66 Red Sox At White Sox, August 20, 1972, Wilbur Wood Never Left
8 January 2024
Album art features Wilbur Wood.
Knuckleballer Wilbur Wood may not be one of the first names that come to mind when you ask about notable pitchers, but he left his mark in the books. Take the 1968 season, where he set the record for games pitched (88). He held the AL record for starting games for four years running, with a record 49 games started in 1972.
And in 1972 he set a record that stands to this day. 376 and two-thirds innings pitched in a single season. Let's skip over the other record he still holds, namely the most hits allowed in a single season, with 381 in the 1973 campaign.
Today's game is part of that marathon 1972 season. Wilbur Wood is the starting pitcher for the Chicago White Sox as they welcome the Boston Red Sox… the team that gave Wood his first MLB start back in 1961.
Ned Martin and Dave Martin split commentary duties.
You can find the boxscore here.
This game was the first game of a double-header on August 20, 1972.