From ‘Fat Head’ to the Phillies: The story behind first-round pick Gage Wood’s unique childhood nickname
Wood got the nickname from his father, Brian Gould, when he was born weighing over 11 pounds. The new Phillies pitcher would put "Fat Head" on the back of his travel ball jerseys growing up.
When Gage Wood was born, on Dec. 15, 2003, he weighed over 11 pounds. As his mother, Chasity Gould, held him in her arms at Harris Hospital in Newport, Ark., her husband, Brian, gave the baby a nickname.
“Old fat head,” Chasity said.
“He was a pretty big old kid when he came out,” added Brian. “So it was, ‘Come here, Fat Head.’”
The nickname stuck. Brian played adult league softball and would bring his son to the ballpark as early as five months old. His teammates quickly began calling Wood “Fat Head” — and still do, to this day.
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“He was always a little ahead of the game when it came to milestones for size,” Chasity said. “He looked like the Michelin man at times. He was really chunky. Everybody in town calls him Fat Head.”
Wood embraced the nickname. He put it on the back of his travel ball jerseys. He put it on helmets and made a big “Fat Head” sign to hang up in his room in Batesville, Ark. Other players began calling him by his moniker, as well as his friends in high school.
When he signed autographs in Little League for his teammates, he’d often sign them “Fat Head.” When he was playing for the University of Arkansas, and his parents needed to catch his attention during a tournament at the cavernous Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas in 2023, they knew exactly what to do.
“That’s a big old stadium down there in Texas,” Brian said. “So, we’re trying to get his attention and hollering ‘Gage.’ But when I hollered ‘Fat Head,’ he turned around and knew exactly where we were at.”
Wood, who was selected by the Phillies as the 26th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday, eventually slimmed out. The 21-year-old right-handed pitcher now stands at 6-foot, 205 pounds. MLB Pipeline described his fastball as “unhittable,” paired with a power curveball that sits 82-85 mph, a slider, and a changeup that he uses sparingly.
He’s best known for his performance in the College World Series this past June, when he threw a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts, the first no-hitter the tournament has seen in 65 years. But what might have been more memorable was his reaction to that historic feat.
After the game, Wood was asked to describe his emotions. Instead of waxing poetic, the pitcher responded, “I shouldn’t have hit the guy,” referring to Murray State second baseman Dom Decker, whom he hit in the foot in the eighth inning.
His parents were not surprised.
“I was like, ‘He’s going to be mad about that,’” said Chasity. “He’s going to say, ‘I shouldn’t have hit that guy.’ That’s what he’s going to say.”
Added Brian: “In high school, he threw a no hitter against Benton, which is a big, powerhouse baseball team in Arkansas. He had one blemish in that game. He walked a guy. So he talked about it then, he said, ‘I shouldn’t have walked the guy.’ [I’d say], ‘But you just threw a no hitter.’ He’d say, ‘Yeah, but I walked that guy.’”
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Wood’s parents say he has always been wired this way. He was a relatively calm kid off the mound, but once he stepped onto the rubber, he’d become a different person. When he would strike someone out — even in elementary school — he would celebrate as he walked off the mound.
“It was hilarious,” Chasity said. “We were like, ‘Gosh, he’s got to grow out of that.’”
He did not grow out of that. But his parents think his competitive nature and diligence will be a perfect fit for Philadelphia. Chasity works as an occupational therapist, and one of her co-workers previously worked as a nanny for Benton native (and longtime Phillies ace) Cliff Lee.
This coworker spent a lot of time in Philadelphia as she cared for Lee’s kids. When she heard that Wood was headed to the Phillies, she texted Chasity.
“She said, ‘You’re going to love that fan base,’” Chasity said. “And she said, ‘That fan base will love him.’”