| Chicago Cubs — No. 34 | |
| Closer | |
| Born: June 16, 1977 Irving, Texas |
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| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| April 12, 1998 for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2007) |
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| Win-Loss | 75-57 |
| Earned run average | 3. In Baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer (abbreviated CL) is a Relief pitcher who specializes in closing out Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Irving (pronounced 'er-ving' is a city located in the US state of Texas within Dallas County. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) A win is a Statistic in Major League Baseball credited to the Pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when his team last took the lead In Baseball statistics, earned run average ( ERA) is the Mean of Earned runs given up by a Pitcher per nine Innings pitched 67 |
| Strikeouts | 1,323 |
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| Highlights and awards | |
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Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977 in Irving, Texas) is an American baseball player. In Baseball or Softball, a strikeout or strike out (denoted by SO or K) occurs when a batter receives three strikes The Chicago Cubs are a Professional Baseball franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. Headline events of the year Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to one player from each league as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America Headline events of the year Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League Headline event of the year The Florida Marlins become World Series champions holding off a dynastic New York Yankees team 4 games to The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball In Baseball or Softball, a strikeout or strike out (denoted by SO or K) occurs when a batter receives three strikes Headline event of the year The Florida Marlins become World Series champions holding off a dynastic New York Yankees team 4 games to Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Irving (pronounced 'er-ving' is a city located in the US state of Texas within Dallas County. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each A right-handed pitcher, he plays professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs. In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of The Chicago Cubs are a Professional Baseball franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. Wood has recorded over two hundred strikeouts in four different seasons between 1998-2003, with a high water mark of 266 K's in 2003. Headline event of the year The Florida Marlins become World Series champions holding off a dynastic New York Yankees team 4 games to In recent years, he has had three serious arm injuries, and has only started a total of 14 major league games from Opening Day 2005 through the middle of 2006. Wood returned to the Cubs during the 2007 season as a relief pitcher. The Chicago Cubs ' 2007 season began with the Cubs trying to rebound after a season in which they finished last in their division for the first time since. A relief pitcher or reliever is a Baseball or Softball Pitcher who enters the game after the Starting pitcher is removed due to injury
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Early life
Wood became a high school phenom while attending Mac Arthur High School in Irving, Texas, for his first three seasons of high school baseball. He continued his domination of batters at Grand Prairie High School in his final season as a high school player. [1]
Professional career
1995-1998: Early years
The Chicago Cubs drafted Wood as the fourth overall selection in the 1995 Amateur Draft. The Chicago Cubs are a Professional Baseball franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. He spent three years playing in the Minor Leagues. Minor leagues are professional Sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports His best season in the Minors came in 1996, when he posted a 10-2 record for the Daytona Cubs. The Daytona Cubs are a Minor league baseball team based in Daytona Beach Florida. [2] He spent his final two years in the minors playing for the Iowa Cubs. The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A Minor league baseball team affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. [2]
1998: Rookie sensation
A much-hyped prospect in the minor leagues, Wood made his MLB debut on April 12, 1998. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Headline events of the year Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr He wasted no time showing the world his talent when - in only his fifth career start on May 6, 1998 - he threw a one-hit, no walk, 20-strikeout shutout against the Houston Astros, tying the record for strikeouts in a 9-inning National League game and breaking Bill Gullickson's single-game rookie record of 18 strikeouts in 1980. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Listed below are the pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning Major League game, with teams dates and opponents 20 Kerry Wood The Houston Astros are a Professional baseball team based in Houston Texas. William Lee Gullickson (born February 20, 1959 in Marshall Minnesota) is a former Major league baseball Pitcher who played for Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Philadelphia Phillies over Kansas City Royals (4-2 Mike Schmidt, MVP The game is considered by many to be among the most dominant pitching performances in the history of baseball. [3] According to statistician Bill James's Game Score system, which attempts to assign a numerical value to a start, Wood's performance scored 105, the highest in the history of baseball. George William “Bill” James (born October 5, 1949, in Holton Kansas) is a Baseball writer historian and statistician whose work has been
Wood finished the 1998 season with a 13-6 record, and despite missing the last month of the season with elbow soreness easily won the National League Rookie of the Year award. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to one player from each league as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America Wood pitched one game in the playoffs against the Atlanta Braves, but suffered the loss. That would be his last appearance in a Cubs uniform for more than a year.
1999-2003: Injury and return
During Spring Training of 1999, Wood underwent Tommy John surgery to repair damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the Regular season. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves (4-0 Mariano Rivera, MVP Tommy John surgery known by doctors as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (or UCL) is a surgical procedure in which a Ligament in the The ulnar collateral ligament ( internal lateral ligament) is a thick triangular band consisting of two portions an anterior and posterior united by a thinner intermediate portion He missed the entire season to rehab from the surgery.
