Rookie of the Year: Kerry Wood, 1998

Pitcher, Chicago Cubs

Age:  21 (June 16)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’5”    Weight: 210 

Prior to 1998:

A Texas native, Wood initially played shortstop as a freshman at MacArthur High School in Irving before becoming a pitcher. With a 90 mph fastball, he received all-district recognition. Transferring to Grand Prairie High School as a senior, Wood went 14-0 with a 0.77 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 81.1 innings pitched. Selected by the Cubs fourth overall in the 1995 amateur draft, he received a $1.2 million signing bonus. In ’96 with Daytona of the Class A Florida State League, Wood produced a 10-2 record with a 2.91 ERA, 136 strikeouts, and 70 walks in 114.1 innings. In 1997 with Orlando of the Class AA Southern League and Iowa of the Class AAA American Association, he produced a combined 10-9 tally with a 4.57 ERA and 186 strikeouts in 151.2 innings in addition to 131 walks and 18 wild pitches. Wood started the 1998 season with Iowa and was quickly promoted to the Cubs.

1998 Season Summary

Appeared in 26 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 26

Games Started – 26

Complete Games – 1

Wins – 13 [20, tied with six others]

Losses – 6

PCT - .684 [6, tied with Mark Gardner]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 1 [14, tied with 23 others]

Innings Pitched – 166.2

Hits – 117

Runs – 69

Earned Runs – 63

Home Runs – 14

Bases on Balls – 85 [9, tied with Tyler Green & Orel Hershiser]

Strikeouts – 233 [3]

ERA – 3.40 [13]

Hit Batters – 11 [3, tied with five others]

Balks – 3 [5, tied with nine others]

Wild Pitches – 6

Midseason Snapshot: 8-3, ERA - 3.38, SO - 139 in 93.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 20 (in 9 IP) vs. Houston 5/6 (Tied MLB record)

10+ strikeout games – 9

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) vs. Houston 5/6

Batting

PA – 63, AB – 54, R – 3, H – 7, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 2, RBI – 8, BB – 1, SO – 16, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .130, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 8, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 13

Put Outs – 4

Assists – 9

Errors – 0

DP – 1

Pct. - 1.000

Postseason Pitching: G – 1 (NLDS vs. Atlanta)

GS – 1, CG – 0, Record – 0-1, PCT – .000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 5, H – 3, R – 1, ER – 1, HR – 0, BB – 4, SO – 5, ERA – 1.80, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Kerry Wood, ChiC.: 128 pts. – 16 of 32 first place votes, 80% share

Todd Helton, Col.: 119 pts. – 15 first place votes, 74% share

Travis Lee, Ariz.: 21 pts. – 13% share

Kerry Ligtenberg, Atl.: 18 pts. – 1 first place vote, 11% share

Brad Fullmer, Mon.: 2 pts. – 1% share

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Cubs went 90-73 to finish second in the NL Central Division, 12.5 games behind the division-winning Houston Astros and qualifying for a Wild Card playoff spot after defeating the San Francisco Giants 5-3 in a season-extending single-game playoff. In a season in which the home run race between Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire of the Cardinals dominated attention, the Cubs, spurred by Sosa’s hitting and Wood’s pitching, went on a 21-9 run in May and stayed in the Wild Card race until the end, although a sore elbow sidelined Wood in September. They came from behind for 49 of their wins. Lost NLDS to the Atlanta Braves, 3 games to 0.

