Ballpark Frank

Kerry Wood, Chicago Cubs pitcher, appears to be falling apart. Wood has been rehabbing his shoulder which was repaired during the off-season and now it appears has hit a roadblock. Kerry Wood now has a medial meniscus tear that is putting him back on the operating table. The Chicago Cubs organization is calling the surgery ‘minor’ however, I beg to differ.

Since May of last year a family member of mine has been recovering from not one but two similar knee surgeries. The first surgery did not go as well as planned therefore a second was needed to fix the exact same injury Kerry sustained. These surgeries were both said to be ‘minor’ and have proved differently. Barry Bonds last season also had a slow recovery after knee surgery. Therefore, I would be surprised to see Wood back on the mound before the All-Star break. Once Wood can return to throwing he will still need to fully rehab his shoulder which was what shut him down last year. This is becoming all too routine for Kerry Wood, the organization and Cubs fans.

So what do you do with a pitcher that is so fragile to pitch without worrying about injury? I say you put him in the bullpen. Kerry Wood should be the Cubs bullpen closer. Kerry Wood’s body is crumbling and cannot sustain pitching 200 plus innings a season. It is time for the organization to finally admit it and stop clinging to dreams of “1998 Kerry Wood potential.”

I wish Kerry the best on his surgery and a quick recovery. Upon Kerry’s return, I hope the organization finally realizes that he is not the type of pitcher that can shoulder being a starting pitcher and the workhorse of the Cubs staff. If you are looking for a workhorse turn to Carlos Zambrano. Once Kerry and the Cubs realize this, they will be better off.

For additional perspective on the Cub and the Kerry Wood knee situation check out these posts on Baseball Musings, MLB Trade Rumors and GoatRiders.org.