Wood returned in 2000 and struggled to an 8-7 record, but the following season, he returned to form. Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: In 2001, Wood began a string of three straight seasons in which he began to once again show the promise he displayed as the young phenom just a few years earlier. Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: He went 12-6 with a 3. 36 ERA. The following season (2002), Wood finished 12-11 with a 3. Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: 67 ERA, but perhaps more important was the fact he didn't miss a start all year long, setting career highs with 213. 6 innings pitched and 33 starts. In both seasons, he struck out 217.
In 2003, Wood continued to improve, setting career highs with 266 strikeouts, 14 wins (as part of a 14-11 record), a 3. Headline event of the year The Florida Marlins become World Series champions holding off a dynastic New York Yankees team 4 games to 20 ERA, and 2 shutouts. He also walked 100 batters and surrendered 24 home runs, also career highs, but was selected as a National League All-Star and helped lead the Cubs to the playoffs.
Wood teamed with fellow right-hander Mark Prior to form a dominating 1-2 punch dubbed "Chicago Heat" by the media, that led the Cubs to the 2003 National League Championship Series, which they lost in seven games to the eventual World Series champion Florida Marlins. Mark William Prior (born September 7, 1980 in San Diego, California, United States) is a Starting pitcher for the The National League Championship Series was a Major League Baseball playoff series played from October 7 to October 15 to determine the champion For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. The Florida Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami Gardens Florida. In the decisive Game 7, Wood hit the first home run by a pitcher in a NLCS game since another Cub, Rick Sutcliffe, did so in Game 1 in 1984. The National League Championship Series was a Major League Baseball playoff series played from October 7 to October 15 to determine the champion Richard Lee Sutcliffe (born June 21, 1956 in Independence Missouri) is a former Major League Baseball starting Pitcher and current The National League Championship Series was played between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs from October 2 to October The National League Championship Series was played between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs from October 2 to October However, the Marlins won the game 9-6. Wood was charged with the loss and the Cubs were eliminated.
2004-2006: Continued struggles
Based on their promising 2003 performance and off-season moves, Kerry Wood and the Cubs were featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the 2004 Season baseball preview issue and were predicted to win the World Series. Sports Illustrated is an American Sports Magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Headline events of the year The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series since, ending the Curse of the Bambino. Perhaps another example of the so-called "SI Jinx," Wood went just 8-9 during the season and was sidelined for nearly two months with a strained triceps. Sports Illustrated is an American Sports Magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. A strain is an Injury to a Muscle in which the Muscle fibers tear as a result of overstretching. The triceps brachii ( Latin for "three-headed" of the arm is the large muscle on the back of the human Upper limb. Meanwhile, the Cubs led the Wild Card race by two games with a week to go in the season. The term wild card refers broadly to a Tournament or Playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play However, they lost seven of their last nine games - including two losses by Wood - to finish 89-73, two games behind Houston, and out of the playoffs.
In 2005, the Cubs—and Wood—continued to struggle. 2005 Major League Baseball season Headline events of the year Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the World Series On August 31, 2005, Wood underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne During Spring Training the following year, Wood suffered another setback which required an additional surgery on his knee. Finally, on May 18, 2006, Wood returned to the Cubs' rotation when he pitched in a game at home against the Washington Nationals. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. 2006 Major League Baseball season|2006 Nippon Professional Baseball season Headline Event of the Year The 2006 World Baseball Classic is a surprise success The Washington Nationals is an American professional baseball team based in Washington D He took the loss, giving up four runs and three home runs while striking out six in five innings. In June, Wood returned to the DL with a sore shoulder. In Major League Baseball, the disabled list (DL is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players The following month, the Cubs announced that Wood had sustained a partially torn rotator cuff which was likely to keep him from pitching again for the rest of the year. Rotator cuff tears are tears of one or more of the four Tendons of the Rotator cuff muscles At the end of the 2006 season, the Cubs exercised their option on Wood's contract and bought out the remaining $13M. A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do or refrain from doing an act which is enforceable in a court of law
2007-Present
With his long history of injuries and inability to stay in the starting rotation, Wood accepted the Cubs offer to join their bullpen in 2007, signing an incentive laden one-year contract for $1. Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Minor League Baseball 75 million. Wood explained at the time he felt he owed both the Cubs' Organization and their devoted fans for all the time missed due to his injury plagued past. Wood attempted to sustain a regular throwing schedule and appearances during Spring Training games. However, Wood was placed on the 15 day DL with soreness in his elbow and was then moved to the 60 day DL. He began playing catch on May 21. In his first rehab stint against in Cubs Rookie Ball, he struck out all three batters he faced. On July 24, he pitched 1 inning with the Peoria Chiefs, throwing 9 pitches. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. The Peoria Chiefs are a Class A Minor league baseball team affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, from Peoria Illinois. He made back-to-back appearances on July 26 and July 27, throwing his fastball between 92-94mph with no discomfort. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England.
