Kerry Wood & Sandy Martinez Chicago Cubs Signed Rawlings Official Major League Baseball with “20K Game Battery 5/6/1998” Inscription – JSA Witnessed

Description

Kerry Wood is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees. Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old rookie, when he recorded 20 strikeouts in a one-hit shutout against the Houston Astros, which some have argued may be the greatest single-game pitching performance in MLB history. The game also made Wood the co-holder of the MLB record for strikeouts in a single game (20) and earned Wood the nickname “Kid K”. He was later named the 1998 National League Rookie of the Year. Wood went on to record over 200 strikeouts in four out of his first five seasons, with a high of 266 in 2003. He holds several MLB strikeout records.

Sandy Martinez is a former professional baseball player, and current Manager for the DSL Nationals. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays (1995-1997), Chicago Cubs (1998-1999), Florida Marlins (2000), Montreal Expos (2001), Cleveland Indians (2004), and Boston Red Sox (2004).

Martínez was the battery-mate for Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood on May 6th, 1998, when Wood struck out 20 batters to tie Roger Clemens for the major league single-game strikeout record in a 9 inning game. Martinez was essentially the Cubs’ third catcher in 1998 behind Scott Servais and Tyler Houston. He posted a career-high batting average of .264 and made the only post-season appearance of his career where he had one hit in one at bat and scored a run in Game 3 of the 1998 National League Division Series. He started just 20 games behind the plate for the ‘98 Cubs, yet will always be remembered for catching this masterpiece.

The featured Rawlings Official Major League Baseball has been signed and inscribed by former Chicago Cubs Pitcher Kerry Wood & Catcher Sandy Martinez. It has been inscribed with “20K Game Battery 5/6/1998” in blue. On May 6, 1998, Kerry Wood, then a 20-year-old rookie, struck out 20 batters in a nine-inning game against the Houston Astros, tying the major league record and setting a National League record. Sandy Martinez caught the game, and Wood’s first pitch hit home plate umpire Jerry Meals in the mask but he was thankfully not injured. This remains one of the most dominant single-game pitching performances in baseball history. The Baseball includes an official James Spence Authentication (JSA) hologram for authenticity purposes. The signing of this item was witnessed by JSA.