Hank Wyse, the last Chicago Cubs pitcher to pitch in a World Series, died October 22nd in Salina, Oklahoma. He was 83.

Wyse was the Cubs’s ace in 1944-45, and logged a career-best 22-10 mark in 1945, leading the Cubbies to the Fall Classic for what would turn out to be the final time that century.

Wyse, whose nickname was “hooks” because of the devastating curve ball he threw had his best years with the Chicago Cubs highlighted by his career year 1945 when he posted his only 20 win year going 22 & 10 for the National League champion Cubs. He was the starting pitcher in game #2 in the 1945 series, won by the Detroit Tigers.

He pitched for Mr. Mack’s A’s in 1950 & 1951, appearing in 26 games with a won loss record of 10 & 16. Early in the 1951 season he was traded to the Washington Senators. Shortly thereafter he retired from baseball at the age of 33. His career Earned Run average was an impressive 3.52.

Wyse finished an eight-year career with brief stops with the Philadelphia A’s and Washington Senators, retiring after the 1951 season. He was 79-70 lifetime and had 362 strikeouts in 1,257 innings pitched.