Wilbur Wood, the knuckleball pitcher known for his durability and control while with the Chicago White Sox, has passed away. The news was announced on social media by a family friend. Wood was 84.
Wilbur Wood, the workhorse Chicago White Sox knuckleballer who had 4 straight 20-win seasons, dies at 84 https://t.co/gOdOlCWGyo
— Chicago Tribune Sports (@ChicagoSports) January 19, 2026
Wilbur Wood Passes Away at 84
With the White Sox, Wood was a three-time All-Star and received consideration for the MVP and Cy Young Awards three times. Besides his durability, what set Wood apart was his ability to control an uncontrollable pitch. His career walk rate was a mere 6.5 percent. Contrast that with three other famous knuckleballers, Phil Niekro, Tim Wakefield, and Hoyt Wilhelm. Of the three, Niekro had the lowest walk rate at an even eight percent.
Speaking to Bill Ryerson for the August 1973 issue of Baseball Digest, Wood explained simply, “The more you use the knuckler, the more you can control it. Control is the secret. You can’t walk guys and expect to win ball games.”
Beginnings
Before Wood gained fame with the White Sox, he was signed as an amateur free agent by the Boston Red Sox before the 1960 season. The left-hander pitched for the Red Sox (1961-64), Pittsburgh Pirates (1964-65), and White Sox (1967-78), compiling a lifetime record of 164-156 with a 3.24 ERA, 57 saves, 3.37 FIP, 1.232 WHIP, and 114 ERA+. His career was so-so until 1965, when he was 1-1 with a 3.16 ERA and 1.169 WHIP in 34 games, only one of which was a start, with the Pirates. He had not yet discovered the possibilities of the knuckleball, however.
Unfortunately, his manager in Pittsburgh was Harry Walker, never renowned for his expertise in pitching. Wood was kept in Triple-A Columbus for all of 1966. There, he was 14-8 with a 2.41 ERA and 1.049 WHIP in 31 starts. Under the rules of the day, because Wood had spent the entire year in the minors, he was a “frozen player,” meaning he couldn’t be recalled to the majors until he went through the winter baseball draft. Rather than lose him in the draft, the Pirates traded him to the White Sox for pitcher Juan Pizarro.
Transition
As a Pirate, Wood had experimented with the knuckleball but never used it in a game. “It was straight, easy to hit, and even easier to catch,” Alex Grammas, a coach under Walker, told Charley Feeney of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “A good knuckleball is tough to catch.” However, when Wood joined the White Sox, one of his teammates was Wilhelm. Wilhelm, a knuckleball pitcher who would pitch until he was 49 years old, helped Wood perfect the pitch.
Because Wood’s career as a White Sox starter was the stuff of legends, it’s easy to forget that he was a successful relief pitcher first. Pitching mostly in relief from 1967-70, he had an ERA of 2.49 with 56 saves. In 1968, he led the majors with 88 appearances and won the Fireman of the Year Award issued by The Sporting News. He also led the American League in appearances in 1969 and 1970. All told, he pitched in 292 games during those four years.
A New Role
In 1971, Chuck Tanner took over as the White Sox manager and converted Wood into a starter. Wood rewarded Tanner’s faith with a 22-13 record, 1.91 ERA, and major-league leading 11.7 WAR.
It was the 1972 White Sox who captured the imaginations of Chicago South Siders. Tanner and pitching coach Johnny Sain decided that because the knuckleball puts no strain on the arm, Wood could pitch on two days’ rest. Tanner also coaxed a reluctant future Hall-of-Famer Dick Allen to join the team. Allen had his best season in 1972, hitting .308/.420/.603, 37 HR (including the famous “chili dog home run”), and 113 RBI while winning the AL Most Valuable Player Award. Meanwhile, Wood pitched in 49 games, amassing 376-2/3 innings pitched, with a record of 24-17, 2.51 ERA, and 1.059 WHIP. Together, they led the overachieving White Sox to an 87-67 record and a second-place finish in the AL West Division.
Double Duty
In 1973, Wood made 48 more starts and pitched another 359-1/3 innings. He was 24-20 with a 3.46 ERA and 1.314 WHIP. On May 28, against the Cleveland Indians at Comiskey Park, the two teams completed a game that was suspended the night before after 16 innings, before the regularly scheduled game would commence. Wood took the mound for the 17th inning. He pitched five innings, gave up an unearned run, and earned a win when the White Sox won in the bottom of the 21st inning. He then pitched a complete game shutout in the regularly scheduled game.
Getting credit for two wins in one day, he was 13-3. There was talk of him repeating Denny McLain’s feat by winning 30 games. On July 20, Wood started both games of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. That day didn’t go as well, however. He was knocked out of the first game without recording an out. In the second game, he lasted just 4-1/3 innings. He gave up 13 runs, 10 earned, in the two games, and had two losses added to his record.
The Last Word
The 1973 team finished fifth. The Tanner magic seemed to have worn off. Wood was 20-19 in 1974, and 16-20 in 1975. In 1976, a line drive off the bat of the Detroit Tigers’ Ron LeFlore broke Wood’s kneecap and ended his season after seven games. He was never the same pitcher after that, although he gamely pitched in 52 games over 1977-78 before retiring.
Mandatory Photo Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports