Kerry Wood and Mark Prior career rewinds: 2004 Recap

Very quickly just to explain the structure of this:

I will have a write up for each year, and break down the progress of both the team and Wood and Prior on a month-to-month basis. Then, finishing each with a quick recap of the season. It's also worth noting that MVP Baseball 2004 doesn't really have a fatigue system outside the pitchers so in most cases it will be very common to have players playing 162 games a season. It's simulation engine also seems to struggle with balancing WHIP and strikeouts. Even the leagues best strikeout pitchers like Randy Johnson average less than 10 K/9 and WHIP's tend to hover between the 1.20 to 1.40 range for the leagues best pitchers. So with all of that out of the way: The 2024 season!

---

A Quick Overlook

---

MVP Baseball 2004

April:

Team Record: 15-8, 1st 0.0 GB

Kerry Wood: 5 G, 31.1 IP, 3-1, 3.74 ERA, 32 K, 14 BB, 1.25 WHIP

Mark Prior: 5 G, 33.0 IP, 3-1, 3.50 ERA, 33 K, 14 BB, 1.39 WHIP.

Other Notables:

SP Greg Maddux 4 G, 24.1 IP, 3-0, 1.52 ERA, 23 K, 10 BB, 1.35 WHIP

May:

Team Record: 29-21, 2nd -0.5 GB

Kerry Wood: 10 G, 69.0 IP, 5-4, 3.60 ERA, 50 K, 26 BB, 1.38 WHIP

Mark Prior: 10 G, 70.1 IP, 6-1, 2.88 ERA, 67 K,34 BB, 1.33 WHIP

Other Notables:

RF Sammy Sosa 50G, .337/.432/.653, 14 HR, 37 RBI, 1.085 OPS

June:

Team Record: 48-29 1st +2.5 GB

Kerry Wood: 16 G, 100.1 IP, 7-5, 3.35 ERA, 104 K, 48 BB, 1.31 WHIP

Mark Prior: 16 G, 105.2 IP, 9-1, 3.09 ERA, 101 K, 41 BB, 1.27 WHIP

Other Notables:

Blue Jays trade Carlos Delgado to Seattle Mariners for Ichiro.

3B Aramis Ramirez 100th career HR.

RF Sammy Sosa 1500th career RBI.

July:

Team Record: 65-39, 1st +5.5 GB

Kerry Wood: 21 G, 130.2 IP, 10-6, 3.56 ERA, 137 K, 68 BB, 1.40 WHIP

Mark Prior: 22G, 145.1 IP, 11-3, 3.53 ERA, 128 K, 53 BB, 1.25 WHIP

Other Notables:

All-Stars: SP Mark Prior, RF Sammy Sosa, C Michael Barrett

August:

Team Record: 82-50, 1st +4.5 GB

Kerry Wood: 26 G, 161.2 IP, 13-6, 3.86 ERA, 162 K, 80 BB, 1.45 WGIP

Mark Prior: 27 G, 178.1 IP, 14-4, 3.27 ERA, 151 K, 66 BB, 1.29 WHIP

Other Notables:

SS Nomar Garciaparra 200th career HR.

September/October:

Team Record: 104-58, 1st +6.0 GB

Kerry Wood: 32G, 201.2 IP, 15-7, 3.58 ERA, 199 K, 91 BB, 1.39 WHIP

Mark Prior: 33 G, 217.1 IP, 16-6, 3.30 ERA, 189 K, 76 BB, 1.26 WHIP

Other Notables:

SP Greg Maddux 300th career win.

Season:

Team Record: 104-58, 1st NL Central

Kerry Wood: 32G, 201.2 IP, 15-7, 3.58 ERA, 199 K, 91 BB, 1.39 WHIP

Mark Prior: 33 G, 217.1 IP, 16-6, 3.30 ERA, 189 K, 76 BB, 1.26 WHIP

Other Notables:

SP Greg Maddux 32 G, 197.2 IP, 14-9, 3.52 ERA, 147 K, 77 BB, 1.33 WHIP

RF Sammy Sosa 162 G, .313/.405/.592, 43 HR, 104 RBI, .997 OPS

1B Derrek Lee 162 G, .297/.374/.555, 41 HR, 110 RBI, .929 OPS

Career Update:

Kerry Wood: 1x Rookie of the Year, 1x All-Star, 175 G, 1120.1 IP, 74-48, 3.65 ERA, 1271 K, 557 BB, 1.28 WHIP

Mark Prior: 2x All-Star, 1x Silver Slugger, 83 G, 561.1 IP, 40-19, 3.08 ERA, 580 K, 173 BB, 1.18 WHIP

OOTP26

April:

Team Record: 16-6, 1st 0.0 GB

Kerry Wood: 4 G, 29.0 IP 3-1, 2.79 ERA,

27 K, 9 BB, 1.00 WHIP

Mark Prior: 5 G, 31.2 IP, 3-2, 4.26 ERA, 44 K, 5 BB. 1.01 WHIP

Other Notables:

May:

Team Record: 33-17, 2nd -1.5 GB

Kerry Wood: 10 G, 71.0 IP, 6-2, 2.79 ERA, 71 K, 19 BB, 1.00 WHIP

Mark Prior: 11 G, 71.0 IP, 4-3, 3.67 ERA, 86 K, 17 BB, 1.17 WHIP

Other Notables:

5/11 3B Aramis Ramirez 100th Career HR in 3-0 W @LAD.

