Kerry Wood, the 20-year-old rookie Cubs pitcher, has been turning the baseball world upside down this year. Wood threw himself and his 100 mile-per-hour heater in the record books by striking out 20 Houston Astros on May 6. Since then, the baseball world keeps watching and counting those K’s.
We caught up with Wood on the road in Atlanta. He tossed us a few high hard ones about finding early success, being a Little Leaguer and more:
KidNews: You’re pitching against players who three years ago might have been your heroes. What’s that like?
It’s a lot of fun being in the clubhouse with these guys. I was 11 when Mark Grace broke into the league, and now I’m playing with these guys. But I don’t really think about the age thing – you’re just playing and lose track of anything else.
KN: You’re a national figure. How are you handling that?
I’m starting to get used to it. People come up to you and recognize you, and it’s exciting to be out and have people do that.
There are players who will sign autographs for people, and I’m one of those guys. … I’m not anybody’s role model yet. But I know how I was when I was young and how kids are now: If a player talks to you or signs something, it’s the greatest feeling in the world.
KN: Who have been the most challenging batters you’ve faced so far?
Mark McGwire of St. Louis was one, of course, but he struck out twice and popped up. There’s Bobby Bonilla and a lot of others. Those big guys are going to get their hits and homers – but hopefully not off me.
KN: Is there any coaching advice you got as a Little Leaguer that you still use today?
My dad was my coach pretty much all the way, and he always told me to go out and have fun. I’m still having a blast, and that’s the best advice I can offer.
KN: When did you know you had the ability to become a major-league player?
The first scouts who saw me came my sophomore year (in high school). I didn’t think much of it, or that I’d be drafted. By senior year, though, there were 25 to 30 scouts at every game. I figured they must have seen something. My dad and I sat down and talked about being drafted and how it could happen. I was signed right out of high school.
KN: How should young pitchers take care of their arms?
You shouldn’t start throwing curve balls until you’re about 14. I fooled around with them in the back yard, and my dad really came down on me. Kids should use an off-speed pitch like a change-up. When I was 14, I was taught the curve ball and the proper way to throw it. And you should play catch and throw a little bit every day.
KN: Did you play any other sports, and do you recommend kids do that?
I played ’em all, pretty much, including soccer for five years and high school football and basketball along with baseball my freshman year. By sophomore year, it was just baseball. If you’re good enough to play a bunch of them, I say go for it. By high school, I’d say just one season before baseball is enough or you’ll be worn out.
KN: Did you ever collect baseball cards?
Yes, but I stopped when I was about 4. The cards are still at my parents’ house. When the first one with me came out, I really didn’t grasp the concept. I mean, here are these little packages going out all over the country, and your picture is in some of them.
oh K!
Why do K’s signify strike-outs? We got the scoop from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.: A guy named Henry Chadwick devised a baseball scoring system in 1861. He abbreviated scoring terms using the first or last letter. For a player who is struck out, Chadwick went with the k in -“struck.”
Those 100-m.p.h. fastballs are real zingers, huh? Um, it’s all a matter of perspective. Check out the speeds at which other things travel:
The fastest your parents can legally drive on an Illinois interstate: 65 m.p.h
A cheetah, the fastest land animal: Up to 70 m.p.h. over short surfaces
The Corncorde jet: 1,350 m.p.h., or twice the speed of sound
The Earth: More than 68,000 m.p.h. in its orbit around the sun.
The speed of light: 670 million m.p.h. (That’s also Warp 1 speed on “Star Trek.”)
