Kerry Wood

Because he’s been on the Cubs longer than any other current player. Because he battled back from injury after injury, criticism after criticism, setback after setback. Because he reinvented himself as a player, refined his talents and proved to be a reliable, and sometimes lights-out, closer, a stopper good enough to make it on the 2008 National League All-Star roster. Because it was a fairy-tale story, one that was of personal triumph, no matter how disappointingly the team’s season ended. Because we’ll never forget the day he struck out twenty. And because even now, ten years after that remarkable performance, the guy’s still got that rocket for an arm.

Audience choice:
Carlos Quentin

Best of Chicago 2008

Carlos Quentin

A boneheaded injury kept the White Sox star outfielder in only 130 games this season, but thirty-six homeruns, a .288 batting average and a hundred RBIs can’t be dismissed. The 25-year-old might be the genuine outfield superstar the Sox have been seeking for a long time. Just don’t hit your bat in anger anymore, okay?

Audience choice:
Carlos Quentin

Best of Chicago 2008