Aftermath of ‘98:

The sore elbow that curtailed Wood’s outstanding rookie season resulted in “Tommy John” surgery that cost him the entire 1999 season. In 2000, he made his first start for the Cubs in May. With less velocity on his fastball and difficulty in controlling his breaking pitches, he produced an 8-7 record in 23 starts with a 4.80 ERA, 132 strikeouts, 87 walks, and 137 innings pitched. Wood returned to form in 2001 as he pitched 174.1 innings and posted a 12-6 record with a 3.36 ERA and 217 strikeouts. Along the way he threw a one-hit shutout against the Milwaukee Brewers in which he faced 30 batters and struck out 14 of them. Shoulder tendinitis curtailed his season in August. Wood in 2002 went on to a 12-11 tally with a 3.66 ERA and 217 strikeouts while compiling 213.2 innings. He also added a slider to his repertoire during the second half of the season to go along with his fastball, curve, and changeup. He was an All-Star for the first time in 2003 and led the NL with 266 strikeouts to go with his 14-11 record, four complete games, and two shutouts. In 2004 a strained triceps cost Wood nearly two months of the season and he finished at 8-9 with a 3.72 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 140.1 innings pitched. Elbow trouble limited him to 10 starts in 2005 and he was shifted to the bullpen on his way to a 3-4 tally in 21 appearances with a 4.23 ERA and 77 strikeouts over 66 innings. Further injuries limited Wood to four starts in 2006 and he was utilized exclusively as a reliever in 2007, pitching in 22 games and posting a 1-1 record with a 3.33 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 24.1 innings. Taking over the role of closer out of the bullpen in 2008, he stayed healthy and produced a 5-4 mark and 34 saves in 65 appearances, along with a 3.26 ERA and 84 strikeouts. He was an All-Star for the second time. In the offseason he signed a two-year, $20 million free agent contract with the Cleveland Indians. Wood started out effectively with his new club in 2009, recording 15 saves in 20 opportunities before encountering problems with consistency. He finished with a 3-3 tally and 20 saves along with a 4.25 ERA. During spring training in 2010, a back injury put him on the disabled list for the thirteenth time in his career. Returning to action with Cleveland in May, Wood had a 1-4 tally with 8 saves prior to returning to the DL in July and being traded to the New York Yankees. Used as a setup man out of the bullpen, he went 2-0 the rest of the way with an 0.69 ERA in 24 appearances. A free agent once again in the offseason, Wood returned to the Cubs in 2011 and made 55 relief appearances, posting a 3-5 record with a 3.35 ERA. He made 10 appearances in 2012 before retiring in May. For his major league career, Wood produced an 86-75 record with a 3.67 ERA and 1582 strikeouts in 1380 innings. He also recorded 63 saves along with 11 complete games and 5 shutouts. With the Cubs, he was 80-68 with a 3.67 ERA, 1470 strikeouts in 1279 innings, 35 saves, and all his complete games and shutouts. Pitching in 15 postseason games, he was 2-2 with a 3.43 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 44.2 innings. A two-time All-Star during his injury-plagued career, Wood was at his best during his 1998 rookie season and in 2003. An enormous talent when he first joined the Cubs, he showed great determination despite the many physical setbacks.    

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league.  

MVP Profile: Sammy Sosa, 1998

 Outfielder, Chicago Cubs

Age:  29

7^th season with Cubs

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 200

 

Prior to 1998:

