Rod “Shooter” Beck isn’t one of the best closers we’ve seen in the long, storied history of the Chicago Cubs organization. That being said, he played a big part in the historic 1998 season, one of my personal favorite memories as a baseball fan.
That year, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire battled each other all season long for the home run crown, with the Cubs outfielder ending the year with 66 bombs compared to Big Mac’s historic 70 homers.
Prior to the season, Harry Caray died at 83, prompting the team to honor him during the 162-game marathon during which young Texas fireballer Kerry Wood posted 20 strikeouts in a start mid-season, tying a Major League record.