Looking back on last year's Cubs Hall of Fame class heading into Cubs Convention

With the return of Chicago Cubs icon Sammy Sosa the talk of the town as Cubs Convention gets underway, the question on everybody's mind is: "Will Sosa be part of this year's Cubs Hall of Fame class?" We'll get that answer Friday night, but for now, let's take a quick look back at last year's inductees, Kerry Wood and Aramis Ramirez.

Inside the packed ballroom during Opening Ceremonies, the Hall of Fame announcement is always emotional - but last year, it was especially so for fans of my generation. We grew up watching Kid K and A-Ram do their thing. To us, they were the Cubs. And when the announcement was made, you could feel that love in the air.

Wood played two separate stints with the team. His first began in the summer of 1998 - known more for Sosa's exploits today than what a young right-hander from Texas accomplished in just his fifth career start. But Cubs fans still fondly remember the rookie mowing down the Houston Astros on a cloudy day at Wrigley Field, tying the MLB record with 20 strikeouts.

His other signature moment came five years later, on a cool fall night in Wrigleyville, when he delivered a game-tying, two-run home run against the Florida Marlins in Game 7 of the NLCS. Although the Cubs fell short in their quest to punch their postseason ticket, that blast - especially in the era of a universal DH - is immortalized on the North Side.

Wood's first Cubs stint lasted 10 years - from 1998 to 2008, before he departed in free agency on the heels of an All-Star campaign. After two years split between Cleveland and the Bronx, he came home for a pair of final seasons in the Chicago bullpen - and while that 2012 season consisted of all of 8 2/3 innings, the ending was the stuff of legends.

As for Ramirez, his career - at least in my opinion - remains underrated and under-appreciated to this day. Personally, I felt he deserved more serious consideration for Cooperstown, but his value was predominantly delivered at the plate, separating him from 2003 Hall of Fame inductee Scott Rolen.

He might not be in Cooperstown, but his place in Cubs history is secure. Acquired during the stretch run in that infamous 2003 campaign, Ramirez cemented himself as one of the league's most feared hitters in Chicago over the next eight years, putting up an .892 OPS while averaging 28 home runs and 96 RBI.

Those efforts netted him a pair of All-Star selections and a Silver Slugger - and he headlined his best season with the Cubs, 2007, with a monster walk-off against the rival Brewers, giving us one of Len Kasper's most iconic calls as a Cubs broadcaster in the process.

From 2004 to 2012, Ramirez hit at least 25 home runs seven times, including a trio of 30+ homer campaigns. He was a bridge between playoff teams, playing on both the '03 club and the back-to-back NL Central champion Cubs in 2007 and 2008. Until the renaissance in 2015, those were the last playoff teams we got as fans, earning guys like Ramirez a special place in our hearts.

So we'll see who joins them in the Cubs Hall of Fame on Friday night - as part of what's sure to be an exciting evening that features the return of Sosa, the introduction of new Cub Kyle Tucker and much, much more.