A native of San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, Sosa shined shoes as a boy following his father’s death. He turned to baseball after his mother quashed his boxing ambitions and quit school at 14 to join a traveling baseball team. He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies at 15, but the contract was voided due to his being underage. Following several tryouts when he reached 16, Sosa signed with the Texas Rangers for $3500. Initially assigned to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 1986, the lithe 17-year-old outfielder batted .275 with 19 doubles, 4 home runs, and 28 RBIs in 61 games. Moving up to Gastonia of the Class A South Atlantic League in 1987 he hit .279 with 11 home runs and 59 RBIs. Sosa’s next stop was Port Charlotte of the high Class A Florida State League in 1988. His average dropped to .229 and he struck out 106 times while hitting 13 doubles, 12 triples, and 9 home runs with 51 RBIs and 42 stolen bases. He started 1989 with Tulsa of the Class AA Texas League where he was batting .297 with 7 home runs and 31 RBIs when he was called up to the Rangers in June to fill in for injured outfielder Pete Incaviglia. After getting off to a hot start, he cooled off as he struggled to hit breaking pitches and was demoted to Oklahoma City of the Class AAA American Association where he moped and hit poorly until he was traded to the Chicago White Sox along with LHP Wilson Alvarez and infielder Scott Fletcher for OF Harold Baines and 2B Fred Manrique. Assigned to Vancouver of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, Sosa hit .367 in 13 games before being called up by the White Sox. In 33 games with Chicago he batted .273 with three home runs and 10 RBIs and drew praise for his play in the outfield. Still very much a raw talent in 1990, Sosa started in right field but struggled under the direction of hitting coach Walt Hriniak and batted just .233 with 15 home runs and 70 RBIs while striking out 150 times. He also had 14 assists in right field as well as 13 errors. Off the field his first marriage ended in divorce after eight months. He hit poorly while being platooned in 1991 and was sent down to Vancouver in July. Recalled in August he ended up batting .203 in 116 games with the White Sox. During 1992 spring training Sosa was dealt across town to the Cubs along with LHP Ken Patterson for OF George Bell. Installed in center field due to the presence of Andre Dawson in right field, he began to show off his power potential but was sidelined for six weeks with a broken wrist. Playing in a total of 67 games he hit .260 with 8 home runs and 25 RBIs. 1993 proved to be his breakout year. Playing regularly in right field he batted .261 with 33 home runs, 93 RBIs, and 36 stolen bases, becoming the first Cub to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in a season. He drew some criticism for his free-swinging tendencies at bat leading to many strikeouts and accusations of putting his statistics ahead of the team’s success. In the strike-shortened 1994 season he hit .300 with 25 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. 1995 proved to be Sosa’s first All-Star season, on his way to batting .268 with 36 home runs, 119 RBIs, and 34 stolen bases. He also placed eighth in league MVP voting and was awarded a Silver Slugger. Receiving a three-year, $16 million contract extension prior to the 1996 season, the bulked-up Sosa hit .273 with 40 home runs and 100 RBIs, despite missing the last six weeks of the season with a broken hand. During the 1997 season, a poor one for the Cubs, Sosa was signed to a four-year, $42 million contract extension on the way to batting .251 with 36 home runs, 119 RBIs, and a league-leading 174 batter strikeouts.  

 

1998 Season Summary

Appeared in 159 games

RF – 156, CF – 7

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

 

Batting

Plate Appearances – 722 [3, tied with Fernando Vina]

At Bats – 643 [7]

Runs – 134 [1]

Hits – 198 [5, tied with Derek Bell & Fernando Vina]

Doubles – 20

Triples – 0

Home Runs – 66 [2]

RBI – 158 [1]

Bases on Balls – 73 [20]

Int. BB – 14 [3, tied with Bobby Abreu & Mike Piazza]

Strikeouts – 171 [1]

Stolen Bases – 18

Caught Stealing – 9 [11, tied with five others]

Average - .308

OBP - .377

Slugging Pct. - .647 [2]

Total Bases – 416 [1]

GDP – 20 [7, tied with Kevin Young & Ricky Gutierrez]

Hit By Pitches – 1

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 5

 

League-leading runs scored were +4 ahead of runner-up Mark McGwire

League-leading RBIs were +11 ahead of runner-up Mark McGwire

League-leading batter strikeouts were +13 ahead of runner-up Jeromy Burnitz

League-leading total bases were +33 ahead of runner-up Mark McGwire

 

Midseason snapshot: HR – 33, RBI – 81, AVG – .324, SLG – .667

 

Most hits, game – 3 on fourteen occasions

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

Most HR, game – 3 (in 4 AB) vs. Milwaukee 6/15

HR at home – 35

HR on road – 31

Multi-HR games – 11

Most RBIs, game – 6 at Arizona 7/27, at San Diego 9/16

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

 

Fielding

Chances – 357

Put Outs – 334

Assists – 14

Errors – 9

DP - 2

Pct. - .975

 

Postseason Batting: 3 G (NLDS vs. Atlanta)

PA – 12, AB – 11, R – 0, H – 2, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 1, IBB – 0, SO – 4, SB – 0, CS – 2, AVG - .182, OBP - .250, SLG -.273, TB – 3, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

