Wednesday, March 17, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 5
Cubs star pitcher out for the season
Wood hurts elbow in his spring debut
The Associated Press
MESA, Ariz. — Kerry Wood will miss this season because of a torn elbow ligament, leaving the Chicago Cubs without the pitcher who dazzled baseball last year.
The NL Rookie of the Year, who last May struck out 20 batters against Houston, completely tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during his spring training debut against Anaheim on Saturday.
"He's a huge loss, no doubt about it," teammate Mark Grace said yesterday
Wood was in Chicago for an MRI exam. But even before the results, the Cubs announced the injury was season ending, sending a shudder through their clubhouse on a cold, rainy morning.
"I feel for him," reliever Rock Beck said. "I think as a pitcher every one of us has laid in bed with an ache and a pain thinking it's over."
Wood became one of baseball's top attractions last season and helped the Cubs win the NL wild-card spot. He missed all of September because of a sore elbow, but returned to pitch five innings in Game 3 of the playoffs against Atlanta.
"We'll keep Sammy on the field — put a glass case around him," Beck said of star home run hitter Sammy Sosa, the Cubs' leading draw.
Wood's status has shaken a team trying to win its first pennant since 1945.
"I think our players will take
this as a challenge we will have to overcome, the same as Atlanta and Houston are doing," said Cubs manager Jim Riggleman, referring to Andres Galarraga and Moises Alou, both out for the season.
He's had some ups and downs
"He's had some from the time he signed that most young pitchers have gone through."
Wood was hospitalized twice at the start of
spring training for an upper respiratory and intestinal illness, then threw just 10 of 26 pitches for strikes Saturday against Anaheim. He wound up with elbow pain again that night.
Chicago had hoped the pain was from scar tissue, not ligament damage.
Even though he has less than a year of major league service, Cubs players already look to Wood as a leader. Grace compared him to Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson and Kevin Brown, calling him "almost irreplaceable."
"Kerry is one of those guys that can win even when he doesn't have his good stuff because of his reputation," Grace said. "Selfishly, he's so much fun to play behind, watching those overpowering fastballs and those bowel-locking curves."
Steve Trachsel, Kevin Tapani,
Terry Mulholland and Jon
Lieber are the other four starters in the Cubs' rotation. Scott Sanders or Kurt Miller will most likely move into the rotation.
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