So let’s see. 1998. I was in 7th grade. Life was good. Hawaiian shirts weren’t just for fat guys or partiers from 80’s movies. As for our Stros, they were beginning a season that resulted in a second straight NL Central Championship. Randy Johnson would come over in a deadline deal, but even he wasn’t enough to push the team past a Kevin Brown led San Diego Padres in the NLDS.
Our 102 win season notwithstanding, one game stands out more than the rest. Ten years ago today, Shane Reynolds, tossed a solid ballgame against the Cubs, giving up one earned run in 8 innings of work with 10 strikeouts. Our offense though, couldn’t muster any support….oh yea, that was the result of facing a rookie right hander from Texas named Kerry Wood. May 6, 1998 was to be his day. 122 pitches, 84 strikes- 60 of which resulted in his compiling a twenty strikeout game. The only blemishes on an otherwise perfect box score was a Ricky Gutierrez single, and a HBP from a likely suspect.
This was an Astros team that averaged 5.4 runs per game that season, and won the Central by 12.5 games. The day before, Lima Time himself, lead the team to a 10-5 beat down to begin the season series against the Cubs.Wood dominated the follwing day though, utilizing his array of pitches (fastball, curve, slider and changeup), to make the Astros look foolish. A rookie with control issues would seemingly play right into a veteran offense’s hands. Wood showed uncharacteristic poise by leading off AB’s with his fastball, and closing with his curveball, keeping hitters off balance throughout the contest. A little over 15,000 were in attendance for this game on a cold, damp spring afternoon on the north side of Chicago. For a stadium that is packed to the brim on most days, the rain earlier in the day kept many fans from taking their seats. Only one other man in MLB history to that point had accomplished what the 20 year old had done that day. Roger Clemens had done it twice before, leaving the two Texans as the only hurlers to have struck out 6 and 2/3 innings worth of major league hitter.
Kerry Wood has had a tumultuous career to say the least. Numerous trips to the DL. A list of arm problems, that should have caused the Cubs organization to ponder giving Dr. James Andrews his own office overlooking the ivy at Wrigley Field. Today though, in all fairness, we should look at what he did 10 years ago and appreciate it for what it was- lightening in a bottle. Wood never came close to achieving that sort of success in the majors again. The Cubs ill fated run to the pennant in 2003 notwithstanding, Wood has seen more lows than highs, and will probably never start another ball game in his career.
Since his 20 strikeout performance, he has lost favor with those in the Chicago media, who are almost too willing to point him towards the door after a rough outing.
Right or wrong, Kerry Wood never asked to come up to the majors as an unripe 20 year old prodigy. He sure as HELL could never have known or prevented Dusty Baker from becoming his manager and helping to, in affect, destroy his and fellow DL mainstay Mark Prior’s careers. Baseball is a sport that is great due in large part because fans can compare and contrast numbers and statistics for players who are separated more by time than by anything else. The game is largely played the same way today as it was in 1998 as it was in 1908. What Kerry Wood did a decade ago is something that ranks amongst the greatest performances ever by a pitcher, not to mention a wet behind the ears kid who was more of a hurler than a pitcher at the time. I know that I am critical of some athletes for their inconsistent play, perhaps more than anything else. Aristotle aside, this was an event worth remembering. Tomorrow though, it’s back to Cub hating.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Effective use of 60 strikes
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4 comments:
Evan, that is by far and away one of the better posts you have ever wrote.
It's articulate and poignant with the right dash of nostalgia. Put this one away and read it in 10 years. You should be proud.
D:
Thank you my man. I appreciate the love and support.
I still remember crying after that game. I was in Chicago visiting my uncle and he knew I was a HUGE baseball fan, so he took me to the game. I was only 15 years old and watching my favorite team getting manhandled by a guy who was only five years older than me instilled my hate in the team forever. In fact, my uncle still rubs that game in my face.
For some reason I have bad luck with baseball games. I started a tally in Fifth grade to see what the record of the stros was when I went to a game and my record stands at 38-75. Including two losses to no wins this season. In fact, I was at the Phat Albert raping Brad Lidge game. I just started crying a little bit thinking about that.
Andre:
It was frustrating for me to watch a replay of that game after school, I can only imagine how it was watching it in person.
As for your personal record while in attendance at ball games, that's pretty impressive that you've been to that many! I think that I'm probably the exact opposite in that regard. For instance, I went to a Houston Oilers game on Christmas Day either 1994 or 95, whichever season the team only won 2 games. They were playing the Jets and Boomer Esiason. Of course, they get their second victory of the season that year. So I guess I'm lucky. Same thing in 2000 in the first year at Enron Field, I went to three games, and we won all three.
But you can rest easy knowing that your Uncle roots for a team that hasn't won a pennant since there were only 46 states.
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