Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977 in Irving, Texas) is an American baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, he plays professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs. 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. 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. This article is about the player in baseball. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Mustangs at Las Colinas Streetscape along Las Colinas Blvd in North Irving Aerial shot of Irving/Las Colinass Urban Center. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... In Major League Baseball, a win (denoted W) is generally credited to the pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when they 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. ... For the typographical mode indicating deleted text, see Strikethrough. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 10, 14, 23, 26, 42 Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1871, 1874-1889) (a. ... This year in baseball 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 Events January-March January 5 - Don Sutton, a 324-game winner is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his fifth try. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 2000 throughout the world. ... In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given to the best first-year players in the American and National Leagues. ... This year in baseball 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 Events January-March January 5 - Don Sutton, a 324-game winner is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his fifth try. ... 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 and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the respective managers (from the previous years World... The following are the events of the year 2003 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... For other uses, see National League (disambiguation). ... For the typographical mode indicating deleted text, see Strikethrough. ... The following are the events of the year 2003 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Mustangs at Las Colinas Streetscape along Las Colinas Blvd in North Irving Aerial shot of Irving/Las Colinass Urban Center. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... This article is about the sport. ... This article is about the player in baseball. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 10, 14, 23, 26, 42 Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1871, 1874-1889) (a. ... The following are the events of the year 2003 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... Location Wrigley Field (Since 1916) Chicago, Illinois (Since 1876) 2007 Information Owner(s) Tribune Company (Final Season) Manager(s) Lou Piniella Local television CSN Chicago Superstation WGN WCIU-TV Local radio WGN (AM) 720 Stats ESPN.com BB-reference The Chicago Cubs 2007 season began with the Cubs trying to... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

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. He spent three years playing in the Minor Leagues. His best season in the Minors came in 1996, when he posted a 10-2 record for the Daytona Cubs.^[2] He spent his final two years in the minors playing for the Iowa Cubs.^[2] Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 10, 14, 23, 26, 42 Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1871, 1874-1889) (a. ... Minor leagues in the sense intended in this article are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. ... League Florida State League Division Eastern Year founded 1993 Major League affiliation Chicago Cubs Home ballpark Jackie Robinson Stadium Previous home ballparks none City Daytona Beach, Florida Current uniform colors blue, red, white Previous uniform colors Logo design Division titles League titles 2 - 1995, 2004 (co-champs with Tampa Yankees... Class-Level Triple-A Minor League affiliations Pacific Coast League (1998-Present) American Conference North Division American Association (1969-1997) Major League affiliation Chicago Cubs (1981-Present) Chicago White Sox (1976-1980) Houston Astros (1975) Chicago White Sox (1973-1974) Oakland Athletics (1969-1973) Current uniform Name Iowa Cubs (1982...

1998: Rookie sensation

A much-hyped prospect in the minor leagues, Wood made his MLB debut on April 12, 1998. 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. 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. is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This year in baseball 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 Events January-March January 5 - Don Sutton, a 324-game winner is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his fifth try. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 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: // Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks (NL), May 8, 2001, vs. ... Major league affiliations National League (1962–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 5, 24, 25, 32, 33, 34, 40, 42, 49 Name Houston Astros (1965–present) Houston Colt . ... Bill Gullickson (born February 20, 1959 in Marshall, Minnesota) is a former major league baseball pitcher who played for five different teams, in both the U.S. and Japan during a fourteen year career. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 9 - Al Kaline and Duke Snider are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. ... George William “Bill” James (born October 5, 1949 in Holton, Kansas) is a baseball writer, historian and statistician whose work has been widely influential. ...

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. 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. For other uses, see National League (disambiguation). ... In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given to the best first-year players in the American and National Leagues. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) East Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966–present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston...

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. He missed the entire season to rehab from the surgery. A Grapefruit League game at the LA Dodgers camp in Vero Beach, Florida In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of exhibition games which precedes the regular season. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1999 throughout the world. ... Tommy John surgery, known by doctors as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (or UCL), is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body (often from the forearm, hamstring, knee, or foot of the patient). ... 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. ...

Wood returned in 2000 and struggled to an 8-7 record, but the following season, he returned to form. 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. He went 12-6 with a 3.36 ERA. The following season (2002), Wood finished 12-11 with a 3.67 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. The following are the baseball events of the year 2000 throughout the world. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 2001 throughout the world. ... This year in baseball: 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 Events January-March January 8 - Ozzie Smith is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. ...

In 2003, Wood continued to improve, setting career highs with 266 strikeouts, 14 wins (as part of a 14-11 record), a 3.20 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. The following are the events of the year 2003 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ...

