Former Chicago Cubs Pitcher Kerry Wood Deserves to Be in the Baseball Hall of Fame (and Here's Why!) by Mike Prochaska

One of the greatest pitchers for the Chicago Cubs was Kerry Wood. Ask any diehard Cubs fan where they were when he pitched his 20-strikeout game and they can tell you. I was sitting in my dorm room at college screaming at the TV while a friend was blasting “Go, Cubs, Go” as we watched Wood pitch the game of his life.

Wood hit the ground running with a brilliant 1998 season that earned him National League Rookie of the Year honors, and he parlayed that early success into an excellent 14-year career that featured many highlights. 

Wood was just 20 years old when he made his Major League debut, but less than a month later, he suddenly found himself in the middle of an all-time pitching gem. On May 6, 1998, against the Houston Astros, he became just the second pitcher ever to strike out 20 batters in a nine-inning game, setting a National League record in the process.

I never will forget meeting Wood at the Cubs convention and shaking his hand. He’s such a down-to-earth guy who took time out of his day no matter what he was doing to say hello to his fans. I have heard many stories from fans who have ran into him while driving his kids to school and he always stops and chats with everyone.

Kerry Wood deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Read more about Kerry Wood via MLB.com and learn more about the Wood Family Foundation. 

Photos: Kerry Wood Twitter

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