WE (DON'T) GOT WOOD!

I'm a huge Cubs fan. When I moved to Chicago in 1997 I was not a baseball fan (what would you expect after growing up with the disgraceful Cleveland Indians as your hometown team (they were always awful in the 80s and early 90s)). But I used to take the Red Line everyday when I lived in Rogers Park and worked downtown. I was always enamored with the Addison stop, where you could see into Wrigley. Somehow that turned me into a fan. (That, and being in a city with a National League team. I hate the designated hitter. It is the most ridiculous position ever conceived in professional sports.)

In 1998, Kerry Wood pitched a 20-strikeout game as a rookie. It was a blessing and a curse. He never came close to matching that performance (well, he did pitch a few one-hit games and often struck out more than 10 when he was a starter). And since 2003, every season has started with Cubs fans biting their nails at the thought of an unhealthy Kerry Wood.

And, like clockwork, every season, he goes on the DL. I told a friend of mine last Summer when Wood was injured around the time of the All-Star Game that I was tired of the Cubs being held hostage to Woody's injuries.

Apparently, so are the Cubs. For the first time since I became a Cubs fan, Kerry Wood will not be wearing a Cubs uniform. Part of me is saddened by this. And another part of me is simply relieved.

Bring on Marmol.