Kerry Wood injured AGAIN!!!

[DonkeyKongerko]

Right on.  As long as Wood is healthy come playoff time, that's all that really matters.  I'd take him over Teixeira in a heartbeat.

 

Well are you taking the Wood that pitched game 5 vs. Atlanta or the Wood that pitched game 7 vs. Florida?

[Pauly8509CWS]

I gotta agree except....how is he a good fielder with 24 errors in 142 games? Thats 24 errors....IN LESS THAN A FULL SEASON! That's a helluva lot of errors.

 

Sorry, I meant 10 E's, which is not a helluva lot of errors. My bad

[SoxFan1]

Sorry, I meant 10 E's, which is not a helluva lot of errors.  My bad

10 is more REASONABLE.

[CWSGuy406]

I'm gonna side with witesox and hammerhead here. Wood has a career ERA+ of 117 (for those not familiar, a 100 ERA+ is average). He's averaged a career 10.29 K/9 innings, which is absolutely filthy.

 

Like witesoxfan said, just because he's oft-injured doesn't mean he's bad. Dusty ought to be smarter with the electric arms he's got in Wood, Prior, and Zambrano -- or else he's gonna f*** over their arms, and while I won't be crying if the Cubs pass this opportunity by without winning a title, it'd be a shame to see any of the above three's arms screwed up because of Dusty...

 

While I don't exactly remember watching the game, I've heard people say that his 20K game is the best pitched game they've ever seen...

[Pauly8509CWS]

While I don't exactly remember watching the game, I've heard people say that his 20K game is the best pitched game they've ever seen...

 

Watched it on classic last summer when I had foot surgery, that game was somethin else, even though it was the Cubbies I was even awed by the performance. It was no doubt the best pitched game I've ever seen...

[SoxFan562004]

Wood is a great hyped up name, and you can even throw some filthy stats out there like his K/9, however he's injury prone and IMO he's never learned how to "pitch"

 

He lives off the hype of his phenomenal 1st year, however he's never won more than 14 games in a season. I know an argument is that the bull-pen has blown a lot of his games. However that's where it shows he's never learned how to pitch.

 

I think a lot of those games were blown by the bullpen because Wood tends to throw 100+ pitches by the 6th inning. That means you're going to you're 3rd and 4th arms out of the bullpen, not your set-up and closer.

 

It will be interesting to see how this turns out... I hate the Cubs, but I don't want to see people get injured

[witesoxfan]

I know I'm new here but, since when is .281/38/112 not considered doing well.  He had All Star numbers as a 24 year old you gotta think hes gonna get better or at least put up those numbers consistently, especially as a switch hitting first baseman, plus he's a pretty good fielder 24 E's in 142 games...

 

Teix is no longer a prospect...he stopped being a prospect when he put up .260 26 84 .811 his rookie year.

 

I was referring to the Cubs pitching prospects.

[jackie hayes]

While I don't exactly remember watching the game, I've heard people say that his 20K game is the best pitched game they've ever seen...

I'd say that, in general, when Wood is on -- especially when the curve is working -- he's better than anyone I've seen. Wasn't there some pitch in that game, the announcer said something like 'God couldn't hit that curve'?

 

Not that Jesus can't hit a curveball...

 

Last year, I thought to myself, man, I pray the Cubs lose. But with that pitching, I don't see how. People: God is a Sox fan! I really like this setup we have now -- get to watch some great pitching, just not enough for the Cubs to win.

[The Critic]

I know I'm new here but, since when is .281/38/112 not considered doing well.  He had All Star numbers as a 24 year old you gotta think hes gonna get better or at least put up those numbers consistently, especially as a switch hitting first baseman, plus he's a pretty good fielder 24 E's in 142 games...

I'm guessing that witesoxfan's "prospects" comment ( "Prospects are nothing until they come up and do well" ) was referring to the pitching prospects in the Cubs' system, which would hypothetically offset the loss of Wood.

I might be wrong, but that's how I read it.

 

And FWIW, I hang onto Kerry Wood if I'm the Cubs. They have good 1B and 3B now, and their top pitching prospects are still a year or so away.

 

EDITED to add that I just saw wite's response clarifying his "prospects" comment, so ignore everything I said....shouldn't be hard to do.....

Edited March 10, 2005 by The Critic

[JUGGERNAUT]

I have always coveted Wood to be a member of the WhiteSox. I covet Zambrano as well. As a Sox fan I want them to continue to show signs of brilliance in their pitching but I want them to be shelved most of the time. Anything to reduce their value on the open market so that the Sox can sign them.

