3415. Kerry Lee Wood

Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is a National Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Wood recorded over 200 strikeouts in four out of his first five seasons, with a high of 266 in 2003.
Wood has struggled with injuries throughout his career, being placed on the disabled list 14 times in the 13 seasons of his major league career. He missed the entire 1999 season due to elbow surgery in spring training. In recent years, he has had three serious arm injuries, and started only a total of 14 major league games from Opening Day 2005 through the middle of 2006. Wood returned to the Cubs during the 2007 season as a relief pitcher, and served as the team's closer in 2008.

Wood became a phenomenon while attending MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, for his first three seasons of high school baseball. He continued his domination of batters at Grand Prairie High School in his final season as a high school player.

The Chicago Cubs drafted Wood as the fourth overall selection in the 1995 Amateur Draft. He spent three years playing in the Minor Leagues. His best season in the Minors came in 1996, when he posted a 10-2 record for the Daytona Cubs. He also played for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. In 1997 he led all minor league pitchers in walks, with 131.

A prospect in the minor leagues, Wood made his first appearance in the Major Leagues on April 12, 1998. In his fifth career start, on May 6, he threw a one-hit, no walk, 20-strikeout shutout against the Houston Astros, tying Roger Clemens' record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game and breaking Bill Gullickson's single-game rookie record of 18 strikeouts in 1980. To date, Wood and Bob Feller are the only two pitchers to strike out their age in one game (at age 17, Feller struck out 17 batters in one game in 1936). Wood allowed only two baserunners: an infield single by Ricky Gutiérrez, and hit Craig Biggio. The single, off third baseman Kevin Orie's glove, was close enough that some fans lobbied to have it changed in scoring to an error, which would have given Wood a no-hitter. The game is considered by many to be the most dominant pitching performance in the history of baseball.
Wood finished the 1998 season with a 13–6 record; despite missing the last month of the season with elbow soreness, he easily won the National League Rookie of the Year award. He pitched one game in the playoffs, losing against the Atlanta Braves.