Kerry Wood throws trick pitch for Bananas at Wrigley Field

When Kerry Wood tied a Major League record by striking out 20 Astros batters at Wrigley Field as a rookie on May 6, 1998, it was clear that the Cubs’ young right-hander was special.

The devastating movement on his pitches and his sheer dominance on the mound that day portended things to come — Wood went on to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award and enjoyed a 14-year MLB career during which he was a two-time All-Star and posted a 3.67 ERA.

Wood’s final big league season came in 2012. But he certainly wasn’t done dazzling us with his pitching prowess. Standing atop the same mound from which he produced one of the greatest single-game pitching performances of all time, he gave us another unforgettable memory on Saturday night.

Suiting up for the Savannah Bananas in their game at Wrigley Field, Wood threw a trick pitch for the ages. And, of course, it was a strike.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth inning, Wood came set, lifted his leg and went through what appeared to be his normal throwing motion.

The only problem was, a baseball didn’t come out of his hand. It was already well on its way after Wood had discreetly flipped it toward the plate from behind his back. It was all so smooth, it almost looked like an optical illusion.

The ball floated over the plate for a strike as the batter stood agape. We even got an “ump cam” view of the pitch.

It all goes to show something many of us already knew: Wood on the mound at Wrigley is magic. On Saturday, that statement was more than figurative.