20 | The History Behind Kerry Wood's 20 Strikeout Game 

that guy bringing those Ks and different #34 jerseys to the stadium that day will forever be one of those synchronistic moments where it just seems like the universe is having fun with itself

20 yrs old and knew there are 10 yr old kids watching...so he acted like a role model. What a classy guy.

It’s most definitely the greatest game ever pitched in my opinion. 20k’s, 5th career start, backup catcher all against 100 win Astros. Remarkable is an understatement!

"It was a hit all the way" Hats off to class-act Kerry Wood

Throws 13Ks the next game and everyone is disappointed... Unbelievable lol.

Where the heck did that 47mins go!!?... Beautiful.

"He must have known my signs". Still an uncomfortable line considering they were facing the Astros

"It was a victory for a Hall of Fame hitter to ground out." Such a good line that perfectly sums up Kerry Wood's performance that day

i love that Roger Clemens, calling a person he's never met before, introduces himself as Rocket.

Hard to believe how quickly youth fades. One day you turn around and it's been two decades since Kerry Wood struck out 20.

The catching performance in this magical game is off the charts. Way to go Sandy! I know there are perfect games and no hitters but I think the 20K no walks, 1 hit is the best pitching performance of all time. Imo

Somehow it’s more insane that a guy brought 20 K signs on THAT day. Truly amazing. Go cubs go

I had to ice my arm after watching this.

How humble is Kerry Wood. What a fantastic, exemplary baseball player.

The most beautiful things about baseball is that once in awhile you will unexpectedly see something you've never seen before.

Rewatched this probably 8 times. Still hasn’t gotten old

It was a victory for a hall of fame hitter to ground out. That is the stuff of legends.

Can you imagine being Wood? Fixated on his control, young & insecure about his place in the team, then all of a sudden he's EXPECTED to carry the team to a WS. And then for the rest of his career, he's a slave to injury problems and doesn't get to duplicate that feat. Heavy stuff.

I’m a Marlins fan. During the 2003 NLCS I hated Kerry Woods and Mark Prior. They were genuinely dominant. But as a person Kerry looks grounded, humble and a class act. Congrats Kerry on making MLB history at such a young age. In retrospect, I enjoyed watching you pitch during your career. Thank you for being such a great player and such a class act person.

There's no crying in baseball, unless you're watching this video.

Viewer beware: Once you start watching this you won't be able to stop.

A Hall of Fame player in Craig Biggio sends a bat to an opposing rookie. That's just one reason why baseball is the greatest sport in the world.

People always ask why it’s hard for most athletes to hang it up once they don’t have it anymore. Think of the feeling you get as a fan when moments like this happen. The chills, the excitement, the emotion. Now imagine you’re the guy in the middle of it all making it happen. Who would want to give that up?

Never heard Kerry Wood talk, man he seems like pure class. How gracious and self aware. Cheers

This was expertly done. Way to go, production team. Beautiful.

I still remember everything that day watching this game. I never had a favorite baseball team, but I got grounded for a part of one summer and ended up watching the Cubs on WGN TV and that was that. I've been a fan for 25 years now. My family was pretty poor and we lived in a bad neighborhood. In our kitchen we had an old UNIX computer on top of a huge CRT tv with spliced cable running to it. I would sit on the linoleum floor and watch the Cubs every chance I got. This particular day I didn't feel like going to school, I was in the 8th grade I think, so I faked being sick. My Mom let me get away with it and let me stay home for the day. I remember seeing that WGN was showing an afternoon baseball game (score), it was the Cubs and not the Sox (double score since Hawk Harrelson was the absolute worst), and I had some leftover spaghetti and a few cans of coca cola for lunch waiting for me. I just sat there, alternating between the floor and the kitchen table, periodically letting the dogs out during the same Budweiser, Southwest airlines, and Chicago area Dodge dealership commercials in nervous anticipation on what was coming next during inning breaks. I actually was upset at Kevin Orie (one of the many revolving third basemen before the arrival of Aramis Ramirez) "booted" that ball. I was just glued to the TV as Kerry Wood just handled the Astros with what looked like such little effort. It's one thing to have a Cubs game on when you got nothing else to do, it's another to have a decent game to watch and hopefully ends up being a Cubs win, but this....I felt like I won a prize witnessing this game when it took place. Albeit living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Where the hell does the time go. Thanks for reading my comment.

