LOS ANGELES — Alex Wood is back in the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The only difference this time, from 2017 - he's watching it from the bullpen.
"When he got that baseball in his hand, and it was his time to go, man he was competitive. He was fierce," Wood's former college coach, and former coach at the University of Georgia, David Perno said.
Perno brought Wood to Georgia. Already impressed through emails with the young high schooler in where Wood had a self-realization about how far he still needed to develop, Perno was really impressed with Wood's changeup ... and even his delivery.
"Went and saw him in that fall, and we were sold," Perno recalled. "He had tremendous feel for a changeup. The fastball velocity quite wasn't what you were thinking from a 6'3" lefthander, but he was deceptive. He had that different delivery. Some call it quirky, but it was him."
But out of high school, Wood needed Tommy John surgery, and that started a series of injuries that come with being a big-time pitcher.
Wood missed his freshman season, but made his debut a year later. Then he started catching the eyes of scouts. One moment that stood out in Perno's mind was when Georgia went up against Gerrit Cole and UCLA.
"Wood out-dueled him," Perno said. "We knew Cole was extremely dominant, and we were going to have a tough time. Of course Alex was matching him."
The Bulldogs worked Cole late, including a home run from former Dawg and current Cincinnati Red Kyle Farmer.
"Wood ends up getting that win," Perno remembered. "That was kind of the first weekend that he went in the number one hole. I knew it was going to be tough to match anyone else up against Gerrit Cole. That was kind of the moment when everyone realized on a national level that Alex Wood is a guy. "
Wood was drafted a couple years later by the Atlanta Braves, and was traded at the deadline in 2015 to Los Angeles. He put up inspiring numbers in 2017 and pitched in the World Series. He was traded to Cincinnati before ending back up with the Dodgers in 2020. But injuries persisted, including a back injury and shoulder inflammation that had him on the injured list at the start of the shortened season.
"It hasn't been easy for him," said current UGA baseball coach Scott Stricklin, who knows Wood well from his encounters with him as he returns to campus.
"Being a professional is getting the job done," Stricklin said. "I fully expect Wood to be back in a starting rotation by next season."
That's something both of Woods' former coaches agree on. Perno pointed out the velocity on Wood's fastball won't blow anyone away, but he'll outsmart lineups.
Perno even thought when Clayton Kershaw was scratched from Game 2 of the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves that Wood could get the start. But no such luck, and the Dodgers went down 2-0 in the series before rallying back and getting to the World Series. Wood pitched back-to-back games - 2 and 3 - after getting left off the NLDS roster.
Now Wood has a chance to prove himself once more.
"I texted him before the game," Stricklin said, "He said, 'It's time to win a ring.'"