Hoyt Wilhelm

James Hoyt Wilhelm (July 26, 1923 – August 23, 2002) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. 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 game... more

James Hoyt Wilhelm (July 26, 1923 – August 23, 2002) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. 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 49th birthday. Much travelled, his clubs included the New York Giants (1952-56), Baltimore Orioles (1958-62), Chicago White Sox (1963-68), and spells with the St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, California Angels, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers, with whom he was playing when he eventually retired after the 1972 season. His success as a... less