The Cubs activated Wood from the 60-Day Disabled List on August 3, causing many to believe that he would make his actual return on that day. [4] In the seventh inning, however, Lou Piniella opted to send Bob Howry to the mound, and most fans, eager to see Kerry back on the hill, mistakenly gave Howry a standing ovation, only to realize moments later it was actually not Wood. Louis Victor Piniella (pɨˈnɛlə born August 28, 1943, in Tampa Florida, United States) is the current manager of the Chicago Bobby Dean Howry (born August 4, 1973 in) is a Major League Baseball Relief pitcher who currently plays for the Chicago Cubs [5] Piniella later stated he wanted Wood to receive a "softer landing", or in other words, make his return in a game where the Cubs have a comfortable lead over their opponents. [6] Wood made his return on August 5, with the Cubs trailing the New York Mets by four runs. "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. [7] He pitched a single inning, during which he allowed one hit, and struck out another batter. [7] Piniella praised Wood's performance, stating "He threw the ball real good", and "His breaking ball had some bite to it, and he threw it up there about 93-94, about what we expected". [8] Since then, he has remained healthy appearing in 22 games and posting a 1-1 record with a solid 3. 33 ERA. In Baseball statistics, earned run average ( ERA) is the Mean of Earned runs given up by a Pitcher per nine Innings pitched
He was generally limited to one inning per outing and has not appeared in games on back to back days, though he did pitch in both halves of a double header on September 15. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Wood was a major contributor to the Cub's NL Central Division Championship down the stretch in late September, earning a win and 8 holds. Wood filed for free-agency on November 11, 2007, though he suggested that he would like to remain in pinstripes for the 2008 season. Despite multi-year offers from other teams, Wood agreed to a one year, $4. 2 million deal with the Cubs. [9]
Wood, along with Bob Howry and Carlos Marmol, competed for the role as the Cubs' closing pitcher after Ryan Dempster was moved to the starting rotation. Bobby Dean Howry (born August 4, 1973 in) is a Major League Baseball Relief pitcher who currently plays for the Chicago Cubs Carlos Agustín Mármol (born October 14, 1982 in Bonao, Dominican Republic) is a Relief pitcher in Major League Baseball Ryan Scott Dempster (born May 3, 1977 in Sechelt British Columbia) is astarting Pitcher for the Chicago Cubs in Major League [9] After posting a 2. 84 ERA in the spring, Wood won the job. An era is a commonly used word for long period of time When used in science for example geology eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined He recorded his first career save April 3, 2008 with a win over the Brewers. [1][2]
MLB records
- Fastest to reach 1000 strikeouts in MLB history (in appearances): 134 games
- Fastest to reach 1000 strikeouts in MLB history (in innings pitched): 853 IP
- Strikeouts in a 9-inning game: 20 on May 6, 1998 (tied record then held by Roger Clemens)
Personal life
Wood is married to the former Sarah Pates of Waukegan, Illinois. William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962 in Dayton, Ohio) is an American Right-handed Pitcher in Major Waukegan ( IPA: /wɔˈkigən/ is a city in Lake County, Illinois. The couple has a son, Justin Dean (born 2006). After FOX repeatedly kept showing her reactions in the crowd during playoff games Kerry was starting, he asked that the shots of her in live telecasts be reduced.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
- List of pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning MLB game
References
- ^ The Official Site of The Chicago Cubs: Team: Player Information : Biography and Career Highlights
- ^ a b The Baseball Cube, Kerry Wood - Pitching Statistics, Retrieved on August 5, 2007. Major League Baseball recognizes Strikeout champions in the American League and National League each season Listed below are the pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning Major League game, with teams dates and opponents 20 Kerry Wood
- ^ My Right Arm - New York Times
- ^ Muskat, Carrie, Wood likely to return on Friday (August 1, 2007), MLB. com, Retrieved on August 2, 2007.
- ^ Gano, Rick, NY Mets 6, Chi Cubs 2 (August 3, 2007), Yahoo! Sports, Retrieved on August 3, 2007.
- ^ Ladewski , Paul, Wood waiting in wings (August 4, 2007), Daily Southtown, Retrieved on August 4, 2007.
- ^ a b Associated Press, Kerry Wood returns, pitches a scoreless inning for Cubs against Mets (August 5, 2007), SI. com, Retrieved on August 5, 2007.
- ^ Sullivan, Paul, Kerry Wood back in the fray (August 6, 2007), Chicago Tribune, Retrieved on August 6, 2007.
- ^ a b Muskat, Carrie. Wood to return with Cubs in 2008. Retrieved on 2007-11-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus"
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Scott Rolen |
National League Rookie of the Year 1998 |
Succeeded by Scott Williamson |
| Preceded by Nomar Garciaparra |
Baseball America Rookie of the Year 1998 |
Succeeded by Carlos Beltran |
| Preceded by Scott Rolen |
Players Choice NL Most Outstanding Rookie 1998 |
Succeeded by Preston Wilson |
| Preceded by Randy Johnson |
National League Strikeout Champion 2003 |
Succeeded by Randy Johnson |
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