Author's note: Today's entry is slightly different, as we're not looking at a landmark, but rather the number of this entry is what is significant. Regardless, this is still profiling an important part of the city, so I feel justified in running it this way. Enjoy!
One of them won a championship with a team that is still revered in Chicago legend to this day. One of them was a young phenom who never was able to reach his full potential. Walter Payton and Kerry Wood. Two athletes who on the surface, don't seem to share much more than a uniform number(34). But once you dig deeper, you see that both of them are among the best-loved and most well-known players that their teams ever put on the field.
Walter Payton grew up in Mississippi during the 1960s. He played in the Marching Band at his high school. Interestingly, he didn't play football for his first two years of High School out of deference to his brother, who was already on the team. Once he started with the team as a Junior, he made his prowess known. During his Senior season, he was named to the all-state team and led his high school to a rather unexpected 8-2 record. After High School, Payton decided to attend Jackson State University. While in college, he rushed for more than 3,500 yards, and was named to the All-American team in 1973. It was also during this chapter of his life where he received the name Sweetness. The exact origin of the name is unclear, but it is said to have stemmed from either his personality or his athletic grace. Whatever the reason, the name stuck for the rest of his life. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1975. The team had been in a slow decline ever since the retirement of Gale Sayers. Although the team struggled at first, by the mid 80s, the team was stringing together successful seasons. During the 1985 season, Payton rushed for around 1,500 yards, serving as a touchstone of their highly vaunted offense. However, in the Super Bowl, Payton failed to score a touchdown, a statistic that Mike Ditka would regret many years down the road. Payton would play for two more seasons and then retire after the 1987 season. After his playing career ended, Payton remained active in the area, maintaining several business interests, such as his 1995 purchase of a former railroad roundhouse to serve as a multipurpose dining establishment. On November 1, 1999, Payton died from a rare liver disease. In a true testament to his legacy, he received a public funeral at Soldier Field, as well as a private service with 1,000 attendees, which was attended by the likes of John Madden, IL Governor George Ryan, and Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Growing up in Irving, Texas, Kerry Wood idolized the fireball-throwing Texan Roger Clemens. Little did he know that eventually he would match one of Clemens' greatest feats. But before he could wow Cubs fans everywhere with his potential, Wood dominated High School batting lineups in Texas. In 1995, he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the amateur draft. Immediately he started working his way through the minor league system, where he went 10-2 for the Daytona Cubs in 1996. He was finally called up to the big leagues on April 12, 1998. Just over 3 weeks later, he would announce his arrival to the baseball world in a big way. On May 6, 1998, Wood struck out 20 batters, tying a major league record that had been set twice by his mentor Roger Clemens. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of Wood's first two years in the majors(and quite possibly his career). He did not pitch at all in 1999, having just undergone surgery on his arm. The following season he struggled as well, but regained his form in 2001, turning in a 12-6 record. He matched his previous year win total in '02, before winning 14 games in 2003. However, after that, he was never quite the same pitcher. Over the course of his career, Wood was sent to the Disabled List 14 times, including missing the entire 1999 season. At a certain point, it was surmised that he could no longer be an effective starter, so there was a plan hatched to convert him to a closer. In 2008, Wood saved 34 games out of 39 possible, a result that showed the merits of the plan. However, the Cubs chose not to keep him around after the season, so he went to the Cleveland Indians. In 2010, the Indians traded him to the Yankees, who released him after the season. Shortly thereafter, he was picked back up by the Cubs, where he played a season and a half more before retiring on May 18, 2012. Irrespective of his frequent-flyer status with the team doctors, Wood's tenacity and willingness to come back to the sport have endeared him to a generation of Cubs fans(this blogger being one of them). Outside of baseball, Wood is married with children, lives in Chicago, and regularly conducts philanthropic work through his charitable organization.
Both of these men performed well when they had the opportunity to, and by doing so endeared themselves to fans of each of their teams. While only one of them may have ultimately wound up in the Hall of Fame and retired as a champion, both of them made many contributions to their teams fandom for years to come.
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