Joe Wood
From BR Bullpen
Note: This page links to pitcher Smoky Joe Wood. For the former major league infielder who played in 1943, click here. For his son, who pitched in 1944, click here.
Joe Wood (Smoky Joe)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 180 lb.
- Debut August 24, 1908
- Final Game September 24, 1922
- Born October 25, 1889 in Kansas City, MO USA
- Died July 27, 1985 in West Haven, CT USA
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[edit] Biographical Information
"Can I throw harder than Joe Wood? Listen, my friend, there's no man alive can throw harder than Smoky Joe Wood." — quote, attributed to Walter Johnson, possibly fabricated
Smoky Joe Wood had two fantastic seasons as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and then, after an arm injury forced him off the mound, played a number of seasons as an outfielder. Although his best year in the majors was 1912, his name pops up in baseball history as late as 1981.
Wood was a teammate of Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker, and Harry Hooper during his Boston days as a pitcher; he won 34 games in 1912 against only 5 losses and also was the hero of that year's World Series, winning three games. At his prime, he was reputed to have amongst the best fastball in baseball.
As an outfielder with the Cleveland Indians, he again played with Speaker, and played in the 1920 World Series, where he started several games and batted sixth in the order. In 1921 he hit .366 in 66 games.
Wood was baseball coach at Yale University for many years. Wood also coached his son, Joe Wood, who would play briefly in the majors.
In 1948 Babe Ruth, shortly before his death, visited his old friend and teammate Joe Wood, who had been the coach of the Yale University baseball team. Ruth had his picture taken with Wood and the captain of the baseball team, a good-field, no-hit first baseman named George Bush, who would later become president of the United States in 1989.
In 1981, Roger Angell wrote an account of a famous college game opposing Ron Darling of Yale and Frank Viola of St. John's University. Smoky Joe Wood watched with Angell. Both pitchers threw shutout ball for 11 innings. St. John's won the game in the 12th inning.
Quote: "When I wasn't lying awake thinking and planning and fighting over that furious pennant race, I was dreaming restless dreams about it." - Smoky Joe Wood in 1920
[edit] Famous Last
Last survivor from the first decade of the twentieth century
[edit] Notable Achievements
- AL ERA Leader (1915)
- AL Wins Leader (1912)
- 2-time AL Winning Percentage Leader (1912 & 1915)
- AL Complete Games Leader (1912)
- 15 Wins Seasons: 3 (1911, 1912 & 1915)
- 20 Wins Seasons: 2 (1911 & 1912)
- 25 Wins Seasons: 1 (1912)
- 30 Wins Seasons: 1 (1912)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 2 (1911 & 1912)
- 300 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1912)
- 200 Strikeouts Seasons: 2 (1911 & 1912)
- Won three World Series with the Boston Red Sox ( 1912 & 1915 - he did not play in the 1915 World Series) and the Cleveland Indians (1920)
[edit] Further Reading
- Michael Foster: "Howard Ellsworth 'Smoky Joe' Wood", in David Jones, ed.: Deadball Stars of the American League, SABR, Potomac Books, Inc., Dulles, VA, 2006, pp. 411-414.
- Lawrence Ritter: The Glory of Their Times, The Macmillan Company, New York, 1966, pp. 146-161.
