Wood's Surgery Successful

Kerry Wood, last season's NL Rookie of the Year, underwent reconstructive elbow surgery Thursday in Birmingham, Ala., with renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews performing the operation.

Wood will miss the entire 1999 season. The 21-year-old right-hander went 13-6 for the Cubs last season and struck out 20 batters against Houston last May, tying a major league record.

During the surgery, Wood's torn ulnar collateral ligament was repaired and wrapped with a graft from his right forearm. Cubs officials said the surgery was successful.

Wood missed the final month of last season with a sore elbow before returning to start Game 3 of the NL playoffs against the Atlanta Braves. He tore the ligament after making just 26 pitches in his first spring training start last month.

Wood is scheduled to be released from the hospital Friday and then will travel to Chicago after two weeks to begin range-of-motion exercises, the Cubs said in a release.

Wood struck out 233 batters last season, had a 3.40 ERA and allowed hitters just a .196 average against him. He was the fourth overall pick in the 1995 June amateur draft.

Now the pitcher who has been compared to fellow Texans Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan is faced with the reality that his 95-mph fastball may not return. Rehabilitation usually takes about a year.

When he comes back, Wood will have to change his delivery some more, taking stress off the reconstructed elbow. The Cubs had already worked with him during the spring to stop throwing across his body.

For a franchise searching for its first pennant since 1945 and its first World Series title since 1908, Wood will be greatly missed.

"Just because one player goes out, to say the whole season is shot, that's not fair," Wood said earlier. "We have a great team, and I think we're going to bounce back."

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