June:

Team Record: 48-29, 2nd -3.0 GB

Kerry Wood: 15 G, 103.1 IP, 9-4, 2.96 ERA, 114 K, 27 BB, 0.98 WHIP

Mark Prior: 16 G, 104.2 IP, 7-4 , 3.27 ERA, 126 K, 27 BB, 1.13 WHIP

Other Notables:

July:

Team Record: 63-41 2nd -5.5 GB

Kerry Wood: 21 G, 141.2 IP, 12-7, 2.86 ERA, 159 K, 41 BB, 1.05 WHIP

Mark Prior: 21 G, 139.1 IP, 10-5, 2.98 ERA,171 K, 34 BB, 1.12 WHIP

Other Notables:

SP Mark Prior All-Star

August:

Team Record: 75-57, 2nd -11.5 GB

Kerry Wood: 26 G,169.1 IP, 12-12, 3.51 ERA, 182 K, 56 BB, 1.15 WHIP

Mark Prior: 27 G, 172.1 IP, 12-9, 3.41 ERA, 207 K, 50 BB, 1.21 WHIP

Other Notables:

8/27 SP Matt Clement 1000th strikeout in 5-1 W vs. HOU

September:

Team Record: 85-74 2nd -15.5 GB

Kerry Wood: 31 G, 196.1 IP, 14-13, 3.90 ERA, 212 K, 67 BB, 1.19 WHIP

Mark Prior: 32 G, 171.0 IP, 14-10, 3.39 ERA, 248 K, 63 BB, 1.18 WHIP

Other Notables:

9/23 RF Sammy Sosa, 550th Cubs HR in 3-1 W @PIT.

3B Aramis Ramirez NL PoTW

October:

Team Record: 87-75 2nd, -20.0 GB

Kerry Wood: 32 G, 201.1 IP, 15-13, 3.89 ERA, 220 K, 71 BB, 1.20 WHIP

Mark Prior: 33 G, 211.1 IP, 15-10, 3.32 ERA, 255 K, 65 BB, 1.17 WHIP

Other Notables:

CL Latroy Hawkins led MLB in Saves (41)

Season:

Team Record: 87-75 2nd NL Central

Kerry Wood: 32 G, 201.1 IP, 15-13, 3.89 ERA, 220 K, 71 BB, 1.20 WHIP

Mark Prior: 33 G, 211.1 IP, 15-10, 3.32 ERA, 255 K, 65 BB, 1.17 WHIP

Other Notables:

3B Aramis Ramirez 159 G, .297/.357/.587, 47 HR, 114 RBI, .944 OPS

RF Sammy Sosa 158 G, .267/.339/.532, 42 HR, 95 RBI, .871 OPS

1B Derrek Lee 160 G, .258/.339/.466, 29 HR, 74 RBI, .806 OPS

SP Carlos Zambrano 33 G, 11-9. 3.32 ERA, 215.2 IP, 223 K, 81 BB, 1.18 WHIP

Career Update:

Kerry Wood: 1x Rookie of the Year, 1x All-Star, 174 G, 1104.0 IP, 74-54, 3.67 ERA, 1285 K, 532 BB, 1.25 WHIP

Mark Prior: 2x All-Star, 82 G, 539.1 IP, 39-22, 2.97 ERA, 647 K, 153 BB, 1.14 WHIP

2004 Conclusion

Two very different ways things went for the Cubs, at least on offense and by the end of the season. In OOTP they hit a lot of homeruns, 2nd in the NL to the Cardinals and 3rd overall (White Sox led the MLB) but were 11th in runs scored, 13th in batting average, and 14th in on base percentage. While over in MVP Baseball the Cubs essentially lead the MLB in mas major offensive categories, and had 3 players hit over 40 homeruns (Lee, Sosa, Garciaparra all of which won Silver Sluggers, with Garciaparra winning the NL MVP.) With Sosa showing no signs of slowing down, I may need to see how far we can ride that pony, maybe we can get Slammin' Sammy to 700?

Mark Prior earned an All-Star bid in both universes, while he also added his first career Silver Slugger award in MVP Baseball 2004. Prior's 2024 seasons were basically mirrored in the two universes, with his games started, ERA, and W/L all being fairly the same. Biggest difference of course being K/BB and WHIP which will be a going theme due to MVP Baseball's less than optimized simulation system.

Meanwhile Kerry Wood missed the All-Star game, and struggled a bit in keeping his ERA in check in the OOTP universe, with a 3.89 ERA, but was a bit better over in MVP Baseball with a 3.58 ERA. He struggled, like he did historically with Walks in MVP, but actually had his best BB/9 rate in his career at 3.2 over in OOTP.

As for the World Series, in OOTP the Cubs missed the playoffs as the Cardinals won the division by 20 games, but it was the San Diego Padres at the end of the day taking home their first World Series, beating the Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 1.

Over in MVP Baseball the Cubs would lose their Divisional series against the Diamondbacks in 5 games. Both Wood and Prior would pitch two games in the series, Wood would post a 1-1 record with a 1.93 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in those starts, Prior would goin 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP in his starts, the Cubs lost two of those starts. The Diamondbacks would advance to the World Series afterwards, only to ultimately lose to the Mariners in 5 games.

Two franchises who have yet to win a World Series in real life immediately get their first ones here.

On to the offseason and the 2005 season!