Hoyt Wilhelm and His Knuckleball Land in the Hall of Fame

Hoyt Wilhelm was a pitcher with a trick pitch, a devastating knuckleball. Hoyt Wilhelm taught himself how to throw the pitch, the most difficult in all of baseball to master. After reading about former knuckleballers like Freddie Fitzsimmons and Dutch Leonard, Hoyt Wilhelm practiced and practiced, and finally made the majors with it at the advanced age of 28. But Hoyt Wilhelm did not let a late start get in his way, as he used his knuckleball for 21 seasons and nine different teams to become the first pitcher used primarily as a reliever to be honored in Cooperstown.

Born in Hunterville, North Carolina in 1922, Hoyt Wilhelm was the son of a farmer who also had ten other kids. His father encouraged Wilhelm's interest in baseball, and when the boy read about those knuckleballers of yore, he decided to try the pitch. Hoyt Wilhelm used to practice with a tennis ball until he wore the cover off of it, and by high school he had the pitch down. His high school coach allowed him to use the knuckleball, and after graduation Wilhelm signed a minor league contract with Mooresville of the Carolina League. Originally cut by the team, they brought him back shortly after. As a starter, Hoyt went 10-3 with a 4.25 earned run average, but World War II interrupted put his plans on hold, as it did that of many ballplayers of the day.