Kerry Wood - 3 and out?

by RasenFridge on Jun 19, 2009 6:49 AM EDT

With a bullpen whose zenith so far this year has been mediocrity, why do we have our greatest asset wrapped up in cotton wool?

Kerry Wood has appeared in 26 games so far this season, pitching 23.1 innings. Now, whilst he's not yet been the monster we hoped we'd signed in the off-season and it's not like the starting rotation, or his colleagues has given him many leads to defend, he's our best arm in the 'pen and we seem to be reluctant to use him. And when he does pitch, we're never letting him stay out there for longer than an inning. Now I know we shouldn't be riding him to his death a la Dusty Baker, but surely letting him go a couple of innings every now and again wouldn't be disastrous?

In '07 and '08 with the Cubs, Wood pitched 2 innings, on average, at least once a month. The Cubs were contending both years, so there were going to be more save situations for him to be involved in and more high leverage situations where it justified giving him the ball, but why limit your best arm to such a specific situation?

I'd like to see us getting him out there, regardless of whether he's getting the save, or just keeping us in the game. It's no good saving your best bullpen arm for the final inning when the game's being decided by the flotsam and jetsam currently passing as a bullpen at the moment.

Ironically, the one time we've done this lately, on Wednesday night against the Brewers (Brewers vs Indians recap), Wood pitched the 10th and kept the Tribe in it, only for Aquino to give up the winning run. Why couldn't Wood have pitched a second inning? He'd only thrown 13 pitches.

I'm sure there are some good reasons why we're handling him this way and in the train-wreck that is our season it's not like changing the way we use Wood over the course of the year is going to turn things around on its own, but it's vexing me.

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I completely agree. In December, I was hoping we would sign Trevor Hoffman thinking he would sign one year and we would then have Jensen in 2010 as our closer… (NOW, I am glad we did sign Wood— As Jensen has pitched scared and weak).

Anyways, I have been wondering why we only use him 1 inning- It has made me worry about his health, actually. Is Shapiro/Wedge scared of his health? It just makes me wonder… We have lost a few games in the 8th, too, when we could have been using Wood…

by ToledoTribeFan on Jun 19, 2009 9:56 AM EDT reply actions

Of course they’re concerned about his health. He’s a pitcher. With an injury history. There’s always a concern.

Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

by Jay on Jun 19, 2009 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree as well as long as we are under the illusion of contention. Once this season becomes a lost one, it makes sense to continue using him delicately.

by Roger Dorn on Jun 19, 2009 10:00 AM EDT reply actions

This season is toast. The Tribe is not a contender.

by JulioBernazard on Jun 19, 2009 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions

The way our division is playing, I would say it won’t be official until right near the trade deadline

by Roger Dorn on Jun 19, 2009 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree. If we were in any other division it would be all over, but it doesn’t look like anyone wants to win the Central this year.

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You just got lesson number one: don't think; it can only hurt the ball club.
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by RasenFridge on Jun 19, 2009 10:28 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s not only the number of games behind the leader, it’s also the number of teams we have to pass to attain the lead. We have discussed this concept before. It seems unlikely that a team with a crappy bullpen can pass 4 teams.

by elsandito on Jun 19, 2009 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions

I suppose, but all 5 teams have been collectively terrible this year.

by Roger Dorn on Jun 19, 2009 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions

This. It’s not like we’re trying to pass good teams.

Who needs affection when you can have blind hatred?

by ClemsonGirl on Jun 19, 2009 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Let’s pose the question using the Twins as an example. The Twins aren’t playing well, but they only have to pass one team. There’s only one team in the division that is forced to pass 4 teams to take it. That’s the disadvantage of being in last place even in a crap division.

by elsandito on Jun 19, 2009 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Well if we can’t beat the Cubs with 6-0 lead in the third inning we aren’t passing anyone. Forgive my pessimism but I’m bitter.

Who needs affection when you can have blind hatred?

by ClemsonGirl on Jun 19, 2009 9:40 PM EDT up reply actions

for me it’s not so much the lack of multiple-inning appearances, as much as i’d be interested in seeing kerry in some high-leverage, non-ninth inning situations. it’s a bit of a catch-22 with the rest of the flotsam and jetsam, as you say, then having to fight through the ninth, but as it is now we never get to see kerry b/c the circle of suck takes over in the 6/7/8 and there’s no point in throwing woodrow down 31 runs.

i don’t know what’s in his contract as far as save-based incentives, etc., so i could very well be speaking directly from my butt.

by DontCallMeJoey on Jun 19, 2009 2:27 PM EDT reply actions

The Indians have him for the next two years and maybe longer. If Wood finishes 55 games this year or next, his $11 million option for 2011 is guaranteed.

Don’t worry, he didn’t finish the game today!

by dgcambridge on Jun 19, 2009 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions

It is a perverse stat. If he allows zero runs or 2+ runs, he gets the GF. If he allows 1 run, he doesn’t.

Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

by Jay on Jun 19, 2009 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions

He’s punished for delaying the inevitable.

by odradek on Jun 19, 2009 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions

8 saves and 3 blown saves aren’t a good return on 10 mil a year…and whatever wedge is thinking by not letting wood pitch more than one inning is beyond me..This guy was a starter for the cubs when he came out…doesn’t that mean he should have the arm to go more than one inning??? I know starters lose some of their arm after surgeries but its not like they should be on a 15-20 pitch count…and if the tribe bullpen keeps melting down wedge better be gone, even if were only 7 games out by the allstar break

by Vampiric Goddess on Jun 19, 2009 10:32 PM EDT reply actions

Wedge is a robot, he’s not programmed to allow that.

by palcal on Jun 20, 2009 12:59 AM EDT up reply actions

At this point, we should be hoping that Wood can give us one successful inning before clamoring to make him give us two.

Pronk Needs You

by woodsmeister on Jun 20, 2009 5:55 PM EDT reply actions

So depressing.

by gte619n on Jun 20, 2009 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I generally don

---AC 00 00 00 - Believe

by mjk83 on Jun 20, 2009 7:01 PM EDT reply actions

this thing needs an edit option.....anyways

while I generally don’t talk too much on other team’s blogs, after the way Wood has done the past couple days I thought I’d come see what the general attitude towards him was. While it’s true that Kerry Wood was a starter for a long time he was moved to the bullpen for a reason. All the injuries over the years had taken their toll and he wasn’t good for more than a couple innings as a starter anymore.

While it’s true that the Cubs did use him in multiple innings last year a few times, he only did that in 5 of his 65 appearances and as I recall it wasn’t something that the Cubs were thrilled about doing. Unfortunately due to Kerry Wood’s injury history you do have to handle him with kid gloves at times.

I don’t get to see the Indians play all that much so unfortunately I don’t feel as though I am in a position to really diagnose what is ailing Wood right now beyond the fact that he isn’t spotting his breaking pitches. Hopefully he can get things turned around and pitch well for you guys the rest of the season. I’m a big Wood fan and I hate seeing that ERA as high as it is.

---AC 00 00 00 - Believe

by mjk83 on Jun 20, 2009 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Why is it that Wood was giving effusive interviews before the game Saturday to the media about how great Chicago and its fans are but after the game he is unavailable to
the media?

Does that show that Wood had no intestinal fortitude?

by palcal on Jun 21, 2009 2:54 AM EDT reply actions