 

I would have preferred the Sox to have signed Lieber over El Duque because I think big Jon is due for a comeback.

[LosMediasBlancas]

Wood = Closer.

They're reeeeeeeally gonna miss Clement if Wood goes down and Rusch was a fluke.

[The Critic]

Wood = Closer.

They're reeeeeeeally gonna miss Clement if Wood goes down and Rusch was a fluke.

I thought Wood would make a good closer, too, but something I heard on the radio kind of changed my mind a bit.

I forget who it was, maybe Hendry, but he mentioned that it might be tougher on a guy's arm to warm up several days in a row, maybe getting into a game, maybe not, than it would just to warm up and perform every 5th day. With that in mind, moving into the closer's role might not necessarily be easier on his arm after all.

 

That makes sense to me - warming up to enter a game has to be rougher on the arm than a side session after your regular turn in the rotation.

[hammerhead johnson]

I thought Wood would make a good closer, too, but something I heard on the radio kind of changed my mind a bit.

I forget who it was, maybe Hendry, but he mentioned that it might be tougher on a guy's arm to warm up several days in a row, maybe getting into a game, maybe not, than it would just to warm up and perform every 5th day. With that in mind, moving into the closer's role might not necessarily be easier on his arm after all.

 

That makes sense to me - warming up to enter a game has to be rougher on the arm than a side session after your regular turn in the rotation.

 

Good point. It seems like closers who rely heavily on the fastball get injured frequently.

[LosMediasBlancas]

I thought Wood would make a good closer, too, but something I heard on the radio kind of changed my mind a bit.

I forget who it was, maybe Hendry, but he mentioned that it might be tougher on a guy's arm to warm up several days in a row, maybe getting into a game, maybe not, than it would just to warm up and perform every 5th day. With that in mind, moving into the closer's role might not necessarily be easier on his arm after all.

 

That makes sense to me - warming up to enter a game has to be rougher on the arm than a side session after your regular turn in the rotation.

 

That's a good point and I don't know enough about warming up to say for sure. But those guys don't look like they really air it out or let it fly during warms ups except for the last 1 or 2 pitches before they enter the game. What you say makes sense though.

[SoxFan562004]

Just an update... The MRI was negative, but he's flying back to Chicago for more tests and was scratched from his next start

[CSF]

Cubs send Wood back to Chicago

 

The Associated Press

 

March 10, 2005, 2:01 PM CST

 

 

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Cubs flew Kerry Wood to Chicago on Thursday to have his right shoulder looked at by a team doctor.

 

Wood left Arizona one day after leaving a spring game in Mesa before the third inning of a 6-5 loss to Texas. He said he had tightness in his pitching shoulder.

 

Wood had a magnetic resonance imaging test before he left, manager Dusty Baker told reporters before the Cubs' exhibition game with Seattle on Thursday afternoon.

 

The team doctor was going to look at the MRI and make a diagnosis, Baker said.

 

"He's such a valuable commodity," Baker said of Wood, 27, who missed two months last season because of tendinitis in his right triceps. He missed the entire 1999 season after undergoing ligament replacement elbow surgery.

 

"After what happened last year, this is just precautionary," Baker said. "It was just a matter of him going back and seeing our team doctor. Right now, it's nothing. We just decided to do this for a precautionary sake."

 

Baker said Wood, scheduled to be the Cubs' opening day starter, might have to miss a spring turn.

 

"He possibly might miss one start," the manager said.

 

He applauded his ace pitcher for coming out of Wednesday's game.

 

"You don't want to take a chance," Baker said. "I'm glad he is mature enough to stop when he felt that tightness. In the past, he might have kept trying to pitch. You just got to be safe at this point."

 

Baker said Wood would be back in Mesa on Friday.

 

Last season, Wood had an 8-9 record with a 3.72 ERA in 22 starts and 140 1-3 innings. He struck out 144 and walked 51.

 

The Cubs gave right-hander Mark Prior his first spring start on Thursday. Prior, expected to be Chicago's No. 2 starter this season, had an injury-filled season in 2004, going 6-4 with a 4.02 ERA in 21 starts. He was scheduled to pitch three innings.

Copyright © 2005, The Associated Press

 

Ruh-roh.

[Jabroni]

Just an update... The MRI was negative, but he's flying back to Chicago for more tests and was scratched from his next start

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yep...

