Originally published on May 6, 2014
Sixteen years ago, Chicago rookie Kerry Wood tossed the filthiest game ever, striking out 20 Houston Astros in the process. The numbers didn't lie...but they also don't do justice to the performance turned in by the then-20 year old.
The numbers? Oh yeah, they are impressive. Nine innings, one hit, no walks, 20 K's. That hit was an infield single, and Wood did hit a batter. Yeah? So? He was nasty. His moving fastball laid in the mid 90's. His breaking balls were a selection of filth including sweeping, darting, and dropping curveballs and a devastating slurve.
This was no easy lineup either. The Astros of the late 90's featured the "Killer B's" lineup including Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, should-be Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell, and HOF caliber mustache Derek Bell, (not to mention Moises Alou). Wood went on to have an incomplete injury-plagued career, but on this day, he was the nastiest of all time.
