Kid K Calls it Quits
It was hinted at on twitter last night that big Cubs news was coming today and news did come.
Somewhat reminiscent of Ryne Sandberg's in-season retirement, Kerry Wood will announce that he's retiring from baseball. I'm sure he'll give his reasons at the press conference, but when elite athletes can no longer do the things that made them elite, the fire to compete can extinguish rather quickly.
Word on XM radio this morning was that the Cubs would try to get him in one more game possibly today or tomorrow for what would certainly be the most exciting thing to happen at Wrigley Field this season.
These are the times that we're pre-programmed to wax poetic on the life and times of a certain athlete, writing the obituary of their careers. For Kerry Wood, the numbers will never match the reputation and must-see nature of his early career, although he will go out with a K/9 rate of over 10, which is certainly impressive. There's of course the magical 20K game versus the Astros and the division series wins versus Atlanta in 2003. He made All-Star games, he won a Rookie of the Year, he destroyed boom boxes and he tore his elbow and shoulder to shreds to try and deliver the Cubs a championship. He'll be rememebered as fondly for his pitching as his desire to be a Cub.
In more unfortunate news (or fortunate depending on your point of view), Geovany Soto has been diagnsosed with a torn meniscus and is headed to the disabled list. No word on who the new backup catcher will be with Steve Clevenger still on the disabled list. Juan Apodaca has been doing most of the catching in Iowa and they also have Blake Lalli down there. Koyie Hill is floating out there too.
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Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 11:30am Permalink
Sosnick Cobbe Sports, which appears to represent Lalli, is tweeting that he's been called up.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 11:53am Permalink
cool, can't catch worth a lick and doesn't have much power, but generally puts the ball in play.
Wasn't doing much in Iowa in 20 games. Also 29 years old.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 11:45am Permalink
Ed Lynch on SiriusXM regarding the drafting of Wood and the first time Lynch saw him throw in person:
http://siriusxmsports.posterous.com/ed-lynch-...
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 12:44pm Permalink
Also a great anecdote in there about Ed Lynch trying to trade Kerry Wood for Esteban Yan back in 1997.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 11:59am Permalink
@thekapman: Spoke to Kerry Wood. If he doesn't get into today's game he will be ready to pitch tomorrow. He will def make 1 more app.
Lineup
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 11:59am Permalink
DeJesus9/TonyC8/Starlin6/LaHair3/Soriano 7/Stewart5/Castillo2/Barney4/Samardzija1
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 12:05pm Permalink
More reactions
Rogers
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball...
claiming his arm isn't right
Kevin Kaduk
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-...
good send-off by a Cubs fan
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 12:18pm Permalink
Good article by Wrongway, but naturally he didn't get the details of Wood's Game 7 HR correct.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 12:20pm Permalink
Wrongway's editor needs an editor.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/C...
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 12:14pm Permalink
best ways to give Kerry a send-off?
- let him try and save a game?
- let him start Sunday for one inning?
- let him start Sunday and he rides off on a flying unicorn?
- give him an AB
- plunk AJ in the ribs
- give him an AB and he clubs AJ to death as he walks to the plate
and no, I don't care about the Cubs winning any of these games.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 12:39pm Permalink
Flying unicorn all the way.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 12:45pm Permalink
Or a quadricorn.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 12:48pm Permalink
http://bmccarthythoughts.wordpress.com/
Brandon McCarthy has a blog, he's awesome.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 1:08pm Permalink
Volstad optioned to Iowa, Lalli called up.
Eventually Soto to DL and I presume T. Wood will get called up.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 1:22pm Permalink
I'll be stalking parachat for what could be Kerry's last game.
Took out the lineup card...nice touch.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 1:31pm Permalink
Lots and lots of empty seats in the first inning.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 1:35pm Permalink
NATO?
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 1:37pm Permalink
Could be... downtown sure is quiet. No one came to work today.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 1:37pm Permalink
Damn, thought Castro knocked that out
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 2:03pm Permalink
http://m.espn.go.com/mlb/story?storyId=7946518
"Davidson also received a one-game suspension for what Major League Baseball called "repeated violations" in how umpires are supposed to handle situations."
When was the last time an umpire was publicly suspended, and it is a trend I would like to see continued
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 2:05pm Permalink
ug, Konerko nailed in the face, there's blood.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 2:09pm Permalink
I am sure the Sox will stay classy, and NOT drill anyone on the Cubs in this game...
I would be willing to wager that Hawk Harrelson has been talking non-stop about how the Sox should NOT do anything in response to this. (YEAH! RIGHT!)
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 2:24pm Permalink
And they throw behind LaHair, not even the decency to put him on base.
Why not just hit Samardzija?
BB's LaHair anyway.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 2:56pm Permalink
They forgot about pitchers having to hit.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 2:23pm Permalink
"Well if he was gonna do that, he should have done it to Samardzija." Hawk Harrelson on the throw behind LaHair.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 2:42pm Permalink
So you're allowed to tackle baserunners now?
