Wilbur Wood, baseball player, 1961-1978

Wilbur Wood

Born: 10/22/1941 in Cambridge, MA, USA

MLB Debut: 1961-06-30 | Final Game: 1978-08-22

Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Wilbur Forrester Wood

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Biography

Wilbur Wood, born in 1941, was a prominent left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1961 until his retirement in 1978. Known for his durability and distinctive pitching style, Wood carved out a significant niche in the game during an era that experienced a shift towards more specialized roles for pitchers. His career spanned the transition from the deadball era's emphasis on contact hitting to a period where power became increasingly important. Throughout his 17 seasons, he achieved a record of 164-156, maintaining a commendable earned run average (ERA) of 3.24, which highlighted his effectiveness on the mound. Wood was a three-time All-Star, showcasing his talent among the best pitchers of his time. He accumulated a total of 1,411 strikeouts and recorded 57 saves, reflecting a versatility that allowed him to contribute both as a starter and in relief. His unique approach to pitching, often relying on a heavy workload and an array of pitches, garnered him respect and recognition within the baseball community. Wilbur Wood remains a significant figure in baseball history, remembered for his contributions to the game and his remarkable endurance on the mound.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
164 156 651 297 114 24 57 2684.0 2582 965 209 724 1411 3.24 0

Career ERA 3.24 vs. league average 3.61 across their career seasons — 10.4% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1961 BOS AL 0 0 6 1 0 0 0 13.0 14 8 7 7 5.54 4.03 (-38%) -353.9
1962 BOS AL 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 7.7 6 3 3 3 3.52 — 0.0
1963 BOS AL 0 5 25 6 0 0 0 64.7 67 27 13 28 3.76 3.46 (-9%) -1485.3
1964 BOS AL 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 5.7 13 11 3 5 17.47 — 0.0
1964 PIT NL 0 2 3 2 1 0 0 17.3 16 7 11 7 3.63 3.58 (-2%) -203.0
1965 PIT NL 1 1 34 1 0 0 0 51.3 44 18 16 29 3.16 3.50 (+10%) 464.6
1967 CHW AL 4 2 51 8 0 0 4 95.3 95 26 28 47 2.45 3.30 (+26%) -
1968 CHW AL 13 12 88 2 0 0 16 159.0 127 33 33 74 1.87 2.98 (+37%) -
1969 CHW AL 10 11 76 0 0 0 15 119.7 113 40 40 73 3.01 3.61 (+17%) -
1970 CHW AL 9 13 77 0 0 0 21 121.7 118 38 36 85 2.81 3.89 (+28%) -
1971 CHW AL 22 13 44 42 22 7 1 334.0 272 71 62 210 1.91 3.47 (+45%) -
1972 CHW AL 24 17 49 49 20 8 0 376.7 325 105 74 193 2.51 3.26 (+23%) -
1973 CHW AL 24 20 49 48 21 4 0 359.3 381 138 91 199 3.46 3.75 (+8%) -
1974 CHW AL 20 19 42 42 22 1 0 320.3 305 128 80 169 3.60 3.63 (+1%) -
1975 CHW AL 16 20 43 43 14 2 0 291.3 309 133 92 140 4.11 3.71 (-11%) -
1976 CHW AL 4 3 7 7 5 1 0 56.3 51 14 11 31 2.24 3.51 (+36%) -
1977 CHW AL 7 8 24 18 5 1 0 122.7 139 68 50 42 4.99 4.00 (-25%) -
1978 CHW AL 10 10 28 27 4 0 0 168.0 187 97 74 69 5.20 3.69 (-41%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
651 322 11 27 2 0 0 13 1 20 189 0.084 0.140 0.090 0.230 -2153.7

Career AVG .084 vs. league average .252 across their career seasons — 66.8% below league average.

Career OBP .140 vs. league average .319 across their career seasons — 56.1% below league average.

Career SLG .090 vs. league average .374 across their career seasons — 75.9% below league average.

Career OPS 0.230 vs. league average 0.693 across their career seasons — 66.8% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1961 BOS AL 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1962 BOS AL 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1963 BOS AL 25 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1964 BOS AL 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1964 PIT NL 3 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1965 PIT NL 34 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1967 CHW AL 51 16 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 11 0.062 — — — — 0.0
1968 CHW AL 88 22 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 2 17 0.091 — — — — 0.0
1969 CHW AL 76 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1970 CHW AL 77 18 2 2 1 0 0 3 0 0 11 0.111 — — — — 0.0
1971 CHW AL 44 96 1 5 0 0 0 0 1 11 57 0.052 .249 (-79%) .316 (-53%) .365 (-86%) .682 (-70%) -1094.5
1972 CHW AL 49 125 8 17 0 0 0 7 0 6 65 0.136 .243 (-44%) .310 (-43%) .353 (-62%) .664 (-53%) -1059.3
1973 CHW AL 49 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1974 CHW AL 42 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1975 CHW AL 43 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1976 CHW AL 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1977 CHW AL 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1978 CHW AL 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 651 297 84 523 14 26

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1961 BOS P 6 1 2 0 0 0
1962 BOS P 1 1 0 3 0 0
1963 BOS P 25 6 2 10 1 0
1964 BOS P 4 0 0 3 0 0
1964 PIT P 3 2 1 0 0 0
1965 PIT P 34 1 2 6 0 0
1967 CHA P 51 8 7 13 2 2
1968 CHA P 88 2 7 25 0 1
1969 CHA P 76 0 5 22 1 0
1970 CHA P 77 0 7 27 0 3
1971 CHA P 44 42 11 65 1 3
1972 CHA P 49 49 9 82 4 8
1973 CHA P 49 48 9 62 1 3
1974 CHA P 42 42 8 67 3 1
1975 CHA P 43 43 8 53 1 3
1976 CHA P 7 7 1 12 0 0
1977 CHA P 24 18 3 33 0 1
1978 CHA P 28 27 2 40 0 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 651

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1972 TSN All-Star LHP
1972 TSN Pitcher of the Year
1968 TSN Fireman of the Year

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1973 Cy Young Award AL 5th 3.0 120 0
1972 Cy Young Award AL 2nd 58.0 120 7
1972 Most Valuable Player AL 7th 78.0 336 0
1971 Cy Young Award AL 3rd 23.0 120 1
1971 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 54.0 336 0
1968 Most Valuable Player AL 25th 2.0 280 0