Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood was more than happy to praise Chicago fans and seemed grateful for the way fans embraced him.
Kerry Wood is certainly familiar with the Chicago Cubs. He’s also familiar with their fans. After playing for the Cubs for a dozen seasons, Wood would know his way around Chicago and what Cubs fans are like.
Given that he’s someone who happened to play for the Cubs for over a decade, it’s not shocking that he developed a love for Cubs fans.
“Cubs fans are just different,” Wood said on the Cubs Weekly Podcast.
After comparing them to the folks who root for the other two teams Wood happened to play for (the New York Yankees and Cleveland), Wood made it clear what he appreciated about Cubs fans.
“It’s just different. I mean, they travel. Yankees fans travel to, but it’s a different kind of feeling you get,” Wood explained.
He also elaborated further, noting how Cubs fans didn’t turn on him or give up on his career despite having injuries that set him back.
“Listen, I was guy that had huge expectations, right, early in my career. A ton of injuries and not only was I dealing with all that stuff, the fans had to deal with it, right?” Wood said.
“Cubs fans are just different. … It’s just different [in Chicago]. They travel. Yankees fans travel too, but it’s a different kind of feeling you get. They don’t quit on you.”
Kerry Wood on Cubs fans, 2016 memories and more: https://t.co/3YFdLlfLdg pic.twitter.com/VDDHPiquaJ
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Chicago Cubs: Kerry Wood praises Cubs fans in comparison to Yankees fans
According to Wood, Cubs fans as a whole didn’t give up on Wood despite those injuries.
“But they don’t quit on you. Like, if you show them that you care and you don’t make excuses. And that was one thing I never did. I never made an excuse for how bad I did or the fact that I couldn’t get out there. Just don’t make excuses. These are real hardworking people here in Chicago. They’re Midwestern, they’re great people, and they’ll have your back,” Wood explained.
In terms of endorsements, it doesn’t get much better than that.
Wood, who is from a suburb of Dallas, was drafted in 1995. Early on in his career, as he alluded to, Wood seemed like someone who would be able to accomplish great things. Some injury issues seemed to set him back a bit and probably limited him in what he was able to do during his playing days.
But, at least Cubs fans won’t quit on their players. According to Wood, the folks of Chicago continued to support him through all of that.
