The Resume

(October 25, 1889-July 27, 1985)
Born in Kansas City, Missouri
Birth name was Howard Ellsworth Wood
Pitcher for the Boston Red Sox (1908-15) and outfielder for the Cleveland Indians (1917-22)
Pitching record: 117 wins, 57 losses
ERA: 2.03
Batting average: .283
Led the AL in wins (1912) and ERA (1915)

Why he might be annoying:

He got his start as a teen with a mostly female 'Bloomer Girls' team.
He slipped on wet grass while fielding a bunt, broke his thumb (July, 1913) and was never a dominant pitcher again.
In 1926, Dutch Leonard accused him, Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker of betting on a fixed game in 1919 and produced letters from Wood and Cobb supporting the allegations.

Why he might not be annoying:

In 1912, he set still standing (as of 2009) Red Sox records for wins (34) and consecutive victories (16).
He, Cobb and Speaker were exonerated by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.
After retiring from the Major Leagues, he became the baseball coach at Yale for 20 years.
He was the first pro baseball player to receive an honorary degree from Yale, which was presented by university president and future baseball commissioner Bart Giamatti.
When Walter Johnson was asked if he could throw harder than Wood, he replied, 'Listen, my friend, no man alive can throw harder than Smoky Joe Wood!'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Baseball Players
• Boston Red Sox
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 25]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [October] (Ranked: 10251889)
• Cleveland Guardians
• Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Inductees
• I Died in 1985 (Ranked: 95)
• My Nickname is Part of My Name [M-Z]
• Profiles 27501-27750 (Ranked: 27569)
• Tree Names

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 87.50% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 39 Votes: 10.26% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 13 Votes: 30.77% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 9 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 15 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 12 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 20 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 10 Votes: 10.0% Annoying