Wilkinson sat on the bench as his talented but corrupt 1919 Black Sox teammates drove to the pennant. He begged manager Kid Gleason for a chance in September, and blanked last-place Philadelphia in his first ML start, his only career shutout. He pitched in two games of the infamous World Series. When he was summoned to testify against his teammates after the 1920 season, he abided by a code of silence. The Black Sox banned, Wilkinson was counted on to be Chicago’s number-two starter. Knowing this, he held out for much of spring training in 1921. He then lost his first nine decisions and finished at 4-20.
