Wood, Swisher gone

This is so sad. Kerry Wood was not only a great player on the field, but a great person off of it. It will be shocker to the eyes not to see #34 in Cubby blue pinstripes in 2009. I realize that this is an unfortunate circumstance and a business decision made by the Cubs and Jim Hendry. I know he's doing all he can to make the 2009 Cubs better than those Cubs teams before them, and I trust his decision-making. It still just doesn't seem fair to see Woody go.

I wish Wood the best of luck. I admired him for his pitching ability, but more so for his gigantic heart. Wood could have called it a career a couple of years ago and we all would have understood, instead, he chose to work through his problems and emerged as an all-star reliever. A lesson in persistence. Prior on the other hand...

The Cubs have no one to blame but themselves for the injuries that plagued Wood and Prior. All they had to do was biomechanically monitor their pitching motions from early on in their careers.
The supposedly refused to do this until it was too late, and both pitcher's bodies succumbed to the strain.

Its just sad. A great person and a fun player to cheer for. Lets hope this really isnt the end, it would be so hard to see him in any other uniform and not cheer him on. We need to seperate Wood from Prior as well... they are opposites. A sad day in Cubs history, feels awfully similar to when Grace left. Go Kerry!

Thanks for succinctly putting "the Nick Swisher era" into perspective - fans are on other sites lamenting this trade like Swisher was an all-star (or Carlos Quintin!). Unfortunate the price to get him (3 players) was high, but he didn't produce (I think Oakland knew he was on the career downside). But glad the Yankees were "optimistic" enough (dumb) to pick up that $22M - maybe we can get a real impact free agent. Yankees also just gave Damaso Marte $12M - you think they know what they're doing?

Truly, Kerry Wood will be missed. He is a really nice person and he and his wife were great members of the community. It is a loss for the city, in my view. Best of luck to Kerry and his family.

I don't think I've been this sad to see a player leave since MJ's 1st retirement. We dremt of Woody taking the mound for the last pitch of a Cubs world series because it would have been poetic justice for the man with a fragile arm but big and loyal heart. Woody understood Cubdom and in turn Cubdom loved him. You'll be missed.

This ranks up there with how they Did Gracie!!!

This is why I hate Cub fans. Kerry Wood was one of the most over paid and over hyped busts in baseball history. Who cares if he was a great guy? Did he produce for all the money the Cubs gave him? He was always hurt didnt accept coaching and didnt really do anything after that 20 strikeout game versus the Astros but the fans for some reason loved this guy. The Cub fans ran other bad overpaid non performers away like Corey Patterson, Jacque Jones, LaTroy Hawkins but this broke stiff they loved him. All I would hear the fans say was "we love you Woody" but for Patterson, Jones and Hawkins all the fans would say to them were racial taunts like Ni****! If this guy was with the Yankees or Red Sox he would have been out the league years ago but the Cubs and their fans accept this crap. This should have happend years ago.

I think the Cubs will regret letting Kerry go, both in terms of his still-formidable skills, and his heart and clubhouse presence. His loyalty to the team all these years - in good years and bad - and his strength of character will be missed.

Thanks for the memories Kerry. This is not how it was supposed to end. It was supposed to be when you pitched the final out of the Chicago Cubs first World Series win in 100 years.

The rest of the team did not get the memo though.

PS - Please sign with an American League team.

As much as I have admired Hendry, this is the wrong move! He tried to sugar coat it in his radio interview like he was being the good guy here, emabarrassing, and insulting to my intelegence .Once again loyalty has lost its place in baseball. He said woody can get a three year deal somewhere else. Yeah, you also could've signed him to a three year deal,But its more important to waste your time with Peavy(which would be nice) but our rotation is fine the way it is and we had a great thing with the marmol/wood combo. Nice job screwing up a good thing. When this blows up in your face in 09 because of the domino effect on the bullpen, Cub fans will be calling for your head. Especially now if you dont get Peavy, and lose Dempster. When that happens it will be good to know that you saved that small amount for them by not locking up Wood,GENIUS!!Well heres to another century of futility..Good luck Woody,you will be missed(looks like the dbacks need a closer, maybe you can go there and win a W.S. title....hmmmm, sounds all too familiar)

I'm fine with Wood's departure. 20 Ks as a rookie was fantastic -- and I'll never forget it. I'll also never forget choking in Game 7 of the 2003 NLCS. Wood's best season was his rookie year. After that, he's the poster boy for if-only, might-haves all over.

I'm sure he'll be an adequate late-innings guy somewhere.

I had Swisher in my fantasy league team and he singlehandedly cost me a chance to win. He didn't help the Sox that much either with the awful year he had. I'm sure he'll blossom with the Yankees. As far as Wood goes, sorry to see him leave but it was a smart movie by the Cubs. I expect Gregg and Marmol to be very effective as set up and closer.

