Hoyt Wilhelm	vs.	Dennis Eckersley
	(AP)		(Allsport)
	Pitcher/1952-72 143-122 record 227 saves 2.52 ERA No-hitter in 1958 Most career relief wins, innings and games pitched Led league in ERA 1952, 59 Hall of Fame 1985 Complete Wilhelm bio		Pitcher/1975-1998 197-171 record 390 saves 3.50 ERA No-hitter in 1975 All-Star in 1977, 82, 88, 90-92 Cy Young Award in 1992 MVP in 1992 Complete Eckersley bio

	Hoyt Wilhelm bedeviled hitters for well over 20 seasons with a baffling knuckler which fluttered up and down on its way to the plate. He became the first hurler to utilize the knuckleball exclusively and revolutionized the role of a relief pitcher. True, pitchers such as Wilcy Moore and Joe Page gained fame for their ability to come out of the pen, but Wilhelm's career dwarfed those that had come before him. He retired with 123 relief wins, still a major-league record.		The term overpowering doesn't do Dennis Eckersley justice. From 1988 to 1992, Eck recorded 220 out of a possible 247 saves, an amazing 89-percent success rate. As a starter his first 12 big-league seasons, Dennis also enjoyed success. In 1975, he hurled a no-hitter and in 1978 his 20 wins played a key role in the Red Sox ill-fated pennant drive. Coming out of the bullpen, however, was where he enjoyed his greatest triumphs, befuddling hitters with his high-octane fastball, sharp curve and terrific control.
	STUFF		STUFF
	The knuckleball, a pitch that dives every which way on its way to the plate is one of the trickiest pitches to throw -- much less catch. Nevertheless, Wilhelm possessed above-average control, allowing him to throw his knuckler exclusively. Knowing Hoyt's 55 MPH 'floater' would find its way to the plate, very few hitters were able to coax a walk from Wilhelm. As evidenced by their .215 lifetime average vs. Hoyt, most of the time opposing batters came up empty-handed when they swung.		Few pitchers were endowed with the accuracy and pinpoint control of Dennis Eckersley. From 1988-92, Eck walked only 36 men in 359.2 total innings pitched. Believing quality pitches and not painting corners got hitters out, Eckersley simply overpowered the opposition, striking out a remarkable 378 batters in the same time span.
	AS A STARTER		AS A STARTER
	After Wilhelm struggled for several seasons out of the pen, Orioles skipper Paul Richards turned him into a starter in mid-1958. On Sept. 20, 1958, in his ninth-career ML start, Wilhelm no-hit the Yankees in a nationally televised game. Though he returned to relief duty in 1960, Hoyt was moderately successful as a starter in 1959 winning his first nine decisions en route to a 15-11 season.		Once described by Hall of Famer Duke Snider as a pitcher who knew how 'to do all the things that win ballgames,' Eckersley was a good but not great starter. After his 20-win season, Eckersley struggled with his health, missing an inordinate amount of time from 1979-86 with various back and bicep injuries. When he pitched, he rarely went the distance, and his fastball often slowed by the season's end.
	AS A RELIEVER		AS A RELIEVER
	After spending several seasons in the minors, Wilhelm was promoted to the New York Giants in 1952. Coming out of the pen, he set a (since-broken) ML record for the most single-season appearances with 71. Finishing the season with a 15-3 record and a 2.43 ERA, Hoyt established himself as a premier closer. By 1972, when he retired at the ripe-old age of 49, Wilhelm had pitched a record 1,870 innings out of the pen. Playing in an era before the save was prevalent, he recorded 227 of them.		Believing Eckersley was better suited to come out of the pen, A's manager Tony La Russa and pitching guru Dave Duncan experimented with him there in 1987, his first season in Oakland. He did not disappoint. Seizing the closer's duties from the oft-injured Jay Howell in May, a rejuvenated Eck became unstoppable. He was one of the first relief pitchers to be used exclusively in the ninth inning and rarely was utilized in non-save situations.
	DURABILITY/MOUND PRESENCE		DURABILITY/MOUND PRESENCE
	Hoyt Wilhelm was the definition of durability throughout his career. By the time he retired, Wilhelm had pitched in 1,070 games -- including 1,018 in relief. His knuckler scared opposing hitters such as slugger Dick Allen, who remarked 'I just take my three swings and go sit on the bench. I'm afraid if I even think about hitting it, I'll mess up my swing for life.'		Describing entering ballgames in key situations as a 'jolt,' Dennis Eckersley instilled fear into the opposition during the A's glory years of the late 1980s. Tony La Russa often remarked that as the team's closer Eck was the most important member of the club because it was his job to shut the opposition down and secure the win, a feat which Eck has achieved 390 times in his career. Until various ailments caused him to miss a large chunk of the 1998 season, Dennis the reliever managed to stay relatively injury-free. Until that point, he had missed only one month (in 1989) due to a tired shoulder.