Mark Prior's once-promising career seems to have come to an abrupt end.
Mark Prior was the Chosen One, the golden boy who was going to lead the Cubs to the promised land. He was the second coming of Tom Seaver, with massive thighs and pitching mechanics that were supposed to make him impervious to injury. When he pitched the Cubs to the 2003 NLCS, the sky seemingly was the limit.
As all Cubs fans know, it all came apart due to an endless series of elbow and shoulder injuries. Last weekend, his star-crossed major-league journey apparently came to a dismal end with the news that he would be released by the San Diego Padres.
A prized college prospect out of USC, he fell to the Cubs with the No. 2 pick of the 2001 draft after the Minnesota Twins decided they couldn't afford his contract demands. The Cubs gave Prior a $10.5 million signing bonus, which still ranks as baseball's biggest ever. The Twins, criticized in many circles for being too cheap to sign Prior, instead used the No. 1 pick to take a homegrown catcher named Joe Mauer. No one in Minnesota is complaining anymore.
There are numerous theories as to what went wrong with Prior. Some blame former Cubs manager Dusty Baker for letting Prior's pitch counts run wild. Some argue his mechanics weren't so perfect after all. He was plain unlucky with a couple of injuries: a basepath collison with Atlanta's Marcus Giles in 2003, and a line drive off his pitching elbow in 2005. He recovered from those misfortunes, but the elbow and shoulder miseries persisted. His performance declined dramatically in 2006 and in April of 2007, Prior finally underwent surgery for a torn labrum and split shoulder capsule.
"My shoulder hurt all the time," Prior told Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports last March for this story from Padres' spring training. "Nobody could tell me what's going on. I could see my performance wasn't the same. You're trying to compete with inadequate stuff, and you get down on yourself, and you get bitter and negative. Having the surgery was almost a relief."
Indeed, the implication toward the end of Prior's career with the Cubs was that his problems largely were in his head, that he was babying himself and wasn't wiling to pitch with the kind of normal discomfort that many pitchers endure. Some derisively referred to him as "Mrs. Prior." No one wanted to believe that the golden boy might actually be seriously injured.
After the Cubs released him in December of 2007, his hometown Padres took a chance in hopes he could rehabilitate himself back into top form. But in June of 2008 he suffered another serious shoulder injury that required more surgery, and San Diego has seen enough.
Prior and Kerry Wood were supposed to be the twin cornerstones of a bright Cubs' future. Considering the way injuries sabotaged both of their careers in Chicago, it's remarkable how quickly the team was able to retool its pitching staff and make the playoffs the last two seasons. But for Cubs fans, the nagging question of what might have been will always remain.
But for Cubs fans, the nagging question of what might have been will always remain.
What kind of claptrap are you spewing? Sounds like you've been reading those Romance novels again. What next, her heaving busom tore asunder the indadequate strands of her chimeric bodice?
Is this what they taught you in that indiana correspondence course you took?
Seems like Wood and Prior gave the Cubs everything they had. When you can no longer do the job, they treat you like scrap metal. This is why players have to get their MONEY.
Willie, I don't really understand where your little diatribe is coming from. Stu was just recapping Prior's history with facts. It seems to me you're the one revelling in fantasy land with the romance novel analogy. Wow, someone sure had a little too much coffee to drink this morning huh?
Anyway, back to Prior.. there were also reports or rumors about him possibly being on the that infamous 2003 Mitchell Report steroid list, so it's also hard to say if that was a factor as well with his body breaking down so quickly like that. The 2003 date is also around the time his troubles started. Coincidence? Hmmm, can't prove anything yet until all the names of that report are released of course, but I have seen some rather revealing photos and videos of before and after shots of Prior when he was with the Cubs and with the Padres on some of his rehab sessions. Does anyone here remember the famous bulging calves of Prior when he was with the Cubs? Well, they were mysteriously gone on some of the photos and videos of him with the Padres. Who knows though, maybe it's possible someone doctored up the photos and videos as a sick joke on the guy, but they were pretty convincing to me. Maybe he had it all coming to him for being such a jerk to much of the media and fans as reported. Somehow I have a feeling that we haven't heard the last about Prior in the news.
Keith, I don't see how the Cubs treated Prior like scrap metal. His first contract signing bonus was among the highest in baseball history at the time and the Cubs held on to Prior for almost 3 years through continuous shoulder and elbow problems. It's just bad luck, that's all.