I’ve rewatched this documentary like 10 times I’m a Jays fan and love baseball but something about how this documentary is shot and everything about this game are what make baseball a truly beautiful game. One of the best games ever pitched, someone get Hollywood on the phone ASAP make this a damn movie immediately.

Watching awesome Cubs history gets me emotional, chest swells up and eyes start to water. I love my Cubs forever.

Man he seems like the definition of a class act. “It was a hit all day” clearly an error

Imagine how bored the outfielders must’ve been😂

Kerry Wood Will Always Be A True Chicago Cubs Legend!

These excellent films (Kerry Wood 20 K, The Sandberg Game) are doing everything they can to make me a Cubs fan.

Kerry Wood came to visit us when we were deployed overseas. Much respect.

Probably the most dominating pitching performance in modern history. I'm a Cardinals fan, so on paper I should hate the Cubs...but I always say, "I'm a baseball fan first, a Cardinals fan second." And this is such a great baseball moment.

One of the single greatest pitching performances ever

I m 25 from india here baseball is not a thing but i searched some baseball explained videos and.Been watching it for 1-2 weeks and suddenly i discovered this video,feels a Romantic connection with it #rookie

Perfectly done by the production team and by Kerry. That is 47 minutes of my life I’m glad I’ll never get back because that was so beautiful and took me way back

"He threw a fastball.. I didn't see it" @14:30

im not a fan of baseball, im a new zealander, i love rugby, BUT i love watching an artist at work in any sport. this was cool af

I lost it when his kid hugged him after this last game. Such a sweet human being. Depsite injury troubles he still overcame and had success. It's always amazing when beautiful spirits accomplish amazing success

Using the "Game Score" metric developed by Bill James, this is rated the best pitching performance in MLB history with a score of 105. Because this metric values strikeouts highly, it beats out even perfect games since the only penalty is the single hit with no walks. The most strikeouts ever in a no hitter is 17 by Max Scherzer, putting him second with a score of 104.

Can't recall a video on youtube giving me chills that many times in 47 minutes.

What a classy gentleman of the game. He has an abundance of what professional athletes, in any sport today, are lacking and that is humility.

The sound of the catcher's mitt popping brings tears to my eyes.

A few years before Kerry Wood came up, I was a power pitcher in Little League and Pony League, so I have loved to watch power pitchers ever since. The game happened when I was a sophomore in high school -- I was home sick that day -- turned on WGN while groaning on the couch. By the end of the game I had so much adrenaline I was shouting and jumping up and down like a crazy person. Can't believe I got to see the whole thing, live broadcast, on a weekday! To this day I have vivid memories of the Astros hitters freezing on those pinpoint fastballs and waving helplessly at the curveballs. Soon after, my great-grandmother told me that she saw the game, and that's when I discovered she had been an avid Cubs fan for over 70 years. We talked baseball together for years after that. She passed away at 103, about two years before the Cubs won it all. She never saw them win the World Series, but with that game, we both got to see something just as rare. More importantly, it was something that brought us closer together.

I like that Roger Clemons called him to congratulate him

One of the two greatest moments in Kerry Wood's career. The other, and possibly greater, moment (from my perspective) was his clutch HR as a hitter in game 5 of the 2003 NLDS vs. the Braves.

This is genuinely like my 5th time watching this. Its such a good documentary about the game. I could watch it 2 times back to back and enjoy it the second time. What an amazing and beautiful job by the production team.

"It´s hard not to be romantic about baseball"

I like the part when he struck that guy out

Man idk how this ended up on my feed but as a life time dodger fan this has given me an appreciation for the Cubs. What a great story.

