Kerry Balsa Wood: our generation's Houdini

[lovethegame]

This guy , who vanishes every April has magicaly gotten another 4.25 mil.
Hats full of rabbits to ya buddy
Vegas awaits

[Brian McKenna]

That is funny!

[placount]

you think hes the most injury prone player of this generation?

[OleMissCub]

you think hes the most injury prone player of this generation?

Mark Prior and him have a feud for that title...which is proof positive that God hates us Cubs fans.

Mark Prior

Midseason 2003

Shoulder after on-field collision with Atlanta Braves second baseman Marcus Giles. - three starts

Preseason 2004

Achilles tendon injury - 2 months

Preseason 2005

Elbow strain - Several weeks

May 27, 2005

Throwing elbow - comeback line drive off the bat of Brad Hawpe - Several Weeks

Preseason 2006

Strained shoulder - 3 Months

July 14, 2006

Strained left oblique in batting practice - 2 starts

Aug 14, 2006

Shoulder tendinitis - Rest of 2006 Season

Spring Training 2007

Shoulder surgery - Entire 2007 Season

Kerry Wood

Preseason 1999

Tommy John surgery - Entire 1999 Season

Summer 2004

Strained triceps - 2 months

August 2005

Arthroscopic surgery - 1 month

Preseason 2006

Knee injury - 2 months

June 2006

Torn rotator cuff - rest of 2006 season

Preseason 2007

Soreness in elbow - four months

[Mattingly]

If Carl Pavano gets a contract for the 2009 season, I'll consider packing it in. If they want him, half a dozen stale donuts and some ink-black coffee (to be named later) would do. :D

From the Cubs' website, since his only value now is in the pen:


Kerry Wood: "Chicago's my home, and Chicago's
been great to me, and obviously there's no better
place to play than Chicago, especially if you're
winning." (AP)

Wood to return with Cubs in 2008
Veteran signs one-year deal, will compete for closer role (http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071126&content_id=2307408&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc)

CHICAGO -- Kerry Wood decided to stay home.
The Cubs agreed Monday to a one-year, $4.2 million contract with the free agent pitcher, who had been courted by several other teams for their bullpens.

"It's a very positive day for the Cubs," general manager Jim Hendry said. "Bringing Kerry back was a priority."

Wood's contract could pay him an additional $3.45 million in performance incentives based on games finished if he does end up pitching in the ninth inning on a regular basis. The right-hander received a lot of interest, including several multi-year offers.

"It's flattering, and it shows the hard work paid off," Wood said of the bids, "but Chicago's my home, and Chicago's been great to me, and obviously there's no better place to play than Chicago, especially if you're winning, and that's been the plan."

The 2007 season was Wood's first full year as a reliever, and he will get the opportunity to be the Cubs' closer in 2008, competing with Bob Howry and Carlos Marmol for the job this spring. Ryan Dempster, who saved 28 games last season, is switching to the rotation, and manager Lou Piniella and pitching coach Larry Rothschild will decide who gets the ball in the ninth. Wood wants to be that guy.

[plask_stirlac]

This guy was better

[KCGHOST]

The Cubs would have been better off cutting bait on Wood. He has about driven the fan base crazy.

[hellborn]

The horrible Cubs management from early in Wood's career is much to blame for his problems.
Not long after his 20 K game, Kerry started complaining of elbow pain. The morons in charge of the Cubs went to the press with complaints that Wood was immature and needed to grow up and learn to pitch through pain. Kerry kept on pitching.
About a month after that, suddenly Wood was in for major elbow surgery.
STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID...
They did a lot to ruin one of the most intriguing pitching talents of our time.

[rockin500]

The horrible Cubs management from early in Wood's career is much to blame for his problems.
Not long after his 20 K game, Kerry started complaining of elbow pain. The morons in charge of the Cubs went to the press with complaints that Wood was immature and needed to grow up and learn to pitch through pain. Kerry kept on pitching.
About a month after that, suddenly Wood was in for major elbow surgery.
STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID...
They did a lot to ruin one of the most intriguing pitching talents of our time.
actually, he was that injury waiting to happen since he had injury troubles in the minors as well. Not to mention throwing two games of a doubleheader (within days of getting drafted).

what he NEEDED to do was learn to stop throwing all the way across his body and stop his incredibly violent delivery. AND stop throwing the slurve (which allowed him to strike out 20 guys)

[OleMissCub]

In 2003, Prior and Wood were numbers 1 and 2 on the pitcher stress index.

Way to go Dusty.