Wood teamed with fellow righthander 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. 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. However, future Cub Derrek Lee played spoiler and despite a good performance Wood was charged with the loss and the Cubs were eliminated. Mark William Prior (born September 7, 1980 in San Diego, California, USA) is a right-handed starting pitcher for the Iowa Cubs, the Class AAA affiliate of Major League Baseballs Chicago Cubs. ... The 2003 National League Championship Series was a Major League Baseball playoff series played from October 7 to October 15 to determine the champion of the National League, between the Central Division champion Chicago Cubs and the wild-card qualifying Florida Marlins. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ... Major league affiliations National League (1993–present) East Division (1993–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 5, 42 Name Florida Marlins (1993–present) Other nicknames The Fish Ballpark Dolphin Stadium (1993–present) a. ... The 2003 National League Championship Series was a Major League Baseball playoff series played from October 7 to October 15 to determine the champion of the National League, between the Central Division champion Chicago Cubs and the wild-card qualifying Florida Marlins. ... Homerun redirects here. ... In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series (NLCS) determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to baseballs championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. ... Richard Lee Sutcliffe (born June 21, 1956 in Independence, Missouri) is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher and current television sportscaster. ... The 1984 National League Championship Series was played between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs from October 2 to October 7. ... The 1984 National League Championship Series was played between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs from October 2 to October 7. ... Derrek Leon Lee (born September 6, 1975 in Sacramento, California) is a first baseman in Major League Baseball who currently plays for the Chicago Cubs and has since 2004. ...

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. 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. Meanwhile, the Cubs led the Wild Card race by two games with a week to go in the season. 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. The first issue of Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1954, showing Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews at bat in Milwaukee County Stadium. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 2004 throughout the world. ... The first issue of Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1954, showing Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews at bat in Milwaukee County Stadium. ... A strain is an injury which occurs to a muscle in which the muscle fibers tear as a result of overstretching. ... The triceps brachii muscle is a large three-headed skeletal muscle found in humans. ... In North American professional sports leagues, the term wild card refers to a team that qualifies for the championship playoffs without winning their specific subdivision (usually called a conference or division) outright. ...

In 2005, the Cubs—and Wood—continued to struggle. On August 31, 2005, Wood underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery. 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. 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. 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. At the end of the 2006 season, the Cubs exercised their option on Wood's contract and bought out the remaining $13M. The following are the baseball events of the year 2005 throughout the world. ... is the 243rd day of the year (244th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 2006 throughout the world. ... Major league affiliations National League (1969–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Washington Nationals (2005–present) Montreal Expos (1969-2004) Other nicknames The Nats Ballpark Nationals Ballpark (2008–present) RFK Stadium 2005-2007 Hiram Bithorn Stadium[3] (San Juan) (2003-2004) Olympic Stadium (Montreal) (1977... In baseball, the disabled list (a. ... Rotator cuff tears are problems of the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder. ... A contract is a legally binding exchange of promises or agreement between parties that the law will enforce. ...

2007

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 $1.75 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. He made back-to-back appearances on July 26 and July 27, throwing his fastball between 92-94mph with no discomfort. The following are the baseball events of the year 2007 throughout the world. ... is the 205th day of the year (206th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Peoria Chiefs are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, from Peoria, Illinois. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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.^[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.^[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 18 games and posting a 1-1 record with a respectable 4.42 ERA. However, he has generally been 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. 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] Because Ryan Dempster will transfer to the starting rotation, Wood will compete against Bob Howry and Carlos Marmol for the closer's spot.^[9] Louis Victor Piniella (born August 28, 1943, in Tampa, Florida) is the current manager of the Chicago Cubs and a former Major League Baseball outfielder. ... Bobby Dean Howry (born August 4, 1973) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who currently plays for the Chicago Cubs. ... Major league affiliations National League (1962–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 14, 37, 41, 42 Name New York Mets (1962–present) Other nicknames The Amazin Mets, The Amazins, The Metropolitans, The Kings of Queens Ballpark Shea Stadium (current) (1964–present) Polo Grounds (1962–1963) Major... In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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)

William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962, in Dayton, Ohio), is a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, and is one of the preeminent pitchers in Major League history. ...

Personal life

Wood is married to the former Sarah Pates of Waukegan, Illinois. The couple has a son, Justin Dean (born 2006). After FOX took to showing her reactions in the crowd during playoff games Kerry was starting, he asked that the shots of her in live telecasts be reduced.^{[citation needed]} Waukegan is a city in Lake County, Illinois, of which it is the county seat. ... FOX redirects here. ...

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

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: // Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks (NL), May 8, 2001, vs. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube