WHY I’LL NEVER FORGET KERRY WOOD

I had always been a Kerry Wood fan. Any pitcher that can fan 20 is a gamer in my book. To me, He and Mark Prior, while they were hammered with injury after injury were so money with the Cubs, when they were healthy. So while I was looking through my Bleeding Yankee Blue archives, I could help but stop and reminisce about the good times of Kerry Wood in the Yankees bullpen. It made me smile thinking about it.

I just remember that we wanted to see Wood in the game any chance we could. Not only was he dominant, he was healthy and off the field, his happiness flowed through the bullpen and clubhouse. I remember pitchers like Joba Chamberlain were in awe of him, complimenting him as getting all the bullpen pitchers into a rthyhm. Read that great piece HERE. It was a great marriage even though it was brief.

I remember when the Yankees picked him up at the deadline. It was he, Austin Kearns, and Lance Berkman. While Kearns fell out of favor for me with his terrible stint in the Bronx. Berkman too was larger than life for me and it’s always cool to see veterans that you like in baseball who have worn certain uniforms for so long, the Cubs (Wood) and the Astros (Berkman) to then suddenly see them in pinstripes. It basically means the Yankees think they were good enough to contribute in some way. Some players can’t hack it. Wood could and he did it with grace. Berkman handled it the best he could, I think he was dealing with the shock that Houston was willing to part with him and he was dealing with abandonment issues. Frankly, the reality is, he rose above it and did what he could to contribute. He’s over it now, not sure if you've checked in on Berkman but he's batting .336 right now and he’s kicking ass in St. Louis. I'd say, good for him.

But, back to Kerry Wood. He’s over in Chicago again, his home town and he’s happy and that’s all you ask for these guys. When they come over the the Bronx, some want to latch on, some need it as a stepping stone. The Yankees needed them for a championship. It didn’t happen, but it’s not the fault of Wood or Berkman, it’s just life in baseball.

So, if you get a chance,watch a Cubs game or a Cardinals game and check those guys out. They’ve moved on and they’re doing alright. The Yankees moved on too. I guess I haven’t. I guess I just miss those guys. I guess I just love baseball, that’s all.

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