Travis Wood Comes A Long Way

The Philadelphia Inquirer hired a freelance writer to do a story on Aroldis Chapman.  His signing sent a buzz throughout the baseball world.

But Travis Wood came up through the organization with the quiet calm that depicts his personality.  He has confidence in himself and is very intense but is not one to stand out.

Major League scouts prefer tall pitchers that throw the ball on a downward plane to induce ground balls.

Wood is 5' 11' and 163 pounds.  He is hard to pick Wood out in the clubhouse unless he has his uniform on.

Reds pitching coach, Bryan Price, had never seen him before Wood reported to Goodyear, Arizona as the Reds pitching coach.

"He was  the first guy that caught my eye when he came out early to Goodyear.  I had never seen him before. Obviously, he was on the radar because he was the organization pitcher of the year.  Having a chance to watch him before spring training even started.  I could see he would probably pitch here.  It is beyond good stuff.  He has great deception," Price said.

Wood nearly made the team out of spring training but Mike Leake was chosen and pitched well early in the season.  Wood made his debut in Chicago on July 1.  He pitched seven innings and allowed just two runs on two hits.  He pitched into the ninth inning with a perfect game in Philadelphia, the Reds opponent in the playoffs.

"I can't say I anticipated the kind of start he got off to in Chicago and Philadelphia, going out there and having a perfect game through eight innings in Philadelphia but I certainly felt he was capable of being a good player."

Wood was asked in spring training (http://www.redsspringtraining.blogspot.com) if he thought he could make the team.  He always believed he would have a chance.  He continued to believe in himself when he was sent to Louisville in favor of Leake.  Now Leake has been shut down for the year but Wood is likely to pitch in the playoffs.

"I thought I had a good chance out of spring," Wood said.  "They went with Leake but I thought I threw well for them.  I went to Louisville and got my stuff together.  Now, I'm here and I'm going to do everything that I can for them."

"It's amazing.  It's been a great year.  I couldn't ask for much more," Wood said as he rushed to the field for the 1 p.m. workout before the team leaves for Philadelphia.