Looking back at the 1972 White Sox

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Forty years ago, Dick Allen won the American League MVP and the White Sox went 87-67, finishing second in the league to Oakland. The Sox will honor that '72 team by wearing throwback uniforms for every Sunday home game, and we're giving you a chance to win one signed by Bill Melton.

But there was much more to that 1972 team that cool uniforms and Allen.

Wilbur Wood's season was incredible. He started 49 games and threw 20 complete games, eight of which were shutouts -- a post-dead ball era franchise record. Wood threw 376 23 innings, the most a pitcher has thrown in a season since the end of World War II. And he finished second in the AL Cy Young voting that year, with Cleveland's Gaylord Perry taking home the award.

Wood was the anchor of a pitching staff that posted a 3.12 ERA, with starters Dave Lemonds (2.95), Tom Bradley (2.98) and Stan Bahnsen (3.60) throwing quality innings. The bullpen, which was hardly a modern-day bullpen, was also fantastic, with Terry Forster throwing 100 innings with a 2.25 ERA.

A 20-year-old Goose Gossage made his major-league debut April 16 for the Sox. He had an up-and-down season, culminating with the future Hall of Famer allowing nine runs on 13 hits in three innings of his only start of the year.

Beltin' Bill Melton only hit seven home runs in 1972, although the reasons behind that total were heroic. Carlos May, though, picked up the slack with one of the best offensive years of is career.

Got a memory of 1972? Post it in the comments! And be sure to enter to win that Bill Melton jersey!

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