No dog in the football hunt with these games today, so just sitting here thinking about the fireworks I saw last night, which reminded me of the times as a pitcher that I got lit up. Which then made me wonder why I loved baseball so much, because I got lit up a lot. Which then made me think of knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm (The Ship) and the one time I saw him pitch. Which was the first time I realized that baseball wasn't all fun and games.
I've written earlier about Wilhelm, so forgive me for bringing him up again. The story is simple but details about Wilhelm, I think, are very cool.
The story: In June, 1971, after 20 years in the majors, Wilhelm was released by the Braves and signed by the Dodgers who sent him to AAA Spokane. He started six games there before being called up to LA. I saw him pitch one of those six games in Spokane. I went to the game specifically to see him pitch, because he was a knuckleballer and I had just read Ball Four, by Jim Bouton, who had turned to the knuckleball after he blew out his arm. Every Jr. Hi kid I knew was either obsessed with the stories Bouton wrote about or learning how to throw a knuckleball, or both.
So going to see Wilhelm was a no-brainer. I got there early and sat right next to the bullpen to watch him warm up. The bullpens in Spokane are right next to the seats down each foul line. I could almost reach out and touch him. It was hot and I could see the sweat on his face. More people came to watch him and crowded around me. I felt like I was in a tunnel of bodies. This one guy started talking to Wilhelm, badgering him, really, asking him for an autograph. He wouldn't let up. Wilhelm ignored him at first but then the guy said something like "You're too good to sign an autograph? This is Spokane, man, not LA." Wilhelm looked at him and said, "I love Spokane but I'm getting ready for work. Look for me after the game please." The guy didn't say another word.
I'll always remember what Wilhelm said about going to work.
Wilhelm Details:
He was 48 years old the night I saw him pitch.
He always threw a knuckleball because he could never throw hard. Self-taught.
He was signed out of high school in 1942 and played D ball in North Carolina. Then went to fight in WWll, was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge and had shrapnel in his back the rest of his life.
His first MLB game was in 1952, when he was 29.
He hit a home run in his first MLB at bat. He never hit another one.
He finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting, when he was 30.
He threw a no-hitter against the Yankees in 1958, and won 1-0. Don Larsen started against him and gave up only one hit himself but was relieved in the 7th inning just before Wilhelm's catcher, Gus Triandos, hit a solo homer for the winning run.
In the Yankee lineup that game: Mickey Mantle, Hank Bauer, Elston Howard, Marv Thorneberry, Bobby Richardson, and Enos Slaughter.
At the time of his retirement, Wilhelm had pitched in a then major league record 1,070 games. He is recognized as the first pitcher to save 200 games in his career, and the first pitcher to appear in 1,000 games. Wilhelm is 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 ERA of any major league hurler after 1927 (Walter Johnson) who had pitched more than 2,000 innings.
The original "relief ace," he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985, the first relief pitcher to achieve that honor.
Thanks for reading.
