SMOKY JOE WOOD·1911

The smoke was already gathering in 1911. Joe Wood threw 275 innings of 2.02 ball for Boston, and when he finished a start, he finished it — 25 complete games, five of them shutouts. He struck out 231, a number that made hitters feel the breeze before the ball arrived. The staff ace didn't just beat you; he wore you down, inning after inning, until the bat felt like a telephone pole. Twenty-three wins. A preview of thunder. The blaze was coming, and Smoke was just getting warm.

SMOKE GATHERING

The smoke was already gathering — staff ace workhorse before the blaze.

231 K

Two hundred thirty-one punchouts — hitters felt the breeze before the ball arrived.

WORKHORSE CG

Twenty-five complete games, five shutouts — when he finished a start, he finished it.

Smoky Joe Wood, Boston Red Sox. Bain Collection / Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (US).