You are right Keith.
It is a dog eat dog business and it all could end in the blink of an eye.
The NFL is even worse.
Have you even met a former pro football player?
Guys in their 40s with the body of a 65 year old man.
I totally forgot that it was Joe Mauer that the Twins selected instead of Prior.
I guess that makes Mark Prior the Cubs version of Sam Bowie.
Edgar - Its the coldness I am referring to. When you are a fair maiden in the spring of your youth, they court you and make you promises. But in the winter when your beauty has faded and nothing remains except the scars of your labors. They become COLD and unconcerned. Both Wood and Prior were properly compensated. But my thing is this is an example of WHY its important to make sure you get yours because Prior is GONE, but the Cubs and their fans and management and even the GAME, are going on without him.
Phil - I agree 100% about the NFL. That is one of the reasons I warned up to Ditka because he cares for those veterans.
And NOTHING was worse than picking Sam Bowie over MJJ. Talk about the word DOH!
Keith, you would make a great boss to work for...especially if you didnt depend on your employee's for PRODUCTION.
Actually a friend was told by Greg Maddux that the real problem with Prior was his college workload, not what Dusty or the Cubs did. Maddux thought it was inevitable he would have problems.
You are probably right Culzie. All those folks on the GOLF COURSES, stealing pensions and running Ponzi schemes must work for me.
Why do some dumb Cub fans still balme Dusty for this guys bad luck? He was a major league pitcher who just couldnt come back from an injury. He was over-rated just like the other SUPER OVER-RATED PITCHER KERRY WOOD. Dusty had noting to do with this. This happens all the time to pro players, they get hurt and careers end early leave it at that. Dusty did it??? Cub fans are lost and very dumb. Also if the Cubs dont win the World Series this year with all that talent and the triple A division and the bad National League will Lou still have his job?
Stu responds: Mike, here is one reason Cubs fans blames Dusty: According to that Yahoo! story, in Prior’s last nine games of 2003 (including three in the playoffs), he logged the following pitch counts: 131, 129, 109, 124, 131, 133, 132, 115, 119. Only eight pitchers this decade have thrown 109 or more pitches in nine straight games, and half of them needed reconstructive arm surgery. Yes, it's possible he already was damaged goods when Dusty got him, but his manager certainly didn't do him any favors letting him rack up those pitch counts.
Keith..if you could run a "Class Warfare Company", you would be a natural. Sadly, Obama already has the job...
Hi OOOOH!!!
Stu - I respectfully disagree with the reasonong behind your response to Mike 23's post. Dusty rode the talent he had, but those pitch counts are really not that bad. If a pitcher cannot do that he is not a major league starter and his mechanics are no good. Dusty rode those guys he had and got the MOST out of them. Almost made it to the World Series.
Lou SAVED his pitchers and has gotten nothing but the BOOT in the first round. And where is Harden? In FACT ALL of the Cubs pitchers have been injured. I understand the argument, but respectfully disagree with it. I guess you are darned if you do, and darned if you don't. A true winner will go out guns blazing. Leave no bullets left in the gun. And any pitcher worth his salt will sell out for the brass ring. That's why you ask for your MONEY as a player. Tommorow is not promised to you.
Does anyone else remember when Dusty pulled out Prior during a no hit performance, because he had thrown 120 pitches?
Dude....K Train....your trippin'
Keith, maybe you should use more cliches.
So according to Mike23 above, certain players can be labeled as "overrated" because of an injury. Wow, and you're calling out segments of Cubs fans as lost and very dumb? And CubFan, what friend of a friend of another friend of Greg Maddux talked about Prior's college workload again? You do realize that NCAA Baseball teams typically play less than half of the number of games Major Leaguers play in an entire season? Plus, the human body gradually breaks down over time from age wear and tear than in the high school and college years, right? I may not be a doctor, but I'll stick to common sense for a better reference about Mark Prior than reading it from a friend of a friend of another friend who knew Greg Maddux on more than an acquaintance level.
Wow, we sure got some good posts this week, Stu! ;)
Tom - I am dying laughing! You are absolute right. That's what happens when I post before my coffee. Sorry about that.
