Sunday, May 20, 2012

The Tale of Kerry Wood


               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.
                 During Spring Training of the following season, 1999, Wood underwent Tommy John surgery, which was just the beginning of his long and sad injury history.  He battled back; however, and by 2003, making the all-star team, striking out a career high 256 batters, and most importantly, carrying the Cubs to perhaps within a Steve Bartman interference from the World Series.  Fun fact about that game: Wood hit the first home run by a pitcher in the NLCS since 1984. 
                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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