains among White Sox leaders in wins, innings, games pitched, and strikeouts. He received Hall of Fame votes annually from 1984-89.
