ballots, as players must receive at least five percent each year to remain potential selections. Pitching style In the prime of his career, Wood would throw his 60 to 70 mph knuckleball about 80 percent of the time. Multiple observers called the pitch "tantalizing." It was slower than Wilhelm's or Phil Niekro's, but Wood's tricky delivery compensated for the diminished speed. He continued to use his fastball as well; though he did not have much velocity on it, the pitch would deceive hitters because it traveled straight, unlike the knuckleball. On the knuckleball's unpredictability, Wood said, "We just aim it for the middle of the plate and hope like hell it goes somewhere before it gets there." His ability to keep the pitch in the strike zone set him apart from other knuckleball pitchers. "I’m nervous every time I go out there,” Wood explained how he felt on the mound. “It’s a thrill – and a challenge. If you are not exciting when you come in, you’re lost. But I don’t lose my concentration because of a hit or a wild pitch." Pitching coach Johnny Sain said, "Wilbur has tremendous poise. He has the perfect temperament [and] never gets rattled." "The release, you see, is everything," Wood said as he described how to throw the knuckleball. "You must try to release each pitch the same way. It's a very fine point, but you have to find the spot to let it go. You throw it just like a fastball, only at three-quarter speed. There should be no strain on the shoulder and the elbow. Ideally, there should be no wrist break. This means the ball will not rotate. A really good pitch makes no more than 1½ revolutions. The wind will affect the ball when it is not rotating, causing it to change directions. You will get more break if the wind is blowing in your face, but if it is blowing behind you, your control will be better." He thinks the reason more pitchers do not throw the knuckleball is because it takes several years to get used to. Hall of Famer Rick Ferrell caught four knuckleballers with the Senators in the 1940s. "I have seen most of the great knuckleballers," he said in 1973, "but it is hard to say that anyone has ever been better than Wood, regardless of time or whatever." "I guess they always said,