1998 was the year of Sammy & McGwire, but because the Cubs had a better season than the Cardinals, Sammy Sosa took home the MVP that year (he hit 66 home runs to McGwire's 70). And he wasn't the only weapon the Cubs had that year. Kerry Wood was Rookie of the Year (this was the year of his unforgettable 20 strike out performance), Rod Beck saved 51 games, and several other Cubs had career seasons. Henry Rodriguez hit 30 homers and Jose Hernandez hit 23. Steve Trachsel (15 wins) and Kevin Tapani (19 wins) both had good seasons too.

It all came down to the 163rd game of the season, with the Cubs facing the Giants for the wild card spot. Steve Trachsel really rose to the occasion and pitched his best game of the year, and the Cubs were in the playoffs.

AUDIO: Kerry Wood strikes out 20

AUDIO: Sammy Sosa Day

AUDIO: The Cubs make the playoffs

Unfortunately for the Cubs, they had very little chance to win after Kerry Wood was hurt late that season. Wood came back to pitch in the playoffs, but probably damaged his arm irreparably. In retrospect, it seems like a needless risk. The Cubs were swept anyway.

Wood didn't throw a single pitch in the 1999 season, and has only shown flashes of his 1998 brilliance since then. He only managed 200 innings in a season twice ('02, '03), and never won as many as 15 games in a season. On the other hand, he is still a fan favorite, and is the only Cub to play in all four playoff series (1998, 2003, 2007, 2008) in the last ten years.

He pitched in Game 3 of the 1998 playoffs and allowed just one run in five innings, but he lost to a much better pitcher: Greg Maddux. After his MVP season, Sammy hit just .182 in the playoffs.