 

"Wood to see Cubs orthopedist

Chicago ace left game with tightness in right shoulder"

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article...t=.jsp&c_id=mlb

 

Now Dusty is saying that Wood may miss 1 start which is against us on Monday. Hmmm, sounds oddly familiar to what they said last season. :rolly

[Jabroni]

According to ESPN 1000, Kerry Wood was sent to Chicago to check out "bursitis in his shoulder." This info is from an interview with Bruce Levine.

[LosMediasBlancas]

Yep...

 

"Wood to see Cubs orthopedist

Chicago ace left game with tightness in right shoulder"

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article...t=.jsp&c_id=mlb

 

Now Dusty is saying that Wood may miss 1 start which is against us on Monday.  Hmmm, sounds oddly familiar to what they said last season. :rolly

 

I thought the trainer was the problem last year.

[whitesoxin']

I remember watching Wood's 20 K game on WGN when I got home from school one rainy April afternoon.. I think I was in fifth grade at the time because it was in 1998 IIRC.

[Rex Kickass]

That was the Cubs M.O. last year. Great glass arms on the mound.

 

Powerful juiced offense.

[CSF]

Cubs examine Plan B

Acknowledge Wood may miss opener; Dempster an option

 

By Paul Sullivan

Tribune staff reporter

 

March 13, 2005, 9:17 PM CST

 

 

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Ryan Dempster will fill in for Kerry Wood in Monday's start against the White Sox and may join the rotation if Wood is not ready by the April 4 season opener.

 

"We've talked about possibilities, rearranging things possibly if [Wood] is not ready at that time," manager Dusty Baker said.

 

Baker said it's too soon to predict whether Wood's shoulder bursitis would sideline him for more than one start, but the Cubs for the first time are addressing the possibility Wood won't be ready in three weeks. Baker conceded Sunday the Cubs have a "Plan B" in place.

 

"I just hope we don't go to [Plans] C and D," he said. "I'm always considering a Plan B. Circumstances change. That's the name of the game: adjust and re-adjust."

 

If Dempster were to take Wood's spot, that would pare the three-man closer's race to a two-man competition between Joe Borowski and LaTroy Hawkins. Wood is scheduled to play long toss on Monday at HoHoKam Park and may begin throwing off a mound on Tuesday if his shoulder feels OK.

 

While Wood maintains the injury is minor and the decision to fly to Chicago for an examination was purely precautionary, the Cactus League schedule leaves him with only three possible starts to get ready for the season if he misses only Monday's start. That wouldn't give him much of an opportunity to build his arm strength to go six or seven innings at the start of the regular season.

 

It's hard to know exactly what Wood is thinking because he rarely changes his demeanor, even when he's hurting.

 

"That's why he's a good gambler," Baker said.

 

Wood tried to rush back from a triceps injury last year and wound up sitting out two months. Do the Cubs have to be more cautious this time, knowing he'll want to be out there for Opening Day?

 

"He was honest enough the other day when he said he felt something," Baker said. "He'll tell us. We know we've got a long way to go. He's much more mature than he was before. We have a long, long way to go. We just want to get it right as soon as possible, without rushing things. I know it's contradictory."

 

The Cubs always have the option of throwing Wood in simulated games to make sure his shoulder is OK rather than risk using him in Cactus League games. But Baker didn't appear interested in going that route.

 

"The thing about simulated games is you don't have the same intensity," Baker said. "I don't care how hard you try, you don't get the same adrenaline rush in a simulated game. But we've got to see how he does on flat ground first."

 

Glendon Rusch remains the wild card in the picture. The Cubs need a second left-hander in the bullpen to go along with Mike Remlinger, and no one has stood out in the games thus far. Rusch could be one of the five starters, but he also may be the second lefty in the pen, with Sergio Mitre as the potential fifth starter.

 

Rookie Angel Guzman, the team's top pitching prospect, would be "Plan E" at this point. The Cubs don't want to put undue stress on Guzman's shoulder. He made only 11 starts last year, and the Cubs will likely start him out at Triple-A Iowa.

Copyright © 2005, The Chicago Tribune

 

Uh-oh........

[Whitewashed in '05]

I just don't see how can a team stocked with arms not win their division. They had 3 guys who can shut anyone out and Clement as their 4th is way better than most of the other 4th starters...

[DBAHO]

I just don't see how can a team stocked with arms not win their division. They had 3 guys who can shut anyone out and Clement as their 4th is way better than most of the other 4th starters...

Clement plays for the Red Sox now.

[Jabroni]

I hope Cubs fans don't believe a word the Cubs say about injuries. All they do is lie, lie, lie. :headshake