july august nicknamed old mlb pitcher new_york_giants cleveland indians baltimore_orioles chicago_white_sox chicago cubs los_angeles_dodgers member growing north_carolina fighting world war spent years minor leagues starting mlb career best known enabled great longevity appeared occasionally starting pitcher pitched mainly specialist relief man role won games record relief pitchers pitcher reach saves appear games enter major leagues late twenties pitched nearly years old retired lowest career earned run averages baseball history retiring player early 1970s held coaching roles new_york_yankees years longtime resident florida died nursing home heart failure early life children born poor tenant farmers john née stanley north_carolina played baseball north_carolina began experimenting reading pitcher felt throw fast offered best shot success tennis ball practice professional debut class north state league served united_states_army world war participated wounded earning purple heart actions played entire career piece lodged result injury rose rank staff sergeant nicknamed old service military returned following military service seasons earned wins later recalled dropped class minor league team having manager tell forget persisted purchased november drafted new_york_giants braves minor league draft assignment giants organization class registered wins losses spent games season class jacksonville returned jacksonville earning win loss record earned run average era class aaa minneapolis starting pitcher games pitched registering record era era came minneapolis record finished similar role season starting games making relief appearances major_league career early years primarily starting pitcher minor leagues called giants team strong starting pitchers led national_league pennant year giants manager think approach effective innings time assigned team bullpen mlb debut giants april age giving hit walks recording april second game new_york_giants batted time majors facing rookie hit home run short right field fence polo grounds went bat total times career hit home run pitching exclusively relief led era rookie year won games lost finished valuable player award voting season relief pitcher finish high finished second rookie year award voting relief appearances win loss record decreased issued walks strikeouts named star team year play game team manager think handle giants renewed contract february key piece pitching staff led giants world championship pitched innings finishing record era appearances season catcher committed passed balls inning set major league record record subsequently tied twice set record hitting home runs year pitching second game gave home runs world series represented career postseason play pitched innings games earning save game team won world series game sweep era increased games innings pitched managed record finished season record era innings sportswriter later attributed difficulties mid-1950s decline career giants catcher writing baseball game inches inch right direction middle career february traded giants time trade manager described type pitcher makes definite pennant threat help need help games cardinals season earned saves finished record highest era point career cardinals placed september claimed cleveland_indians games year cleveland manager occasionally starter era indians handle general manager alarmed large number passed balls allowed baltimore_orioles select august baltimore lived near home baseman families close friends september year hit eventual world champion new york yankees memorial stadium ninth career start allowed walks struck hitter threatened point ninth inning robinson allowed ball roll foul hitter franchise baltimore history moved season difficulty catching set mlb record passed balls april game catcher passed balls catching described game day life author written established principle pitcher big slow catcher awful combination said heaven place throws despite passed balls won title era season manager devised larger handle richards equipped starting pitchers year middle season said pitchers serve starters started games appeared earned record era seven saves started game following year star registered saves era fourth star season finishing record era saves january traded chicago_white_sox early season manager said improved pitching staff percent said worth game winner works little effort probably long registered saves era finished career highs saves games pitched era decreased season remained season contributed passed balls record chicago catcher allowed season total set modern single season baseball record category career low era came earned record saves season getting close breaking time games pitched record belonging young games chicago manager began think starting pitcher game number fired record came later broke record relief pitcher set mlb records consecutive games pitcher career victories relief games finished innings pitched relief despite success won games season 1960s performed poorly finished record noted period relief pitcher came white trade wood threw arrival chicago encouraged throw time wood won games saved games earned era credited helping master coaches know throw wood pitched games pitcher innings relief pitcher season mlb expanded expansion draft conducted new teams select certain players established teams left unprotected possibly believe teams interest older pitcher october chosen expansion draft 49th pick offseason traded later career games pitched california angels era saves record september traded angels finished season pitching games braves earning saves recording era innings pitched spent season braves pitching games team earning saves september selected chicago_cubs appeared games traded cubs braves season cubs acquired late season bolster playoff contention source controversy commissioner investigated transaction december ruled find evidence associated transactions sent cubs quickly braves released braves june having pitched games year braves signed los_angeles_dodgers july appeared mlb games dodgers giving earned runs innings pitched games season team class aaa minor league affiliate indians started games registered era pitched games dodgers registering era innings dodgers released july appeared game time retirement pitched mlb record games recognized pitcher saved games career pitcher appear games oldest players pitched major leagues final appearance days short 50th birthday retired lowest career earned run average major league pitched innings later life retirement player managed minor league teams atlanta braves system single seasons led braves record record braves worked minor league pitching coach new_york_yankees years coach said teach pitchers believing people born throwing worked individually major league players wanted improve including yankees gave permission work pitched san_diego_padres ballot years elected failed garner votes induction sportswriter criticized voters saying look baseball player best player history fell short votes inducted induction ceremony said achieved initial major league goals appearing world series named star team throwing hitter wife lived florida raised children pam jim died heart failure nursing home legacy known relief ace teams new way trend bringing relief pitcher starting pitcher begun struggle teams increasingly called relief pitchers end close game relief pitcher elected remembered successful probably famous old player history largely military service debut major leagues years old nonetheless managed appear major league seasons earned nickname old folks decade left playing career oldest player major_league_baseball final seven seasons teammate commented key pitch saying good guy threw best saw knew pitch don think baseball executive agreed saying action primarily mixed older pitchers end careers offset slowing reduce stress arms extending careers broke tradition began throwing pitch teenager nearly pitch new_york_times linked modern pitcher taught pitcher taught coaching texas_rangers
Hoyt Wilhelm