The Top 20 Cub HR Of All Time - #11 Kerry Wood 10/15/2003

by Al Yellon on Feb 2, 2008 11:21 AM CST in Baseball Stories

Wood is the first player to appear twice on this countdown.

And this HR is perhaps the saddest of all of them, because at the time it was hit, it gave us all such great hope, hope that was heightened an inning later when Moises Alou also homered (that one, I had almost forgotten).

Wood had been knocked around in the first inning when Juan Pierre led off with a triple, Ivan Rodriguez walked (I-Rod, who in general is hard to walk, set a career high in 2003 with 55 walks and drew five more in the NLCS), and Miguel Cabrera hit a three-run homer.

Down 3-0 in the third, the Cubs fought back. Eric Karros led off with a single off Mark Redman. Alex Gonzalez doubled, but Karros couldn't score. He did one out later on a Damian Miller groundout, which advanced Gonzalez to third. Wood teed off on a Redman pitch and sent everyone into a frenzy, both in the ballpark and in the streets, which were packed with thousands of people who couldn't even get into the ballpark, but just wanted to be in the vicinity to soak up the atmosphere. The game was tied.

Alou's HR in the next inning, after Sammy Sosa was hit by a pitch, gave the Cubs the lead, and gave us even more hope.

That hope was dashed in the fifth when the Marlins smacked Wood around and retook the lead.

I don't think there's any need to rehash the rest of the game, or the bad decisions Dusty Baker made with his bullpen (while Jack McKeon was using Brad Penny and Josh Beckett in relief). If you can stand it, here's the boxscore.

In all of Cubs history, they have played five winner-take-all games: the famous makeup of the Merkle game against the New York Giants on October 8, 1908 (the winner getting the NL pennant), game 7 of the 1945 World Series on October 10, 1945, game 5 of the 1984 NLCS on October 7, 1984, the wildcard tiebreaker vs. the Giants on September 28, 1998, and game 7 of the 2003 NLCS.

In all of those games, only five Cubs have hit HR: Jody Davis and Leon Durham (1984), Gary Gaetti (1998), and Wood and Alou (2003). That's not a very good record. Time to change that, this year -- and win the game, too (the Cubs are 2-3 in those games, winning in 1908 and 1998, losing the others).

Onward to victory in 2008. It's time.

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Comments

Hope is right.

After Woody's homerun, I thought that this was it. But yes, onward to 2008!

by cubs ftw on Feb 2, 2008 11:23 AM CST reply actions

Bittersweet

Really thought they would pull this one out, just like Steve Stone predicted in the pre-game <sigh>

by DrGalazkiewicz on Feb 2, 2008 11:24 AM CST reply actions

Don't forget

none other then Troy O'Leary also hit a homer that fateful night. Also game 5 of the NLDS against the Braves was also a winner-take-all-game...I think ARam and Gonzo both went deep in that one.

by DC Cubbie on Feb 2, 2008 11:38 AM CST reply actions

Thanks.

Forgot about those. Easy to forget when... well, you know.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Feb 2, 2008 11:51 AM CST up reply actions

Yeah, I know, honestly I didn't remember O'Leary's

just saw it in the boxscore...I think by the time it got to 9-5 I was in shock.

by DC Cubbie on Feb 2, 2008 5:50 PM CST up reply actions

That was...

... O'Leary's last major league at-bat.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Feb 2, 2008 7:44 PM CST up reply actions

great homer, sad night

I think we all thought, especially after Alou's blast, that this was finally it. Experiences like this are going to make it that much better when we finally do get it done. I wish it was April already.

by DC Cubbie on Feb 2, 2008 11:41 AM CST reply actions

What about Game 5 of the 2003 NLDS?

That one was a winner-take-all game as much as the '98 playoff was.

GOATBUSTERS! - I ain't afraid of no goat!

by gjdow on Feb 2, 2008 12:01 PM CST reply actions

Man was Wood masterful that night....

...completely dominant...that and remembering the HR in game 7 today give me the chills.

One of the many reasons he always be one of my favorites!

Let me get back to you, will ya, Charlie? I got a guy on the other line asking about some white walls.

by JB 23 on Feb 2, 2008 12:08 PM CST up reply actions

yeah, I was there

Was hoping I could watch Big Z and the Cubs win the pennant that day in Miami. We were WAAAAAAAAAY up in the left field upper deck. It was hotter than hell and there was no shade at all. I'd just gotten up to get a drink when Lowell hit the two-run shot. I still feel guilty.

After the game, when Marlins fans were jawing, we all were chanting "PRIOR...PRIOR..." in response, because we figured Game 6 at home was a gimmee.

It still hurts.

by rgonzale on Feb 2, 2008 9:30 PM CST up reply actions

Man, this is painful.

Just as the older fans were saying while discussing the Sutcliffe homer in Game 1 of '84. I was only seven, so when they lost, I was sad, but had no idea of the magnitude of it. Reliving 2003 is opening an old wound that will not go away. I remember that all day before Game 7 I tried so hard to find optimism, but deep down, I knew what was coming. It was like a countdown to execution, and dinner that evening was like my last meal. Even Wood's homer, while it gave me temporary hope, did not fully bring me back to the land of the living. Alou's homer did. After that homer, I truly thought they were going to do it. But once they served up the lead again, I think we all knew. One day, we will all have redemption.