Opens up all kind of possibilities for strategy.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 2:42pm Permalink
1) I love Kerry Wood.
2) That call of DeJesus out at 2nd is the worst call I have ever seen.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:05pm Permalink
reminded me of Kent Hrbek in 1991
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:12pm Permalink
ninja ties on a base hit!
ha.
1 more run...let's get kerry wood a save.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:15pm Permalink
i wish i could hate pierzizzinskikiki like some, but his subtle head/body lunge fake to a fan (adult male) yelling at him when he caught campy's popup bunt (sigh, campy bunting) was as lulz as when he laughed off a m.barrett fist to the face.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:19pm Permalink
wood up in the pen.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:27pm Permalink
WOOD IN!
...shakes bullpen coach's hand.
...audience cheer
...a somewhat overwhelmed (seemingly by what he's about to do, not the crowd moving him) kerry jogs to the mound
...commercial break
...a lizard cartoon is trying to sell me car insurance
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:33pm Permalink
K!
...and that's a career. j.quirk out. handshakes and hugs for everyone.
"kerry kerry" chant
HUGGGGGGGGGGGE cheer (i think more realize what is happening now)
WSox dugout applauding
K.Wood's kid greets him at the dugout steps (that's not legal in the rules, lulz).
dugout hugs
K.Wood comes out for a fan curtain call
j.russell in.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:38pm Permalink
1380 IP
1083 H
666 BB (walks really are evil)
1582 K (10.3 K/9, 2nd behind R.Johnson)
3.67 ERA
1.27 WHIP
86-75 W/L, 63 saves
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:26pm Permalink
So when Konerko was hit, Harrelson and Stone said they didn't think Samardzjia hit him on purpose. Later, Hawk called for retaliation. Makes sense.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:33pm Permalink
were you expecting anything different?
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:38pm Permalink
Well, yes, in that I would've expected him to go apeshit when it happened and then call for retaliation. His original response to it surprised me.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:41pm Permalink
I guess i would have to agree.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:52pm Permalink
Did he regurgitate the Tony Conigliaro story for the 8,955th time?
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:56pm Permalink
hawk is a weird guy. to truly understand why he even has a job you have to hear him tell stories outside of the mic at the game.
he's pretty damn charming, a decently quick wit, and he's got good comic timing.
that weird emotional act he puts on the air during games is like some angry grandpa version of ron santo, though.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:28pm Permalink
i can't believe this is happening...this sucks for me kinda like when mark grace retired even though he retired with the "wrong" team.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:36pm Permalink
Blake Lalli wearing # 17 in the dugout.
edit: I may have seen wrong. Roster page says # 47.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:46pm Permalink
i would say it will be retired eventually, but the cubs are traditionally very stingy with retiring numbers. he was a fan favorite and great player, but more of a great support player...one of the best mid-range-power #3 hitters around with extreme consistency. great D, too...
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 4:01pm Permalink
Kerry is my favorite Cub, but I've been ready for this for some time. Now that it's happened, I'm feeling much more emotional than I expected.
This also seems like the end of an era. I graduated high school in 1998 and this feels like the final nail in my youth. Now at 32, the ball players become few and further between who are older than me. Today, finally feel like I'm watching a kid's game. I'll miss you, Kid K.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 4:04pm Permalink
yeah, mark grace in the booth has been awesome for me. he was my favorite.
i know he makes some cringe with his skills on the mic, but it's fun for me to hear the guy out there talking baseball. i have a feeling some of ron santo's critics-yet-fans felt the same way.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 4:11pm Permalink
I kind of feel the same about Grace. He's kind of a jackass and he repeats himself a lot, but I still like him. I'd take him over Moreland any day.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 4:24pm Permalink
Its known that Grace would occaisionally belly up to the bar at Bernies as well, which I thought was pretty fucking cool.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 4:19pm Permalink
You really hit on my feelings Joe.
I remember finishing up my freshman year of college the afternoon that KW had that 20K game. I still remember trying to hush everyone up because I was trying to listen to Chip and Stoney on the TV.
At 33 it kind of feels like a piece of my youth is going with Kerry.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:46pm Permalink
Any information on why they put Lalli in the game? Castillo isn't hurt is he?
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 4:04pm Permalink
from your post til end-of-game nothing was mentioned on the WGN (cubs crew) broadcast
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 4:09pm Permalink
Still watching post game and nothing mentioned.
But there's a fucking duck on the field.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 3:57pm Permalink
THAT was ruled a double? lucky barney.
official scoring #1.
Re: Kid K Calls it Quits
on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 4:36pm Permalink
bwhahaha...jeremy guthrie (COL pitcher and boyband+pop music enthusiast) had a new custom game bat made up...it's a replica of the "The Natural" Wonderboy lightning bat.