Got a question Stu: If half of those players had injuries, is 50/50 bad odds for players? I'm not one for stats but the decade before this one what were the results for pitchers who ran ths same pitch count? What were the results of all the decades going back to the 60s and the stud pitchers who used to pitch complete games even during losses and who pitched every 4 games? With medical care being a hundred times better is the real truth that these players just don't approach the game the same as prior players because of the large amounts of money they make? When guys were not as rich and actually had jobs during the off season didn't they try harder to return from injury because of the motivation of being paid? Now a guy gets millions right off the bat and actually can train year round and yet we still don't see the studs anymore. I accept that because that's more the reason behind failure now compared to the past. Blame on everyone els eif you like but the real culprit for all that ails a lot is M-o-n-e-y
Stu responds: William, you raise a good point about how much emphasis is placed on pitch counts and how no one throws complete games anymore in this era of bullpen specialization. I don't know offhand what the pitch-count numbers were back in "the day" when complete games were commonplace, and what kind of injuries might have resulted because of it. One theory is that young pitchers being developed today don't throw enough or build the necessary arm strength that would allow managers to go with four-man rotations instead of having to use five starters. How do you explain how guys like Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson were able to throw so many pitches for so many years? All pitchers are built differently, some can handle a heavier load. But it still is incumbent upon the manager to make sure he doesn't overwork a pitcher whose arm might not be able to handle it.
Stu,
Stop and put the Cub Kool-Aid cup down!!! I cant see the difference between Dusty and Lou. They both make bad decisions and cant handle pitching staffs but Dusty gets labeled as the worst manager in Cub history. I wonder why? Prior came in as some sort of throw back pitcher like Josh Gibson or Nolan Ryan but was over-rated and might have been on the juice. If I was Dusty and had all of that pressure about winning I would have rode those two over-paid bums (Prior and Wood) even more innings.
Prior getting continuously injured was a darn shame. He would have been a lock for the Hall of Fame.
The man was simply awesome to watch when healthy.
he effortlessly would overpower hitters and had exceptional control. His curve ball was nasty and his heater was just as nasty. He really made Cub fans feel like they had a serious shot at the World Series in 03'.
Wood was also the Golden Boy of the Cubs organization for a while. He had that slider/curve ("slurve") which just ate up Houston for a record strike outs in one game. It was probably that very same pitch which gave Kerry those terrible shoulder problems. At leas he was able to rehabilitate and get to be productive (despite not being able to throw his best pitch ever again).
I guess the old adage is true, "The brightest candle burns the fastest."
I like WRD's last post in this thread. I had similar thoughts myself, but without any concrete proof or available stats to back it up, I can't just compare the different eras like that. I can only go by my memory and fact is, I know "pitch count" back in the late 70's and 80's was nowhere near as prevalent as it is now and I don't recall ever seeing so many different cases of rotator cuff and Tommy John injuries back then. How were guys like Steve Carlton, Don Sutton, Bert Blyleven, etc., players I grew up watching, seemingly able to pitch over 250-300 innings pitched every year without these big injuries. Maybe there are just more high profile pitchers in today's game more than ever, but culture has certainly changed big time. It's not only the way the phenoms approach the game today, but is the coaching really all that much better? Maybe a coach sees a talented kid and thinks he doesn't need to fine tune mechanics? How about the easy access to performance enhancers these days possibly deteriorating work ethic? I think that certainly plays a big part, but yeah, it's almost always about that bottom line dollar in the end.
"Maybe a coach sees a talented kid and thinks he doesn't need to fine tune mechanics? How about the easy access to performance enhancers these days possibly deteriorating work ethic? I think that certainly plays a big part, but yeah, it's almost always about that bottom line dollar in the end."
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I have no proof, but I'd be willing to bet that during the past two decades steroid use was almost as prevalent among pitchers as it was among hitters, and that could well be the reason behind the early flame-outs of what were once considered to be bright, rising stars.
It's just a hunch, and I'm no doctor, but if a pitcher becomes so strong that he can throw 100 mph on a regular basis, chances are that the tendons, ligaments, and joints supporting all that additional muscle mass just can't handle the strain.
It's just a theory.
Edgar, thanks. I am not feeling these sports like I used to. I don't want to sound like an old guy talking about the good ole days but they are. Sometimes I feel like my father talking about how things were better. I hated the 70s. Hated going through the phases in life that I went thru. But now, I love the 70s. I grew up in a great era and just didn't know it. I wonder if kids think that this is a good era or will it grow on them. It's hard to believe that it might just turn out ok. Scary isn't it?