"Don't complain to me about the stormy weather, boys. Just bring the ship into port." --Steve Stone, September 2004

by ctcoff99 on Feb 2, 2008 12:58 PM CST reply actions

Re: Man, this is painful.

Yep, well said.

Hey Lou, we're long overdue.

by deadcatbounce on Feb 2, 2008 9:04 PM CST up reply actions

Although I Wasn't At The Game...

... a friend of mine was, and several bloggers here have mentioned it, so it may be worth repeating.

When Wood hit the homer, my friend mentioned that it was the loudest he ever heard it at Wrigley, and he honestly believe that the place was going to crumble.

This was possibly only eclipsed by the bases loaded, one-out situation in the 2007 NLDS with DeRosa at the plate...

This is the Cubs new #1!

by initram on Feb 2, 2008 3:07 PM CST reply actions

You Tube

Some dude back in the day, had the video of Sutcliffe's home and Wood's homer in the same clip. I think Wood's homer was the first by a pitcher since Sutcliffe. When Konerko hit the grand slam in the World Series, that was about the craziest fan reaction I have ever seen a baseball game. Then I saw Wood's on You Tube and it was much greater.

by MerigoldBowling on Feb 2, 2008 3:25 PM CST up reply actions

I looked on YouTube...

... for that HR. Couldn't find it. If anyone has a link, send it to me and I'll post it.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Feb 2, 2008 5:27 PM CST up reply actions

I remember the Sutcliffe and Wood clips too.

They used to be on Youtube but have since been taken down. They were the tv broadcasts. I'd give a lot to see them back up there. I wasn't at the game, but I've NEVER heard Wrigley that loud before.

Although I've found this....

http://justin.turnthecrank.com/feat_nlcs_gm1_wrigley1.jsp

Neifi, we hardly knew ye.

by Krande on Feb 3, 2008 12:25 AM CST up reply actions

Here. . .

you can find the clip near the bottom of the "related links" column. I don't know how to post just the link to the video.

http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20031016&content_id=581705&vkey=news_chc&fext=.j sp&c_id=chc

by bjs on Feb 3, 2008 5:22 PM CST up reply actions

re: Here. . .

Were you able to actually view anything from this page? I can't get any of the video or audio links to work. Methinks they're long dead.

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2008 Chicago Cubs starting outfield: Soriano-Pie-Fukudome. Let it be.

by daver on Feb 3, 2008 8:01 PM CST up reply actions

Yes

. . . I was. The only 2 I checked were Kerry's homer and Alou's homer, but I was able to see both of them.

by bjs on Feb 4, 2008 6:13 AM CST up reply actions

re: Yes

I just figured it out. You need to have RealPlayer installed to view the clips. I don't have it at home, but I do here at work. Thanks for posting that link!

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2008 Chicago Cubs starting outfield: Soriano-Pie-Fukudome. Let it be.

by daver on Feb 4, 2008 9:59 AM CST up reply actions

It was obvious from the start that

Wood didn't have his best stuff so much of my hope rested on Clement coming in when Wood left that game. Didn't happen. Farnsworth came in, late by the way, instead. Beckett came in for them - game, set, match.

by TR on Feb 2, 2008 4:09 PM CST reply actions

Too tough

That home run was one of the most incredible things I've experienced. I was at my (then new) girlfriend's parent's house and was watching the game alone. Obviously in distress over the game like everyone else on BCB, when Kerry sent that ball out I just yelped, not knowing what to do. I jumped off the sofa and just stared at the screen, vision blurred with excited tears. Oh, man. You got to love Kerry. What a memory.

As Al said, "Onward to victory in 2008."

by Mr Snrub on Feb 2, 2008 7:10 PM CST reply actions

It's kind of surreal reading the boxscore

it seems so long ago.

by morgane on Feb 2, 2008 9:14 PM CST reply actions

Seems like only yesterday to me!

n/t

"Harlem Furniture......You'll like our style!"

by Imtrejo on Feb 3, 2008 12:01 AM CST up reply actions

My dad and I

went to that game together. I left football practice early and got to the the stadium early so we could soak it in. I think my dad and I have teared up together only one other time, and that was for my grandpa's funeral. When Woody hit that homer, I nearly lost my voice and like you said, it was so early in the game.

That being said, my dad and I look back and still regret not buying one of the NL Championship shirts. They were trying to get rid of them. We could had a steal and a glimpse of what might have been.

"Hello again, everybody. It's a bee-yooo-tiful day for baseball."- Harry Caray

by TkGoUWGB on Feb 3, 2008 10:32 AM CST reply actions

View from Waveland

I was on waveland for games 6 and 7. I can say that the atmosphere through those two games, even just being outside of the stadium and following the game with a really poor view of the scoreboard, was the most incredible time of my cubs fandom. Still, if I had to pick one moment out of the entire disastrous two days when cubs fans hopes were the highest and the place was most electric, it would have to be this homerun. Although, If I remember right Alou's homer created the biggest scramble out on the street.

by cronoj on Feb 3, 2008 11:06 AM CST reply actions