Earlier this week, and about a quietly as possible, a legend
hung up his spikes for good. If you’re
unsure of who I’m talking about, I urge direct your attention to this video. In only his fifth Major League start, Kerry
Wood struck out 20 batters, equaling his age, giving up only one infield hit in
a complete game shutout. He is the 2nd
pitcher in MLB history to strike out his age, after Bob Feller at the age of 17,
and third pitcher to strike out 20 in a game after Roger Clemens and Randy
Johnson. According to the Bill James model
of pitching performance, Wood’s gem was the greatest game ever pitched, and it’s
not even close. Keep in mind that this
was against the Astros, who, at the time, were one of the best hitting teams in
the league, led by Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, and Moises Alou. The Astros lineup was absolutely overpowered
by Wood’s mix of heat and whiffle-ball like off speed pitches. Unfortunately
for Cubs nation and baseball fans everywhere, Wood’s career began to unravel
not long after this dominating performance.
2003
was the end of the Kerry Wood we knew and loved. After missing most of the next few seasons
with injuries, he moved to the bullpen in 2007, where he flourished, recording
34 saves in 39 opportunities, and again making the all-star team in the 2008
season. That off-season, however; the
Cubs announced that they would not be resigning Wood, and he moved to the
Cleveland Indians via free agency. After
more injuries with Cleveland, he was traded to the Yankees, where he played the
pivotal role of set up man for Mariano Rivera.
When the season ended in a playoff loss to the Texas Rangers, Wood
returned to the Cubs, setting up the final chapter in his career.
Fast forward
Wood’s story to this week: where he announced he would retire after one more
pitching appearance, not because he wanted the glory, but because he just
wanted one more go at it. He entered
Friday’s game against the White Sox, struck out the only batter he faced, and
exited the game to a standing ovation from the Wrigley faithful.
Wood’s
story is important for a few reasons.
The first and foremost is the sad story of what could have been. His rookie year, Wood showed that he could
have the best stuff of all time. Just
think about that for a second. He was
compared to Nolan Ryan halfway through his fifth start in the league, a start
which, by the way, he also pitched the best game in the history of the national
pastime. Wood, along with former
teammate Mark Prior, now serves as the cautionary tale for overworked young
pitchers, and in response managers have drastically changed how they handle
pitch counts.
On a
more sentimental note, Wood is the perfect microcosm of the Chicago Cubs. He generated all the hope in the world at the
beginning of his career, only to end up disappointing. Woods story is about a lot more than disappointment. It’s about hope, loyalty, promise, and the
reminder that everybody, even someone who strikes out 20 in a game, is
completely human. My favorite part of
Wood’s story is not about the strikeouts, the injuries, or anything that
happened on the field. It’s that twice
in his career he left lucrative multi-year deals on the table to stay with the
Cubs, and only left when he wasn’t’ wanted anymore, still to return to retire
at Wrigley. That kind of loyalty is rare
in professional sports today, and should be cherished. Perhaps Wood said it best himself, when upon
retiring, he was quoted “I had fun, I had a blast. I wouldn’t trade anything in.” When remembering Kerry Wood, I urge you to
remember the good over the bad, and tip your cap to the loss of a baseball
legend.
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