Wood's legendary performance lives on in Cubs' lore and continues to amaze those who witnessed it. Among those who were in attendance to cherish it was then-Cubs manager Jim Riggleman, whose mind first comes back to Wrigley Field being the backdrop for baseball history.
"I just think about the domination of the game," Riggleman said on the McNeil & Parkins Show on Wednesday afternoon. "At that time and since that time, we kind of labeled it as the greatest game ever pitched at Wrigley Field. That's what stuck with me then and still sticks with me.
"The stadium has been there forever, all the games that have been pitched there, but that's the best ever that's been pitched there. It's quite the accomplishment."
Wood went on to have a 14-year MLB career, spending 12 of those seasons with the Cubs over two stints. Though injuries derailed Wood at times during his career, he finished 86-75 with a 3.67 ERA.
Riggleman recalls Wood as a humble young star who was open to whatever help he could find.
"He did things the right way," Riggleman said. "He kind of conducted himself the way rookies did back in those days -- they were seen and not heard. He was just a good example of that. He was just all ears, took instruction and worked great with Phil Regan, our pitching coach, and was just a pleasure to manage.
"One of the impressive things about that day, the interview after that game, he was very complimentary to his catcher and his teammates.
"He was very humble considering what he had just accomplished."