Kerry Wood

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Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees.

Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old rookie when he recorded 20 strikeouts in a one-hit shutout against the Houston Astros, which some have argued may be the greatest single-game pitching performance in MLB history.

The game also made Wood the co-holder of the MLB record for strikeouts in a single game (20), and earned Wood the nickname Kid K. He was later named the 1998 National League Rookie of the Year.

Wood would go on to record over 200 strikeouts in four out of his first five seasons, with a high of 266 in 2003, and holds several MLB strikeout records.

Though he struggled with injuries throughout his career, Wood was twice named an All-Star.

Wood transitioned to a relief pitcher in 2007 due to continued struggles with injuries, ultimately reviving his career as a closer.

During his career Wood was placed on the disabled list 14 times in 14 major league seasons, which included missing the entire 1999 season due to Tommy John surgery.

After a slow start to the 2012 season, Wood retired on May 18, 2012.

Early life

Wood attended MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, for his first three seasons of high school baseball. He continued his education at Grand Prairie High School for his final season as a high school player. Wood was high school teammates with Kevin Walker. He initially committed to play college baseball at McLennan Community College in Waco.

Personal life

On February 13, 1999, Wood and former high school teammate Kevin Walker were ticketed for urinating in a parking lot at 1:10 a.m. in Scottsdale, Arizona. Wood missed his initial court appearance and an arrest warrant was issued. He later pleaded guilty and paid a fine of $90.

Wood is married to Sarah Pates of Waukegan, Illinois. The couple has one son, Justin, and two daughters, Katie and Charlotte. Until 2008, the family resided in the Old Town neighborhood of Chicago.

While playing for the Cubs, the Woods hosted a celebrity bowling tournament called Kerry Wood's Strike Zone, which also featured a silent auction that raised over $2 million.

On June 24, 2013, while paddleboarding in waters in Chicago, Wood happened upon a corpse floating in Belmont Harbor. He immediately reported the grisly discovery to local authorities, who determined the deceased to be a 40-year-old man who had been reported missing by a North Side nursing home days earlier.

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Professional career

In the 1995 Major League Baseball draft, the Chicago Cubs selected Wood as the fourth overall pick. He played in the minor leagues for three years. He played his best season in the minors in 1996, when he set a new record for the Daytona Cubs. He also appeared for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. He was the biggest league pitcher in walks in 1997 with 131.

Wood made his first appearance in the major leagues on April 12, 1998. In his fifth appearance in his career, he threw a one-hit, no-walk, 20-strike out shutout over the Houston Astros in Wrigley Field on May 6, tying Roger Clemens' record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game and breaking Bill Gullickson's single-game rookie record of 18 strikeouts in 1980. Ricky Gutiérrez on an infield single and Craig Biggio, who was struck by a pitch with a count of one ball and two strikes, were the only two base runners allowed by Wood. (Biggio had dominated the league for the first three years) (British) (biggio also ranked in the top tier for the first three years) Only seven balls reached fair territory. The Astros went on to lead the league in on-base percentages, and all of the regulars were in the lineup, with the four who finished the season with batting over.300. The result earned a game score of 105, the highest number for a pitcher in a nine-inning game ever recorded.

Wood set a 13–6 record in 1998, but despite missing the first month of the season due to elbow pain, he quickly received the National League Rookie of the Year award. He played just one game in the playoffs, losing to the Atlanta Braves.

He tore his ulnar collateral ligament ligament ligament ligament (UCL) during spring training in 1999. Wood underwent successful Tommy John surgery to recover injury to his right elbow, and he missed the 1999 season.

Wood had an 8-7 record when he first started in 2000, but the following season, he returned to form. Wood's record in 2001 was 12-6, with a 3.36 ERA. On May 25, 2001, he recorded a one-hit, 14-strikeout complete game loss. He struck out nine batters and gave up just one run over eight innings to beat Chan Ho Park and the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1, extending the Cubs' lead in National League Central to 3.5 games. Wood had a 3.67 ERA in 2012 and did not miss a single day of action, with 213.6 innings pitched and 33 starts on a year-long streak. In both seasons, he had 217 strikeouts.

Wood won 266 strikeouts, 14 victories (as part of a 14-11 record), a 3.20 ERA, and two shutouts in 2003. He had the fastest fastball in the majors, throwing 95.4 miles per hour. He walked 100 batters and sacrificed 24 home runs, both career highs, but was named as a National League All-Star and helped the Cubs win as one half of "Chicago Heat" as a member.

Wood won two races in the Divisional Series against the Atlanta Braves and was the starter in Game 3 of the 2003 National League Championship Series, which the Cubs won in extra innings. The Cubs lost in seven games to the eventual World Series champions, the Florida Marlins. Wood delivered his first home run by a pitcher in an NLCS game since Rick Sutcliffe, another Cub, did so in Game 1 in 1984. However, the Marlins won the game 9-6. Wood was the losing pitcher and the Cubs were eliminated from the playoffs.

Wood went 8-9 on the 2004 season and was hospitalized for nearly two months due to a strained triceps.

