It Is Official: Mark Prior Is Gone
Is this good news? I am not sure. He may catch on somewhere and become the second coming (he is only 26 after all) but the Cubs made the right move here. We all remember 2003, but that was then and this is now, and the Cubs are headed in a different direction. I did hear today that the Padres took a look at his health records and suddenly are not as interested. I have to say that I am not suprised.
Good luck old friend, unless of course you end up across town, in San Diego, NY, Milwaukee, Cincinatti , or ....never mind. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. We would probably have to pay for the surgery that followed.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation, Bleed Cubbie Blue, or Al Yellon, editor-in-chief. FanPost opinions are, however, valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.
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Where?
by ExNorthsider on Dec 12, 2007 9:30 PM CST 0 recs
its
by Glacier on Dec 12, 2007 9:32 PM CST 0 recs
I'm disappointed
I still have a feeling he's going to return to form. (Then again, I thought Derrick May and Hee Seop Choi would be All-Stars.)
by Richie Hebner 18 on Dec 12, 2007 9:32 PM CST 0 recs
I feel the same
I think the Cubs likely did the right thing, but it just doesn't feel right.
by Hugest Canadian Cubs Fan on
Dec 12, 2007 9:42 PM CST
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So long "employee"
by madtown on Dec 12, 2007 9:33 PM CST 0 recs
Employee
by lemon20pie on
Dec 13, 2007 7:29 PM CST
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Here's the story
This whole thing leaves me a bit numb at this point in time. I think there was a part of most, if not all of us, who injury after injury still had some hope that Wood and Prior could still amount to a tandem that would dominate year after year. There is likely a lot of blame to be handed around, to Prior, to the Cubs, their trainers, to doctors and pitching coaches. But I wonder if the Cubs career or Mark Prior ranks up there in terms of overall disappointments in the history of the sport.
In the end, however, it just seems that Prior was never really a Cub. My only basis for this is a gut instinct combined with the various rumors and the media consensus. It just seemed like from the get go Prior never wanted to be a Cub. He didn't seem to gut it out for the team. He displayed an overall aloof mentality that, reality or not, portrayed a player who wanted to be elsewhere. In the end, it appears that's what he choose.
Sorry but I cannot root for Prior. I put a ton of blame on the Cubs as far as Prior goes, the injuries, he passive way of dealing with this all, but Prior just never appeared to go the extra mile to make it work and when you're paid millions of dollars with the potential to make a lot more, you do that. It disappoints me that Prior, now that he's finally been surgically treated, will not pitch for the Cubs. But in the end the Cubs seemingly got the message that after this year he was going elsewhere.
DmL
by dmlichte on Dec 12, 2007 9:37 PM CST 0 recs
Well said
Let me respond to this: "It would seem Prior was never really a Cub." Perhaps you are right - in the way that most players play on the team that drafted them or offered them the most money and are just playing in that uniform. The number of players like Andre Dawson who chose their team are very rare. The number of players like Ron Santo who live and breathe their team are even more rare.
It is clear now that Prior has no interest in pitching for the Cubs. The way the MLB.com piece is worded makes it clear negotiations are not ongoing. He got his freedom.
So, the question, again, "Was he ever a Cub?" I think he was in one way in 2003. He gave his arm and his shoulder for the Cubs, pitching past his breaking point. For those who cannot appreciate that, well, there are much worse things to fail to appreciate.
I'll be rooting for him; he is stil an amazing pitcher when healthy and I'm glad as Cub fans we got to experience that ability during a pennant race and post-season.
by DGU on
Dec 12, 2007 10:09 PM CST
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amen.
by PrincetonCubs on
Dec 12, 2007 10:32 PM CST
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I don't know....
by EJThunder on Dec 12, 2007 9:43 PM CST 0 recs
Prior is a good lesson in expectations
The "greatest college pitcher of all time" fell to the Cubs because the Twins couldn't afford to pay him. (By couldn't afford, I mean that billionaire owner Carl Pohlad was unwilling to pay). The excitement was palpable in Cubdom. The next Tom Seaver was coming to Chicago, but when.
Well, Prior started in Double A and seemed even better than advertised, striking out 55 in less than 35 innings. The Southern League couldn't contain him, so he moved up to AAA, where he threw in 3 games, and posted an ERA of 1.62 and averaged 1.5 strikeouts per inning.
Next came a beautiful night in May 2002 when he made his debut at Wrigley Field. The Cubs sucked that year as did the Pirates, but Wrigley Field was packed with more than 40,000(this was before the Cubs sold out every game). There was only one good reason to be at Wrigley that night - to see the future of the franchise; the man with "perfect mechanics" who was going to win multiple Cy Young Awards.