[hellborn]

actually, he was that injury waiting to happen since he had injury troubles in the minors as well. Not to mention throwing two games of a doubleheader (within days of getting drafted).

what he NEEDED to do was learn to stop throwing all the way across his body and stop his incredibly violent delivery. AND stop throwing the slurve (which allowed him to strike out 20 guys)

And, when this kid with injury potential said his arm hurt a lot, his team ridiculed him and kept sending him back out there.

[rockin500]

And, when this kid with injury potential said his arm hurt a lot, his team ridiculed him and kept sending him back out there.
riggleman certainly liked to (ab)use him.

[The Splendid Splinter]

I think Ben Sheets is more injury prone than Prior and Wood combined... hahaha well maybe not that much, but certainly just as much as one of them. As for Prior, you can take like 3 of those injuries out cuz they were freak accidents/weird injuries that occur. And his shoulder problem can be trace back to the beginning, but they never figured out what exactly was wrong. which IMO is the doctor's and team's fault, not Prior.

[slugger33]

Will Wood ever start again? I want to see him get 30 Ks!! Hey, if he can get $4.25MM, he can do it.

[Westlake]

This guy was better



JD Drew aint even in the same league as those guys. Played over 100 games 8 of his 9 ML seasons, and over 140 3 of the last 4.

Prior and Wood are in a league of their own. Though Hampton is trying to catch up.

[The Splendid Splinter]

I have to say Rocco Baldelli is in the top 3... just can't stay healthy since his rookie year...

For a while... Ken Griffey Jr. had that title as the most injury prone player.

[nerfan]

In 2003, Prior and Wood were numbers 1 and 2 on the pitcher stress index.

Way to go Dusty.

I thought Dusty disliked Prior because he didn't clog up the bases...

[rockin500]

JD Drew aint even in the same league as those guys. Played over 100 games 8 of his 9 ML seasons, and over 140 3 of the last 4.

Prior and Wood are in a league of their own. Though Hampton is trying to catch up.
hampton has passed both.

i doubt hampton ever pitches again in the bigs.

[plask_stirlac]

JD Drew aint even in the same league as those guys. Played over 100 games 8 of his 9 ML seasons, and over 140 3 of the last 4.

Prior and Wood are in a league of their own. Though Hampton is trying to catch up.

In pecuniary terms, $4.25 million for one year is peanuts compared to what Drew got after 2004 and then 2006. Get 3 Woods for one Drew and he got 5 years.

Now, he had a sweeeet season in 2004 and was dynamite when playing before that, so he was due for some money. Of course he got injured again and the next year he was healthy but blah. So then he gets $70M... which would be fine for a lifetime contract, heh. He gets the pay of a player who always lives up to his 2004 when he only did it once, not that that's a rarity. There's certainly no discount for expected injury (or inconsistency at this point).

Mike Hampton isn't that bad, when he signed he was a stud lefty in his mid-20s and a "winner". :rolleyes: Injury wasn't something he convinced them to overlook or what have you. Anyway, Colorado was also going to have to pay to sign him to a so-so team in a pitcher's nightmare. I guess it was supposed to work because he hadn't allowed many homers and could make guys miss (some). I wouldn't even say he bombed SO bad that first year, of course his WHIP went up but it was already high and he gave up three times more homers so that was quite bad.

[cubbieblue23]

The Cubs would have been better off cutting bait on Wood. He has about driven the fan base crazy.

Is this the same fan base that gave wood a "standing o" his first time in from the bullpen, remember the game where soriano got hurt and glavine won his 300th on sunday night. They certainly seemed to love him. If he doesn't give up too many eighth-inning leads this year and can effectively get the ball to marmol, I don't care what he did in the past or how he was used, just so long as management doesn't get it in their minds to try to put him back in the rotation, he'll be fine this year.

Prior, however, is another story. I would trade him for a bucket of balls right now. The cubs could probably get a bit more, not much, though.

[OleMissCub]

Is this the same fan base that gave wood a "standing o" his first time in from the bullpen, remember the game where soriano got hurt and glavine won his 300th on sunday night. They certainly seemed to love him. If he doesn't give up too many eighth-inning leads this year and can effectively get the ball to marmol, I don't care what he did in the past or how he was used, just so long as management doesn't get it in their minds to try to put him back in the rotation, he'll be fine this year.


As a fellow Cub fan, I have to say:

:clapping:clapping

[STLCards2]

Will Wood ever start again? I want to see him get 30 Ks!! Hey, if he can get $4.25MM, he can do it.


30 Ks? In a game? He has barely had 30 Ks in the last two seasons-combined. This was sarcasm, right?

[ReignInBlood]

30 Ks? In a game? He has barely had 30 Ks in the last two seasons-combined. This was sarcasm, right?

Hey, if he can get 4.25mm, he can do it.

[lovethegame]

Prior and Wood and wait for pain.
Apologies to Spahn and Sain