The thing I liked about him most as a kid was that he was such a great hitter too. Such a fun player to watch

Those fan K's were everything. The fact that they ran out and had volunteers paint K's on their chest is why this record is so memorable. It really seems it was meant to be that day.

Kerry Wood would have been top 10 all-time without injury

Out of all the people to achieve that milestone at 20. He's the one to do it. Even if you're ice cold, that must be overwhelming at 20 years old to try and live up to. What an endearing lad.

I've never seen a baseball manipulated and thrown the way Kerry Wood threw it that day. The terms "filthy" and "sick" do not do it justice. Watching in live was like watching a video game. We may never see a performance in the history of baseball like this again. That statement sounds preposterous but it was THAT legendary.

The catcher did an amazing job giving the umpire a great site line to call strikes. I always try to coach my catchers to not be tall in the crouch. You will get more strike calls that way

Well, I’m crying. Born and raised in Chicagoland and I was a child when this all happened. I wish I could say I remembered it more but this sure makes me feel deeply about it.

15 thousand people and I was there. Greatest ballgame I have ever been to. I still get goosebumps when I seen it.

I’m a die hard Astros fan & I remember watching this game. As a kid, I was crushed that my team lost. But now, as a fan of baseball, I can appreciate this as the once in a generation display of absolute dominance that it is.

I was 6 years old, growing up in Metro Detroit. I had no tie to the Cubs, I wasn't really a huge baseball fan, and I just wanted to watch something after school at my Grandma's. I happened to flick through the channels to WGN and watched this game. Kerry talks about setting a good example for kids watching and I happen to be one of those lucky ones. I wouldn't be the fan I am today without this game. It's been nearly 21 years and I still remember this game vividly. I've been a Cubs fan ever since and more importantly a baseball fan. If you ever see this, thank you Kerry.

As a Cubs fan, I definitely remember that 20K game..man, Kerry Wood was absolutely filthy- his stuff was legendarily great! Unbelievable ability. If only he and Mark Prior had been healthy in their careers, I strongly believe they could've won a world series before the 2016 team..

Cubs did a fantastic job putting this together. And boy howdy Kerry Wood sure is a humble guy, class act.

I doubt anyone from the Cub's organization will see this, but I want you to know, this was the team I grew up watching. I was born in Detroit, moved to Chicago, and then moved back to Detroit. I remember watching this game and feeling all the feelings about this game. Thank you so much for having this on your channel. This was amazing to watch and it brought back all the feelings I had as a child and for my father who use to bring us to these games. Long live Kerry Wood and long live the Cubbies.

It's like watching a 30 for 30 on ESPN about woods ,20k game

This guy was so good for baseball. I wish he had pitched for more seasons. What a phenom!

The great late 90's baseball... Miss it very much.

at 14:00 the 3 pitch split screen is awesome....

This is hands down the best documentary I have ever seen.

i watched this game on WGN channel 5 as a 14 year old Cubs fan from Kentucky. i remember the last K and the fist pump the most vividly. This along with The Ryne Sandberg Game was put together SO well. Thanks for allowing me to relive this ballgame, i got huge dopamine rushes several times throughout.

The major league record is eight straight strikeouts to start a game, set by Jim Deshaies for Houston in 1986 and matched by Jacob deGrom of the Mets on 9/15/14. It just occurred to me that since these were both NL games, the first player to _not_ strike out was the opposing pitcher in both cases

I must be getting old. My favourite moment of that whole video was when his son ran out during his last game...

What a humble guy. The movement on those pitches was something else.

What a great show. Every kid should watch this.

What I LOVE about this amazing piece of work is how great a guy Kerry Wood is: genuine, humble, and nice. Baseball made him famous but Fatherhood made him Great! A "true" hero not just a "sports" hero!

I remember May 6th, 1998 very well. It was the day I became a lifelong fan of the Cubs and the game of baseball. Thank you, Kerry.

