Kerry Wood

[DBAHO]

Hmm only one year,

 

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry's 5-year-old son, John, stood in the middle of a media mob Friday evening at the Cubs Convention, waiting patiently for Kerry Wood to autograph his baseball.

 

Only a few hours earlier his father got the only autograph he wanted from Wood when the right-handed starter signed a one-year, $9.75 million contract.

 

In doing so Wood avoided arbitration and he has agreed to continue talks on a multi-year deal that should keep him in a Cubs uniform through at least 2007.

 

Wood said he expected to get the new agreement done soon so he can concentrate on helping the Cubs get back to the postseason.

 

"We plan on making a habit out of that," Wood said. "All I ever wanted out this game was to be on a winner. I'm not going anywhere. We have a winner here."

 

Wood, who turns 27 in June, earned $6.19 million in 2003 and figures to get a three- or four-year deal worth between $11 million and $12 million per season.

 

"He knows this isn't his last contract either," Hendry said. "If he stays healthy like he has been, Woody is going to pitch a long time and make a lot of money. He's made it real clear he likes what's going on here now. He wants to stay and wants to win."

 

Wood had a career-best season in 2003, leading the National League in strikeouts and winning the first and clinching games against Atlanta in the division series. But he ended the postseason with a loss to Florida in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series and left the Cubs clubhouse in tears after saying, "I choked."

 

"Once I got home I was fine," Wood said. "I'm never going to forget it. But I'm not going to dwell on it. That's part of the game. I didn't succeed that day, but I moved on. I don't regret saying [i choked]. I was surrounded at my locker 20 minutes after we'd just gotten kicked out of the playoffs, and that's the way I felt at the time."

 

Does Wood still feel he choked?

 

"To a certain degree," he said. "I didn't do my job that day. If you want to call it choking or just not doing your job. … But I realize we brought a lot of special memories and a lot of special moments to a lot of people."

 

The Cubs are celebrating that season at their convention this weekend, though a video highlight package aired during the opening ceremonies left out the postseason.

 

Ron Santo threw out the ceremonial first ball. It was the Cubs broadcaster's first public appearance since he underwent surgery last October to remove tumors on his bladder. He said he felt fine and even poked fun at his recent history of health problems.

 

"A friend said to me, 'Everyone wants a piece of Ron Santo,'" Santo said. "My wife said, 'Well, there's not much left.'"

 

The former Cubs third baseman signed a three-year extension to broadcast games on WGN-AM 720 and declined an option to work home games only because he doesn't want to miss any action.

 

Also signing was former Boston manager Grady Little, who will be a scouting consultant and assistant to Hendry. The Red Sox fired Little after he led them to the final game of the American League playoffs against the Yankees.

 

Much of the talk at the convention centered around the possible return of Greg Maddux, with Santo, Wood, starter Mark Prior and manager Dusty Baker among those lobbying for the signing of the former Braves pitcher.

 

"I'm glad the negotiations are [quiet] so nothing spoils it," Baker said. "I'm sure if everyone had known the Angels were interested in Vladimir Guerrero, nothing would have happened."

 

Corey Patterson, coming back from knee surgery, said he's running again and plans to be in the Opening Day lineup. Baker said he would bring Patterson along gingerly, especially at the beginning of the season when the Cubs play in colder weather.

 

Baker also shot down speculation Mark Grudzielanek would play part-time at shortstop to accommodate the signing of second baseman Todd Walker, saying Alex Gonzalez's glove was too valuable to be benched. Asked how he would get Walker playing time, Baker said Walker "knew when he signed here" that he would be a backup.

 

Having a deep bench is important to Baker, who believes this year's bench of Walker, Todd Hollandsworth and Tom Goodwin will provide the Cubs with the left-handed punch they lacked in 2003.

 

"The time for talking is over," Baker said. "It's time for action."

 

Wood echoed Baker's feelings, saying it's refreshing to enter a season for once with a realistic shot at winning it all.

 

"I haven't been to a Cubs Convention in my career where we have talked about a World Series," Wood said. "It's a breath of fresh air to come here in the middle of January, there's snow everywhere and people are talking about the World Series. I love it."

[C.Rector]

This is an expensive contract for such an inconsistent pitcher. KW has yet to win more than 14 games a season. If that number was 24, then it might be a good use of money. In any event, remember that KW had to sit 1999 out do to injuries incurred from overuse in 1998. Given that Baker overused KW in 2003, its quite likely that Wood's "dustiny" will be to sit out at least a good part of 2004 along with Zambrano and possibly Prior as well.

[YASNY]

This is an expensive contract for such an inconsistent  pitcher. KW has yet to win more than 14 games a season. If that number was 24, then it might be a good use of money. In any event, remember that KW had to sit 1999 out do to injuries incurred from overuse in 1998. Given that Baker overused KW in 2003, its quite likely that Wood's "dustiny" will be to sit out at least a good part of 2004 along with Zambrano and possibly Prior as well.

It may be a good thing Wood only agreed to one year.