The Hall of Fame beckoned, wanting anything Kerry Wood would allow.

Who knows what all he gave. His cap presumably. His jersey, too. His glove he likely kept. Some things, even when the Hall of Fame asks for them, are too sentimental to give away.

Baseball players become attached to those things.

Still, Wood did his best to oblige. How do you turn down the Hall of Fame when they want to put your accomplishment on display?

Wood had done something only one previous major league pitcher had. As a rookie, in just his fifth start for the Chicago Cubs, the Texas-born right-hander struck out 20 batters in a victory over the Astros to match Roger Clemens' big league record.

Phenom, critics screamed.

Icon, publicists hoped.

Hall of Famer, fans rushed to believe.

Disappointment, we've come to know.

Wood's signature moment occurred one decade ago today, the highlight of his Rookie of the Year season and the start of a career many believed would rival that of Clemens, a fellow fire-balling Texas native.

Fortunately, in many ways, Wood's career hasn't mirrored Clemens' path. He's never been accused of steroid use, infidelity or perjury. He'll never be under the same scrutiny Clemens endures these days.

Nor has he enjoyed similar success.

A sore elbow forced Wood to miss the final month of his rookie season, an injury that foreshadowed what was to come. He underwent surgery, returned for the 2000 season and was an All-Star by 2003.

That season, he won a career-high 14 games and struck out a career-high 266 hitters.

And as for the Hall of Fame? Maybe, just maybe.

Wood was the Cubs' Opening Day starter in 2004 and continued to impress with a solid April, striking out 45 batters in 352/3 innings. That was before a right triceps strain put him on the disabled list for two months.

It's been a neverending battle since.

In the last three-plus seasons, he's started only 14 games, been moved to the bullpen and currently is the Cubs' closer. This season, he has four saves and two victories in that role, but how long will it last?

As a rookie, fans wagered on how many strikeouts Wood would get.

Now they wager on when the next trip to the DL will be.

Since May 2004, Wood has been placed on the DL seven times, including being transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL three times.

He's pitched less than 70 innings in the last three-plus seasons.

That's disappointing.

A decade ago, Wood had the promise of being one of the greats. Raw, powerful, strong and determined. Fans asked him to be the next Ryan, Gibson or Feller.

A decade later, they ask, "What might have been?"

-- mschuckman@whig.com/221-3366