We all looked in awe at this physical specimen, either unaware or ignoring the fact that he had been privately trained by former MLB pitcher and steroids enthusiast Tom House.
It obviously didn't work out as any of us had hoped, but the guy was responsible for some of the most exciting times any of us have witnessed as Cubs fans. His career arc is a good reminder of the unpredictability of the game.
by Porfi on Dec 12, 2007 9:44 PM CST 0 recs
Great post Porfi, well said
I think he did all he could. I do not think it is fair that if someone does not have the personality that we want them have, the dumping on him starts. Some people are not the best at public speaking, some people do not have a smile like Ken Griffey Jr., or are as fun during at interview as Big Poppi. Prior was paid to pitch, and at moments he pitched better than I have ever seen anyone pitch.
A lot of stuff we still do not know, and may never know. Who are we to be experts?
I learned more about what kind of pain Koufax played with after reading a "Lefty's Legacy" than I ever gleaned from the newspaper articles and news of the day.
I thank him for the thrills and memories he provided. I am sad and sorry it did not work out for more years or greatness as a Cub. I hope he returns to form and can play for many more years.
I will only speak to what I saw 1st hand. He signed a baseball for me, chatted with me at the Cubs Convention, remembered me at
a Cubs/Twins game at the Metrodome last year at BP. He had a great game face when he was on the mound and dealing, and he gave me some of the most thrilling moments and best memories I have had in my life of being a Cub fan.
Good luck Mark.
by Cubskingdom on
Dec 12, 2007 10:30 PM CST
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Thank you for this post
Hopefully his setbacks will be behind him this year and he has a lot of success for an AL team.
by DGU on
Dec 12, 2007 10:47 PM CST
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May 22, 2002
I'll never forget it as it was the first game I ever attended with my son who was only five at the time and was asleep in my arms by the seventh inning stretch. When I bought the ticket, I had no idea that I would be able to bear witness to the first start of one of the most dominating (and, later, the most frustrating) pitcher in the league. It was a beautiful night, and when Sammy crushed that home run in the third to take the lead, you knew that it would be all Cubs for the rest of the game.
So, bye Mark. And thanks for the memories.
by jasoniniowa on
Dec 13, 2007 9:09 AM CST
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Actually it's the wrong move.
He's 26 years old with Cy Young caliber stuff when healthy.
For those who will undoubtedly scoff at my assertion that we should have kept him, I refer you, as I have many times before, to Chris Carpenter.
by Snake Plissken on Dec 12, 2007 9:45 PM CST 0 recs
ya
DmL
by dmlichte on
Dec 12, 2007 9:49 PM CST
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But we don't know that he was going to leave
That said, he should have accepted the '09 option on the deal Hendry presented.
by Snake Plissken on
Dec 12, 2007 9:53 PM CST
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Are the Cubs trying to win in '08 or '09?
But I can tell you this - if Prior can pitch at full strength in October 2008, it doesn't matter if he planned on walking in November 2008. For 4 mill, if he has a 20% chance of being one of the Cubs top 3 starters in October, you pay the 4 mill.
by DGU on
Dec 12, 2007 10:12 PM CST
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yeah, i wish they would have just paid him.
by buckmulligan on
Dec 12, 2007 10:19 PM CST
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You've git to get to October first
by Snake Plissken on
Dec 12, 2007 10:21 PM CST
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Hardly the wrong move
by Perkins on
Dec 12, 2007 11:05 PM CST
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The odds are not a million to one
What's done is done. We'll have to wait to see what he does.
by DGU on
Dec 12, 2007 11:26 PM CST
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Meh
by Perkins on
Dec 13, 2007 12:26 PM CST
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I never said
My contention is that those saying the former are hung up on the disappointments Prior's injuries have caused them while the latter are recognizing a good business bargain.
by DGU on
Dec 13, 2007 1:52 PM CST
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Nah Nah Nah Hey Hey Hey.....
by Galvan316 on Dec 12, 2007 9:45 PM CST 0 recs
I think you forgot a verse...
THE EMPLOYEE IS UNEMPLOYED
Dan
by dtpollitt on
Dec 12, 2007 9:50 PM CST
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He's Not Necessarily Gone, Right?
Apparently the Padres' interest has "cooled"... supposedly. <insert exaggerated wink here>
But, theoretically, he could return. Nothing in the article shows that he indeed has (or will not have) no offers pending...
by initram on Dec 12, 2007 9:49 PM CST 0 recs
In the words of Hawk H.
If you read the Muskat piece, it's clear he's gone. "The Cubs and Mark Prior have parted ways" is how the article begins.
The article makes it clear Prior is done with the Cubs.
