Ted Wilks

Theodore Wilks (November 13, 1915 – August 21, 1989) was a right-handed pitcher who appeared in 385 Major League Baseball games over ten seasons from 1944 to 1953 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cleveland Indians. A 28-year-old rookie in 1944, he posted a 17–4 record with a 2.65 earned run average and was a member of the Cardinals team that won the 1944 World Series against the St. Louis Browns; he also pitched for the 1946 champions who beat the Boston Red Sox. He worked primarily in relief in the post-war years, with 341 of his appearances coming out of the bullpen, and twice led the National League in saves, in 1949 and 1951, though the save was not yet an official statistic. Cardinals catcher Joe Garagiola nicknamed him "The Cork" for his role as the team's relief stopper. Over his career Wilks compiled a 59–30 record with a 3.26 earned run average, 46 saves, 22 complete games, and five shutouts. He was born in Fulton, New York.