Well, it really hurts, down deep inside to see a former icon to be leaving and still in his prime. Business is business, but fans cannot help but get caught up in and admire deserving players such as Kerry Wood. It just seems somewhat sacreligious to even think about him playing elsewhere. But, he certainly is in the driver's seat on this one. He can, without blame test the market and more than likely make substantially more money than he could have on a short contract with the Cubs. In a sense, I hope he gets that long term contract elsewhere and makes a truck load of money, which is what a lot of people feel this whole sports thingy is, all about the money. But part of me hopes, and this is the selfish side of me, that he somehow does not get a long term contract elsewhere and he decides to volunteer to remain with the Cubs in any capacity they deem for him. Some people become part of the family and family sticks together through thick and thin. It would require a sacrifice, but that's what keeps strong families together.

Oh well, nothing lasts forever - with the obvious exception of the the Cubs inability to win a World Series. I heard the Sox were shopping around Bobby Jenks - maybe Wood will end up on the South Side! Wouldn't that just be a kicker!!!

Cubs should have kept and retired Wood. Not like they dont have the money. The only way you let the man go is if he requests it, which I doubt. I heard Jim Hendry on ESPN Radio yesterday, and I don't buy it.

LET THIS BE A LESSON to all you fans who get angry when a player wants his money! When players say "this is business", fans call them greedy and selfish. And I can see the Cubs going on to win it all without him and that would be a tradgedy. I am not even a Cubs fan, but I don't like that.

I think Kenny moved too fast with Swisher. The guy was valuable as a utility man. And I liked how he kept it light all the time. Of course I trust Kenny. He has to know something I dont. Since we have decided to part with Griffey and Swish. Might as well go young. Dump them all. Anyone who didnt' steal a base last year!

Gregg is Bob Howry with goggles. This is a joke. Typical Cubs. There is a reason they haven't won in 100.....wait....101 years.

We will all miss Wood, but once again ( is that two or three times over the past three year?)I have to agree with you, Roman. It was time. I don't know much about this Kevin Gregg guy, but his e.r.a. looks decent. Marmol should be a solid replacement if he gets over that habit of walking the first couple of batters he faces. He scared me at times last year but generally came through strong after a shaky batter or two.
Big game this week with the Packers! I think whichever quarter- back starts the bears will do fine offensively, but the defense has to get some pressure on Rogers or it won't matter.

To Mike23:

What's wrong with liking a guy who gave it his all for this team? What's wrong with liking a guy who could have been one of the best ever, but ruined his arm for taking the ball when he shouldn't have? What's wrong with liking a guy who turned away more money to pitch for the Cubbies because he wanted to show loyalty to a team, and city, that showed him loyalty? Or is it all about the dollars for you? By the way, I live in New York now, and Yankee fans worship the ground that Tino Martinez walks on, for some reason unknowable to the rest of us.

And please don't lump THIS Cubs fan, at least, with those yahoos yelling out racist crap at Jacques Jones, et al. That's just unacceptable.

I was surprised to see that Wood won only 77 games during his Cubs career and never more than 14 in a season. In the last five seasons, he won a total of 18 games (for you Cubs fans, that's less than 4 wins per season). He is still young (31) so has a chance to resurrect his career, but at a far lower and more affordable price.

I never quite understood the fascination with him. Throwing hard is great (I guess), but I would rather have the wins. You can have Wood, Farnsworth, Prior, et al, and I'll take the pitchers (Maddux, Moyer, Mussina et al)

I'm not a Cubs fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I do believe that Wood will be missed.

He reminded me of Brett Farve a little. He was a gun slinger.

Unfortunate injuries curtailed what could have been a Hall Of Fame career, but this guy gutted it out. And, as opposed to Prior, he always tried to play. His body just wouldn't let him.

He was a class act, and I wish him nothing but the best.

And I hope he signs with the Sox!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now Kosuke Fukudome can take over the title of "Most Overrated Cub"

Has there ever been an athlete in Chicago sports history that was more celebrated while being nothing more than a mediocre player?
His 6th start in a Cubs uniform as a 20 year old rookie was brilliant and he lived off of that one game for the next 11 years.
Oh well. These are the same misty eyed Cub fans that cheered Sammy Sosa being traded for utility player Jerry Hairston Jr. along with Mike Fontenot and his 12 career HRs.

Thanks for THE memory Kerry.

And so begins the second hundred years...

Have to give kenny credit for recognizing and getting rid of his mistake. Unlike the cubs who will be gagging on hendry's mistakes for years to come, 18 million for soriano? no wonder he hops when he catches the ball, each catch is probably worth around 80 grand. And then there is fukudome who apparently can't hit but will be getting 3 more years at 14 million a year? And for these crippling moves hendry gets a raise and a contract extension? Steinbrenner would have fired him years ago when his mentor andy went away. Now cubs fans will be digging out of the hendry hole for about another decade. Even when they were finally spending some money on players they couldn't get it right.

Tommy I am DYING!!! Sounds like the beginning of a another Star Wars chapter!