 

 

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

Silver Slugger

All-Star

 

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Sammy Sosa, ChiC.: 438 pts. – 30 of 32 first place votes, 98% share

Mark McGwire, StL.: 272 pts. – 2 first place votes, 61% share

Moises Alou, Hou.: 215 pts. – 48% share

Greg Vaughn, SD: 185 pts. – 41% share

Craig Biggio, Hou.: 163 pts. – 36% share

 

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Cubs went 90-73 to finish second in the NL Central Division, 12.5 games behind the division-winning Houston Astros and qualifying for a Wild Card playoff spot after defeating the San Francisco Giants 5-3 in a season-extending single-game playoff. In a season in which the home run race between Sosa (who hit a record 20 home runs in June) and Mark McGwire of the Cardinals dominated attention, the Cubs went on a 21-9 run in May and stayed in the Wild Card race until the end. They came from behind for 49 of their wins. Lost NLDS to the Atlanta Braves, 3 games to 0.

 

Aftermath of ‘98:

The enthusiastic and ever-smiling “Slammin’ Sammy” followed up with another huge season in 1999, swatting 63 home runs (again second to Mark McGwire),driving in 141 RBIs, and batting .288 while topping the NL in strikeouts for the third consecutive year with 171. He was the league leader in home runs in 2000 with 50, to go along with 138 RBIs and a .320 average, although he was no longer much of a threat to steal and his play in right field also dropped off. In 2001 Sosa became the first player to have three 60-home run seasons, as he clubbed 64 four-baggers (coming in second to San Francisco’s Barry Bonds). He also led the NL with 146 runs scored, 160 RBIs, 425 total bases, and 37 intentional walks drawn (out of a total of 116). In addition, he batted .328 with a .437 OBP and remained a fan favorite despite rumors of steroid use and dissension in the clubhouse. In 2002 Sosa led the NL with lesser numbers in home runs (49) and runs scored (122) while hitting .288 with 108 RBIs. His early production in 2003 was slowed after he was hit in the head with a pitch. Furthermore, he was suspended for seven games after a bat that he was using in a game broke and was found to be corked. While others of his bats were X-rayed and declared cork free, his credibility took a major hit. The rumors of PED use became more prevalent. His performance picked up in the second half of the season and he finished with 40 home runs, 103 RBIs, and a .279 average. Back spasms put Sosa on the disabled list in 2004, and over the course of 126 games he batted .253 with 35 home runs and 80 RBIs. With the Cubs falling out of contention in the season’s final week, Sosa asked to sit out the final game and apparently left while it was in progress, much to the anger of his teammates. The incident marked a sad end to his tenure with the Cubs. Dealt to the Baltimore Orioles in 2005, Sosa appeared in only 102 games and hit .221 with 14 home runs. A free agent after the season, he sat out 2006 but returned with the Texas Rangers in 2007. Playing in 114 games he batted .252 with 21 home runs and 92 RBIs while being used primarily as a DH. His career thus ended at age 38. For his major league career, Sosa batted .273 with 2408 hits that included 379 doubles, 45 triples, and 609 home runs. He scored 1475 runs and compiled 1667 RBIs along with 234 stolen bases. He drew 929 walks, struck out 2306 times, and had a career on-base percentage of .344. With the Cubs he batted .284 with 1985 hits, 296 doubles, 32 triples, 545 home runs, 1245 runs scored, 1414 RBIs, 181 stolen bases, 798 walks drawn, and 1815 batter strikeouts. Appearing in 15 postseason games, Sosa hit .245 with two home runs and 7 RBIs. He was a seven-time All-Star who received six Silver Sluggers. Sosa finished in the top ten of league MVP voting seven times, with the one win. Allegations of steroid use have tarnished his reputation, including a published report that he failed a random drug test in 2003. He denied using performance-enhancing drugs in testimony before Congress in 2005. Charismatic but controversial, Sosa leaves a mixed legacy.

 

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player.