Chicago Cubs' Kerry Wood Will Reportedly Announce His Retirement on Friday

Chicago Cubs reliever Kerry Wood will retire on Friday, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com.

At 34 years old, Wood was not having much success out of the bullpen this season. Much of it was because of his battle with a few injuries, but his 0-2 record and 8.64 ERA leave much to be desired.

Wood came up to the majors in 1998 and dominated, winning the NL Rookie of the Year award.

He missed the entire 1999 season due to injury, and would only start 30-plus games twice (in 2002 and 2003) with the Cubs.

He became a closer for the team in 2008, recording 34 saves.

After successful pit stops in Cleveland and New York (Yankees), Wood returned to the Cubs in 2011. He was a very successful reliever in what would turn out to be his final full season.

Wood is likely best known for his 20-strikeout performance during his rookie year against the Houston Astros. He allowed just one hit and no walks in the game.

He finished with a career record of 86-75 with a 3.67 ERA and 63 saves. He also led all active pitchers with a SO/9 ratio of 10.3.

Despite his constant struggles to stay healthy and his uncertain role on the Cubs for the better part of the 2000s, Wood retires as one of the most popular Cubs in recent history.