Hoyt Wilhelm
Baseball
Inducted: 1968
- Born in Huntersville, NC, 1923
- One of baseball’s greatest relief pitchers and master of knuckleball
- Made big leagues at age 28 and played until age 49, the oldest effective player in major league history
- Played for nine teams from 1952–1972
- Spectacular 1952 rookie season with New York Giants, going 15-3 and leading the NL in winning percentage, games pitched, and earned run average
- Starter for Baltimore Orioles in late 1950s
- Led AL in earned run average in 1959
- Posted a major league career record of 143-122 with 227 saves and earned run average of 2.52
- Pitched in 1,070 games, the first ever to pitch in more than 1,000 major league games
- First relief pitcher inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
- Pitched 1958 no-hitter against New York Yankees for Baltimore
- Won Purple Heart at Battle of Bulge
- Died on August 23, 2002
