| Kyle Trompeter. 26th July, 2005 - 3:13 pm
 When this 2005 Chicago Cubs season comes to an end, people may look back and say the day Kerry Wood went back on the disabled list was the day the season started to look up. Not because Wood has been in a major slump, although he has an underwhelming 3-3 record with a 4.67 earned run average. Dusty Baker has said when Wood makes his return from the DL to the bump at Wrigley Field, it will be coming from the bullpen and not from the dugout.
Similar to the situation in Boston where the Red Sox brought Curt Schilling back from injury and sent him to the bullpen, the Cubs will do the same with Wood. The problems in the pen have been plentiful this year with the exception of the two constant solid performers, closer Ryan Dempster (4.08 era, 14 saves) and lefty Will Ohman (2.35). Depth coming out of the bullpen is something every team needs to make a playoff run, and the Cubs need several arms.
With the emergence of Dempster as closer, Wood will not be needed for that role. One glaring hole is the right handed set up man. The two most used in the role this year have been Michael Wuertz (4.43, 10 holds) and Roberto Novoa (4.29, 4). Both pitchers have shown flashes of decency, but neither has displayed the consistency needed to do the job for a playoff team. Wood’s electric stuff will be a welcome addition to the bullpen and will provide some credibility to the set up role.
Wood has a career record of 70-53, all as a starter. The thought out of Wrigleyville is that a move to a relief role will not tax the golden arm hanging from Wood’s right shoulder nearly as much as it has as a starter. Also, with a strong rotation of Mark Prior (7-3, 3.23), Greg Maddux (8-7, 4.55), Carlos Zambrano (7-4, 3.42), as well as other possibles such as Jerome Williams (3-3, 4.91), Glendon Rusch (5-3, 3.92), and newcomer Rich Hill (0-0, 4.22), the Cubs have an abundance of starter pitchers. The loss of Wood from the rotation is the bullpen’s gain.
As it stands today, the rotation with Wood out is Prior, Maddux, Zambrano, Williams, and Hill. Whether Hill will remain in the rotation or move to the pen is a question mark. The rookie pitcher made his first big league start tonight as he went five innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts. The young lefty has a devastating curveball and a 90+ MPH fastball. Look for possibly Rusch, who has excelled as a starter and struggled as a reliever, to move back to the rotation with Hill going to the bullpen.
Bullpen help may come from within for this Cubs team, with Wood being the main event. Wood has said that he will welcome any role for him that helps the team and also doesn’t hurt his arm. This move may accomplish both, as well as reviving his career. |