Wood began to fail in 2005. Wood underwent surgery on August 31, 2005, and missed the remainder of the season. Wood sustained multiple injuries during Spring training in 2006, including one on his knee. Wood began and lost a home game against the Washington Nationals on May 18, 2006, and rejoined the Cubs' pitching rotation. Wood returned to the DL with a swollen shoulder in June. Wood suffered from a partially torn rotator cuff, which was expected to keep him from pitching again for the remainder of the year. The Cubs exercised their right to Wood's deal and bought out the remaining $13 million at the end of the 2006 season.

Wood accepted the Cubs' request to return as a relief pitcher in 2007 despite his long history of injuries and inability to remain in the starting rotation. During Spring training games, Wood attempted to keep a regular throwing schedule and appearances. However, Wood was initially put on the 15-day DL with swollenness in his elbow, and he was then elevated to the 60-day DL. Wood considered resigning if his throwing arm pains him. On May 21, he began playing catch. He struck out all three batters he faced in his first rehab stint in Cubs Rookie Ball. He pitched 1 inning with the Single-A Peoria Chiefs on July 24, tossing 9 batters. On July 26 and July 27, he made back-to-back appearances on July 26 and 27, throwing his fastball between 92-94 mph with no pain.

On August 3, the Cubs activated Wood from the 60-Day disabled list, leading to many to believe he would make his return on the day. Lou Piniella opted to bring Bob Howry to the octagon in the seventh inning, but most fans, eager to see Kerry back on the field, were disappointed to learn it wasn't Wood. Piniella later said he wanted Wood to land "softer landing," or in other words, make his return in a game in which the Cubs have a definite advantage over their opponents. Wood returned from August 5th, with the Cubs trailing the New York Mets by four runs. He pitched a single inning, excepting one batter, who allowed one strike, and then struck out another batter. Wood praised Wood's result, saying, "He threw the ball real good," and "His breaking ball had some bite to it, and he threw it up about 93–94, about what we expected." With a solid 3.33 ERA, he stayed healthy, playing in 22 games and setting a new one in 1-1.

He was generally limited to one inning per outing, not playing in games on back-to-back days, though he did pitch in both halves of a doubleheader on September 15. Wood was a major contributor to the Cubs' NL Central Division Championship in late September, winning and 8 holds. Wood applied for free-agency on November 11, 2007, but he later stated that he preferred to stay in pinstripes for the 2008 season. Wood turned down a one-year contract with the Cubs after multi-year offers from other clubs.

After Ryan Dempster was moved to the starting rotation, Wood, along with Bob Howry and Carlos Mármol, competed for the position as the Cubs' closer. Wood gained the position after a 2.84 ERA in the spring. With a win over the Brewers on April 3, 2008, he made his first appearance in his career. Wood made 34 saves in 39 chances, 82 strike outs, and a 1.12 WHIP. On July 6, 2008, he and six other teammates were selected to the 2008 MLB All-Star Game as a relief pitcher.

Wood was admitted to the 15-day DL on July 24, 2008, with a blister on his right index finger.

After buying closer Kevin Gregg from the Florida Marlins, Cubs general manager Jim Hendry reported that the team did not intend to re-sign Wood. He had previously applied for a multi-year contract with the team but it was later postponed due to financial constraints. Wood said he wanted to stay with the Cubs but also wanted to play baseball.

Wood signed a two-year deal with the Cleveland Indians on December 13, 2008.

When the Cleveland Indians played at Wrigley Field on June 19, 2009, Cubs fans expressed their admiration for him by giving him a standing ovation. Wood was on the disabled list for the 2010 season before May 8 due to an upper back muscle strain. Wood was placed on the disabled list for the 14th time in his major league career, this time due to a blister in his right index finger.

Wood was traded from the Cleveland Indians to the New York Yankees on July 31, 2010, for Andrew Shive, Matt Cusick, and cash. He went 2–0 with a 0.069 ERA in 24 games, including 21 straight scoreless appearances, and was the bridge to Mariano Rivera in the 2010 playoffs. Wood had a 2.25 ERA in 7 games overall during the 2010 playoffs. In three games against the Minnesota Twins, the Yankees won the 2010 ALDS, but the Texas Rangers lost in 6 games of the 2010 ALCS to the Texas Rangers.

The Yankees learned on October 27 that they had decided against exercising their option for Wood in 2011.

Wood agreed to a one-year contract with the Cubs worth $1.5 million on December 16, 2010. Wood allegedly turned down offers for long-term contracts from several other clubs worth more money due to his desire to keep his family members in Chicago. Wood re-signed with the Cubs on January 13, 2012, after signing a one-year, $3 million contract with a team option for 2013.

Wood retired on May 18, 2012, striking out Dayán Viciedo of the Chicago White Sox for the first (and thus final) batter he faced. As Wood's son, Justin, came out to thank him as he left the field, the fans at Wrigley Field gave him a long standing applause. "I had fun, I had a blast," Wood said of his baseball career. "I wouldn't trade anything in" he said.

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