Kerry Wood splashed onto the big-league scene with a 20-strikeout game and Rookie of the Year Award in 1998. Then he missed 1999 with Tommy John surgery and had an uneven return in 2000.
The 2001 season, though, began a run for Kid K of dominance in the National League, although that year didn’t start out that way for him. Through his first nine starts, he posted a 4.94 ERA and 1.431 WHIP. The team, meanwhile, roared into first place in May, but in mid-month suffered an eight-game losing streak that dumped them into fourth place.