"K" Wood

by cubs199235 on Jun 8, 2008 10:35 PM CDT Comment 25 comments

As shaky as he was in the beginning, I am very glad to have stuck with Kerry Wood the whole time. My friends bugged me over and over again about how Marmol should be the closer, and I just stuck with Woody.

With 18 saves, Kerry Wood is now 3rd in the Majors in that category, while many of his other stats are nearing Marmols. Both of thier ERA's are in the Mid-2 range, and Wood's 7 BB's looks great next to Marmol's 13. Yeah, Marmol wins when it comes to K's, but Wood has allowed 3 less longballs than Marmol (4 to 1).

I can confidently say that Wood's stats will continue to improve with time. His fantastic spring training was no joke. Kerry Wood is for real.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Glad to see it

That Wood is a contributing member of this team, after his career looked over, is pretty cool.

by Not Bruce Froemming on Jun 8, 2008 10:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Its Great

and just another reason to love this team, its a list of reasons that grows everyday.

My 08 Cubs record 7-0
Updated June 01

by Rudey on Jun 8, 2008 10:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

There is nothing that would please me more...

than to see Woody become dominant. He deserves it after all the hard work.

IF IT TAKES FOREVER!!

by Cubfansince1957 on Jun 8, 2008 11:27 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

agreed

by BradB311 on Jun 8, 2008 11:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

His stuff

tonight was unbelievable. 98 on the gun with that wicked breaking ball.

On top of it, he gets it. I hope no matter what happens, he never plays a game in another uniform.

by paulucla on Jun 8, 2008 11:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm assuming that you don't mean his breaking ball is going 98.

Personally, I don’t think I’d be able to call a 98 breaking ball “wicked” lol

.... Edit #6: We're gonna go 156 and 6 this year, I can feel it!!!

by Beaushek on Jun 8, 2008 11:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

His 98 mph fastball ....

sets up that filthy slider. He makes alot of good hitters look very bad. I also noticed during his bullpen warmup that his mechanics are much better than when he was a starter.

by montecarlo on Jun 9, 2008 12:46 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed with all of the above.

More than anyone else, Kerry Wood is the face of this franchise—there are only a handful of players who have spent more years in a Cub uniform since the last pennant in 1945.

Seeing him succeed as a closer makes me very, very happy, not just for him but because it gives the Cubs a dominant pitcher in that position such as they perhaps have never had before.

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

by Al on Jun 9, 2008 4:07 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

How do you define dominant?

After all, the Cubs did have Bruce Sutter and Lee Arthur Smith as closers. Randy Myers had one great season and a couple of very good ones.

by FrankSereno on Jun 9, 2008 4:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sutter was the only one of those...

... who I’d define as “dominant”, in that when he came in you knew the game was over.

Wood isn’t quite there yet, but you can see signs that he’s getting there.

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

by Al on Jun 9, 2008 8:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

More than a handful, no?

Banks, Williams, Santo, Sandberg, Sosa, Grace, Dunston. And there must be some in the 1945-1965 range I’m not thinking of

(Not to disagree with your point however – I too see him as the face of the franchise, and will be thrilled to see him continue on this road for a full season and beyond.)

"Let's not get too giggly." ~Lou Piniella

by JohnM on Jun 9, 2008 7:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, that's about it.

Phil Cavarretta, but he started before ‘45.

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

by Al on Jun 9, 2008 8:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hey i love Woody, but...

Hey, I love Woody, he is my guy as far as pitchers go. The face of the franchise is Derreck Lee with all he has been thru and the class he shows everyday (besides when he was in Texas he gave me a ball), So, I’d like to hear Why you think Woody is?

Grant Earnhart

by ernie87 on Jun 9, 2008 7:46 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Well

Kerry Wood as never been anything but a Cub. Drafted by the team in 1995, Rookie year in 1998. Didn’t he do something special that year? Oh yeah, strikeout 20 in a game and win Rookie of the year.

Woody has been THE hope of the franchise since that game. Things may not have worked out as well as they could have due to injuries, but year after year in the off season one of the biggest questions as been “how’s Woody?”

Derrek (note the lack of a “c” in his name) has been through a tough personal year and that broken wrist took a long time to recover from, but he has not been through as much as a Cub as Wood has. Remember he was in the other dugout for that 2003 NLCS as a Marlin. Don’t get me wrong, Lee is integral to this team and is a leader, but right now Kerry Wood embodies what being a Cub is all about.

"There are no curses here...Games are won and lost on the baseball field" - Lou Piniella

by El Borto on Jun 9, 2008 7:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not to dis D-Lee

but that was my reaction too. If Lee plays another few successful years with the Cubs, however, he will be the de facto position player in this role—even more than A-Ram (who has a longer tenure but is less visible) and Soriano (big long contract).

"Let's not get too giggly." ~Lou Piniella

by JohnM on Jun 9, 2008 8:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

Derrek Lee is a class act on and off the field. But the “face of the franchise” is more than that, and Kerry Wood embodies what it should be to be a Cub. For lack of a better term, he “gets it”.

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

by Al on Jun 9, 2008 8:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Very good

Good points one and all, its because of all the injuries that keeps me from believing this though.And I still want him out there as my closer.Hey, let the Marlins thing go, he is blue now, and has a ring too boot.

Grant Earnhart

by ernie87 on Jun 9, 2008 8:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The reason Woody gets less props

as “face of the franchise” is because of the rol ehe plays. I cannot think of, off the top of my head, a team that considers a pitcher as the face of the franchise. I may be wrong but people usually look to apply this lable to position players. I for one, agree Woody is the face of this Cubs franchise. There are planty of runners up though.

How does that make you feel?

by Kinky Reggae on Jun 9, 2008 10:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Everyday

The everyday players are the ones that are most seen as leaders. You ever see him lose it, show his teamates up? Now count the times you ever saw Banks, or Ryno, Sosa, Grace, Andre do this. Did’nt get to five did you?

Grant Earnhart

by ernie87 on Jun 9, 2008 8:18 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs