Kerry Wood Back To Usual Condition

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Mar 20, 2008 4:42PM

Some things never change. Chicago will elect only Democrats. Chicago will always get dumped with 6 inches of snow when the calendar says its spring. And Kerry Wood will be injured.

Trying to resurrect his derailed career by moving into the bullpen, the former phenom was considered to the be front-runner for the Cubs closer's job. But now Wood is missing time due to back spasms. While unavailable to pitch through the weekend, Cubs skipper Lou Piniella suggested to media that it wouldn't have any effect on his choice of closer.

But shouldn't it? In an actual moment of clarity and reason, Jay Mariotti predicted Wood's vulnerability just one day before Wood suffered his latest setback. As Wood is proving once again, he's never truly health -- just between injuries.

Mariotti correctly (ugh! are we agreeing with him?) states that the Cubs should look to Carlos Marmol as their closer, with Bobby Howry and Wood in set up roles. Marmol has the stuff to be a closer, but lacks the major league experience of the others -- which some may view as a liability for a club that really does expect to fight for the pennant this year. But didn't the White Sox win a World Series with an unproven Bobby Jenks closing out games down the stretch? Talent wins out over experience sometime. And inexperienced is always better than unavailable.

AP Photo/Eric Risberg