Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood once struck out 20 batters, so it should come as no surprise that Cubs manager Lou Piniella thought that some magic would still be in Wood’s troubled right arm when he named him the team’s closer yesterday. It’s a new chapter for the young pitcher who’s entire career has cruel duet of pitching brilliance and physical breakdowns, but it’s a chapter that should play out like the conclusion of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ for Cubs enthusiasts.
More than what you envisioned it would be.
Kerry Wood’s tenure with the Chicago Cubs has been an exercise in tenacity and patience on both sides. He has not had an injury-free season in the last five years, and has only pitched in back-to-back appearances once in his career. We’ve seen fireballers flame out before, but none with the heightened level of potential that Wood had; potential brought to you and Cubs fans all over the world by the number 1908, the year of the franchise’s last World Series win.
Wood has the chance to reinvent himself in a way no other athlete has ever done. Most superstar athletes play to their ability and fade out, rediscovering the technical aspects of the game to be capable additions to a team other than the one they helped build. Injuries kept Wood from maximizing his natural talent, and unlike his former teammate Mark Prior, he still has a chance to become a Chi-Town legend.
Dennis Eckersley is the greatest, John Smoltz is the latest. Now it’s Kerry Wood’s turn to find a soft place in between and throw as hard as he can for as long as he can.
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