Kerry Wood turns 31 next Monday. It was once thought by his 31st birthday that he'd have racked up all kinds of accolades by now. So he's old and a disappointment by those standards. More recently it was thought he'd be out of baseball by now. So he's a feel-good story by that standard.
Most of all, though, he is absolutely filthy on the mound right now.
I remember on May 1st, after Wood blew a save against the Brewers, one of my friends texted me and asked when the Cubs would remove Wood from the closer duties. It actually prompted me to write this. Sure, it was probably somewhat wishful thinking -- but I just had this feeling. The makeup he has on the hill teamed with his size and ability to throw nearly 100 MPH along with the maturity and character he's built up through all the trying injury-riddled years just had "stud closer" written all over it to my biased eyes. I have never been more happy to be correct.
Since that blown save on the first of May, he has been lights out. He's been better than Carlos Marmol.
The numbers are insane. He's appeared in 20 games, saving 14 of them (14 saves in a month is an 84 save season pace, by the way). In 20 1/3 innings, he's struck out 27 batters and walked only four. His ERA has been 0.89 and the WHIP shows as 0.74 for this stretch. His only issue has been hitting batters -- three of his four have sparked rallies that blew saves -- but he's made the proper changes to solve it recently.
From watching him, I'm seeing a 2004 Eric Gagne-like swagger as he comes to the hill. He knows the game is over. It was all on display for the national audience Sunday night in L.A. when Wood followed his more-hyped understudy with better stuff. While Marmol's been hitting 91-94 on the gun with his heat recently, Woody's been torching it to the tune of 95-98. Team that with the increased control of his nasty slider, and he's punching out more guys than Kimbo Slice claims to.
What's missing? Well, I'd like to see a signature entrance like Hoffman's Hells Bells or Rivera's Enter Sandman (Gagne's Welcome to the Jungle back in his hay-day was perfect as well). I have a suggestion: Stone Cold Steve Austin's theme music.
Just picture it ... the glass breaks, the crowd goes wild, and a burly, goateed Texan stomps out with a glare of intimidation; ready to mow down anyone in his path.
Sound familiar?
