Kerry Wood -- Greatest what-if ever?

[Unibomber]

Anyone remember Steve Dalkowski, the Orioles phenom from the 60's who some said could throw 105, but never got it together and never had a career due to alcoholism and wildness?
Is his story more tragic that Kerry Wood's?
It it a tough call, but based on that storied first season and the 20-K game, I think Wood will go down in history as the greatest what-if in baseball history.
Anyone agree/disagree?

 

[tonysoprano]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

Agree somewhat. Doesn't help that he was overused early on.


A few others for you -
1.) Coll. football - Cecil Collins (LSU, McNeese St.) - Anyone else who saw him knows how incredibly talented this kid was. His game against Auburn was jaw-dropping. Now in prison
2.) Boxing - Ike Ibeabuchi (heavyweight) - Heir apparent to Tyson once he went downhill. Now in prison
3.) MLB - Toe Nash. Another kid who had it all, and is now in prison.
4.) NBA - Len Bias - I know it's sad, but man, I wonder what would've happened if he didn't die

 

[Overrated]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

How 'bout Mark Fidrych and Tony Conigliaro (sp?)?

 

[tonysoprano]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

Both are good.

 

[D-Backs Hack]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

Easy -- Bo Jackson.

 

[Overrated]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

Great call on Bo. We should probably put Mark Prior on the list as well.

 

[spnited]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

Herb Score.

 

[tonysoprano]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

Hell, Bo has to go in the top 3. I don't think we'll EVER see anything like him again.

 

[BYH]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

Brien Taylor.

Threw 100 mph in HS and every kid who gets a million dollar bonus should thank Brien and his mother for playing hardball with the Yankees in 1990. And he blew it all being a dumbass and getting into a fight that wrecked his left shoulder. Now working hard labor in NC, driving the same car he bought with his bonus in 1990 and apparently doing his best Shawn Kemp impersonation with the local ladies.

 

[buckweaver]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

No way. If you're talking baseball what-ifs, you gotta go with Herb Score.

At 22, AL Rookie of the Year, 1955. (16-10, 2.85 ERA-4th in AL, 245 K in 227 IP)
At 23, he was a 20-game winner, 1956. (20-9, 2.53 ERA-2nd in AL, 263 K in 249 IP)
Led the league in strikeouts, both years.
Led the league in H/9 IP, both years.
Led the league in K/9 IP, both years.
Selected to all-star team, both years.

Hit in the face by a Gil McDougald line drive, May 1957, after starting the season 2-1, 2.00, 39 K in 36 IP, just 18 hits allowed. Missed the rest of the season with numerous broken bones in his face. Altered his motion when he returned in 1958 due to psychological effects of, well, a line drive to the face. Never won more than 9 games again. Hung 'em up with a career record of 55-46. What a tragedy.

 

[Unibomber]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

Hell, Bo has to go in the top 3. I don't think we'll EVER see anything like him again.

Bo is not really a what-if, though. We saw him at his peak. Even if he had stayed healthy, he wouldn't have done anything more amazing than what he showed up.
Wood makes you wonder what he could've done had he not gone down after year one. 20Ks in one game as a rookie is uncharted territory for ANY player in history.

HERB SCORE -- Good call there, he and Kerry are eerily similar.

 

[Chi City 81]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

What about Dizzy Dean?

 

[TigerVols]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

Tony Van Zandt, savior of Woody's Wagon.

 

[hockeybeat]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

Hell, Bo has to go in the top 3. I don't think we'll EVER see anything like him again.

Bo is not really a what-if, though. We saw him at his peak. Even if he had stayed healthy, he wouldn't have done anything more amazing than what he showed up.
Wood makes you wonder what he could've done had he not gone down after year one. 20Ks in one game as a rookie is uncharted territory for ANY player in history.

HERB SCORE -- Good call there, he and Kerry are eerily similar.

What if Bo didn't split time between the Raiders and Royals, deciding to play one sport? He might have been the most dominant player in either sport.

 

[Cadet]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

What about the Dan vs. Dave decathlon thing?

 

[Deskgrunt50]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

You have to wonder about Len Bias. Maybe he doesn't belong on this list, but his was certainly a story never told.

 

[buckweaver]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

What about Dizzy Dean?

But like Bo Jackson, we saw him Spnited saw him at his peak, though. Dean's injury wasn't until 1937, and he already had eight years in the big leagues by then. We were denied the opportunity to see Dean's career wind down, but as far as an all-time what-if, I respectfully disagree. Plus, Dean made the Hall of Fame (a travesty of sorts in its own right -- no one's denying Dean's talent, but for a 150-game winner, c'mon? Too bad Frisch was busy getting all his old buddies inducted at that time.)

 

[spnited]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

Herb Score.

No way. If you're talking baseball what-ifs, you gotta go with Herb Score.

At 22, AL Rookie of the Year, 1955. (16-10, 2.85 ERA-4th in AL, 245 K in 227 IP)
At 23, he was a 20-game winner, 1956. (20-9, 2.53 ERA-2nd in AL, 263 K in 249 IP)
Led the league in strikeouts, both years.
Led the league in H/9 IP, both years.
Led the league in K/9 IP, both years.
Selected to all-star team, both years.

Hit in the face by a Gil McDougald line drive, May 1957, after starting the season 2-1, 2.00, 39 K in 36 IP, just 18 hits allowed. Missed the rest of the season with numerous broken bones in his face. Altered his motion when he returned in 1958 due to psychological effects of, well, a line drive to the face. Never won more than 9 games again. Hung 'em up with a career record of 55-46. What a tragedy.

Good work Buck...I'll supply the name, you provide the stats etc.  ;D

No doubt in my mind Score is the greatest what-if because he was so overpowering so young and his career was so emphatically cut short.

After watching Bo destroy the Yankees for a three-game series one summer I was convinced if he ever decided to just play baseball and really learn how to hit, he'd be the first 50 HR-50 SB guy.

 

[Boom_70]

Barry Bonds - what if growth hormones never existed.

 

[hockeybeat]

Re: Kerry Wood -- Greates what-if ever?

Herb Score.

No way. If you're talking baseball what-ifs, you gotta go with Herb Score.

At 22, AL Rookie of the Year, 1955. (16-10, 2.85 ERA-4th in AL, 245 K in 227 IP)
At 23, he was a 20-game winner, 1956. (20-9, 2.53 ERA-2nd in AL, 263 K in 249 IP)
Led the league in strikeouts, both years.
Led the league in H/9 IP, both years.
Led the league in K/9 IP, both years.
Selected to all-star team, both years.

Hit in the face by a Gil McDougald line drive, May 1957, after starting the season 2-1, 2.00, 39 K in 36 IP, just 18 hits allowed. Missed the rest of the season with numerous broken bones in his face. Altered his motion when he returned in 1958 due to psychological effects of, well, a line drive to the face. Never won more than 9 games again. Hung 'em up with a career record of 55-46. What a tragedy.

Good work Buck...I'll supply the name, you provide the stats etc.  ;D

No doubt in my mind Score is the greatest what-if because he was so overpowering so young and his career was so emphatically cut short.

After watching Bo destroy the Yankees for a three-game series one summer I was convinced if he ever decided to just play baseball and really learn how to hit, he'd be the first 50 HR-50 SB guy.

Think back to the Raiders-Seahawks Monday Night Game. He rushed for 221 yards and two touchdowns in one of the most dominant displays ever. How great would he have been if he just played football?