Never saw a better display of pitching in my 54 years on the earth.

The pitcher who had the 8 consecutive strikeouts was super humble. Really respect that.

Wow. The first time he felt his elbow hurt was on the fist pump after the last strikeout of the 20 K game.

There's a HUGE difference in striking out 20 1986 Mariners and 20 1998 Astros/Killer B's

I was a kid. I saw this game live. There is nothing in this life relative to sports that has taught me more about life... Than being a Cub fan. Thanks Kid K!

What a humble and unassuming man. One of the best baseball docs I've ever seen. How can you not love this game?

47 dislikes. Houston Baseball team

Steve Stone and Pat Hughes are really good announcers. Voices of my life.

Man, baseball is a beautiful sport. It's the history of the game that makes it so special. The fact that the guys are playing the very same game, with the very same ball, bat, and glove, and on the very same fields as the legends of 100+ years ago means every moment like this is a true part of American history and it means so much more. I'm a Braves fan but this was an incredible documentary and it perfectly encapsulates what's so special about the game we all love.

I have to say, hearing him say "I first felt it [elbow pain] on that fist pump" is haunting

Rest In Peace to the fan that brought all those K’s. What a legend

Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout game is widely regarded as one of the most dominant pitching performances in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. It occurred on May 6, 1998, when Wood, a rookie pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, faced off against the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field. In that game, Wood showcased his incredible talent, power, and command on the mound. He utilized a blazing fastball and a devastating breaking ball to overpower the Astros' lineup. Throughout the game, Wood displayed exceptional control and struck out opposing batters at an astounding rate. Wood's 20-strikeout game tied the MLB record for the most strikeouts in a single game, previously set by Roger Clemens in 1986. Wood achieved this milestone in just his fifth career start, which made the feat even more remarkable. Not only did Wood dominate with strikeouts, but he also pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only one hit and walking two batters. His performance propelled the Cubs to a 2-0 victory over the Astros. Wood's 20-strikeout game cemented his place in baseball history and showcased his immense talent and potential. It remains a legendary moment in his career and one of the most memorable individual pitching performances of all time.

what a very humble guy deserves all the credit

The dream of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior being healthy ugh.

We need more humans like Kerry Wood in this world.

I watched this game with my elderly father in his living room. He was a Cub fan. I was kind of a cub fan then until the Brewers became a national league team. It was such an enjoyable feeling to watch my Dad's face with every strike out.

And that CATCHER ... MY GOD . The adrenaline and commitment of Sandy Martinez was extraordinary.

I love how a FAN became part of the history as well, and is recognized for it! Both in the video, by the players, AND THE HALL OF FAME! Most definitely not what any fan would have expected! Great story!

When you remember everything to smells, when you witnessed live events on live t.v. pre Internet days. You remember where you were and who was with you. I miss you pops.😓😓😓

Happy I found this i was born in 92 And his homerun in the nlcs was so epic too

I remember watching this game! It was Kerry Wood's 5th game and 3rd win! Now that is a darn good start for a rookie! The cool part was watching when they held up the K signs in the outfield, and in the right direction. Meaning a backward K for a called 3rd strike where the batter was caught looking. Overall a very exciting game to watch. You don't always get lucky enough to watch history in the making. I was darn lucky to see it a few time. i.e. - Another time was when Hank Aaron hit 715 against Al Downing of the Dodgers on the 8th of April 1974. BTW, a piece of trivia about that moment - Al Downing wore the same number (44) as "Hammerin" Hank Aaron!!

37:42 Kerry: "Hello" "Hey Kerry its the Rocket" Kerry: "Who" "...the Rocket" Kerry: "Who?!" "....Roger Clemens" LOL

I wonder why Sandy Martinez wasn't interviewed; Anyway, I still remember the footage of him after the game, when he was casually walking to his car and the fans cheering.

I'm not even a Cubs fan but I find myself rewatching this video. You have to appreciate it when a pitcher just takes over a game to the point you can tell the other team just wants the day to end.