Good luck, Mark, and thanks for the memories!
by DGU on
Dec 12, 2007 10:15 PM CST
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Technically
There's no reason the Cubs can't sign him as a free agent now. Not that they would but they can.
by cubstoseriesby100 on
Dec 12, 2007 10:55 PM CST
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My take
Luis
by Luis on Dec 12, 2007 9:52 PM CST 0 recs
Woody
by madtown on Dec 12, 2007 9:54 PM CST 0 recs
From what I understand....
The Reds will make their move, or whoever, but as far as where the Cubs are now, it was the right thing to do. It removes the thoughts of what once was from that team and moves in the right direction.
I am not Sen. Mitchell, and I do not have access to his files. I do not approve of how MLB has handled this problem at all, but I firmly believe that any list that is put together will have more pitchers names on it than anyone is comfortable with. If Mark Prior's name was on that list it would not shock me at all. The way that tendons and muscles in his body seemed to implode (shoulder, elbow (minus the bank shot he took vs. the Rockies) and his shoulder) that is not normal.
by louslovechild on
Dec 12, 2007 10:03 PM CST
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FIRE! Ready, Aim...
When the Cubsters are done with you get ready for full force (media) gale.
by DrCrawdad on
Dec 13, 2007 12:29 AM CST
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as opposed to the white sox
by Thelonious on
Dec 13, 2007 12:54 AM CST
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Media vs. Managers...
Did Dave "spinster" Kaplan EVER expose Prior in '03 or '04? No, Kaplan was probably spinning away for Prior regarding the "Ducky" incident and covering up Prior's allegedly being disliked by his teammates.
That Dave Kaplan is one courageous reporter, skilled at throwing bricks from a distance.
by DrCrawdad on
Dec 13, 2007 1:04 AM CST
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Hey man.
by cwyers on
Dec 13, 2007 1:09 AM CST
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funny
I'm sure DrCrawdad will call me biased, but any team (including the cubs) that witnesses that many players outperform their projections (many cases, to extreme proportions) is lucky in my book.
In regard to what I just said, and my statement above comparing KW and Guillen to the cub media badmouthing: I'm not really a "rah rah" type baseball fan. I don't necessarily argue with DrCrawdad in his assessment of those media personalities. More importantly, I don't really care.
My only argument is that he obviously likes to come over and stir the pot, when it's clearly evident that the trashy sox organization prefers to jump into the fray directly. An observer might consider this a pot-kettle situation (only, in this case, DrCrawdad is acting as the pot's agent/proxy in the calling of "black"). Until I see Hendry challenge Prior to fisticuffs, or at the very least, a pie eating contest, I'll continue to recognize a clear difference between each organization's MO.
by Thelonious on
Dec 13, 2007 1:32 AM CST
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Who got lucky?
2005 Sox 99 wins, AL Central Champs, World Championship, 11-1 in post-season
2006 Sox 90 wins, 3rd place
Back-to-back 90 win seasons, when was the last the Cubbies have done that?
Want to talk about luck, look no further than you '04 Cubbies.
2007 Cubbies 85 wins, NL Central "Champs" 0-4 in post-season
by DrCrawdad on
Dec 13, 2007 1:48 AM CST
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Meant, '07 Cubbies
by DrCrawdad on
Dec 13, 2007 1:50 AM CST
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At least
by TheHawk5 on
Dec 13, 2007 3:19 PM CST
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Hit 'em high, hit 'em low...
Oh, and ask Paul Sullivan what he thinks of Cubbie (mis)management, after being called into a meeting with Cubbie management and Sullivan's direct manager...
by DrCrawdad on
Dec 13, 2007 1:55 AM CST
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Go away.
by Kinky Reggae on
Dec 13, 2007 3:55 PM CST
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Cubbie fans concur with Crawdad...
by DrCrawdad on
Dec 14, 2007 10:38 AM CST
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Booooring...
by Kinky Reggae on
Dec 14, 2007 11:06 AM CST
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There you go, again...
Talk about boring.
by DrCrawdad on
Dec 14, 2007 11:12 AM CST
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Here ya go doc...
Still however, had I known what you were debating, I would still be forced to disregard whatever you have to say because the majority of the BS you spew out here is worthless crap that is meant to rile people up.
And do not mistake my response for being riled up...it is quite siomilar in fact, to my response to my 7 year old nephews when they are acting immature and annoying. Though I love them very much and you...well...are simply annoying.
Please, stick with your crowd.
by Kinky Reggae on
Dec 14, 2007 11:42 AM CST
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"He didn't want to be here"
What a bunch of a horse pucky. Nobody on this board, and nobody in the media, can accurately comment on what's going on in this guy's mind and what his feelings are/were toward the franchise.
The other big load of crap is that Prior was a wuss who didn't want to play. Honestly, we probably never got the whole story about the achilles injuries. But nobody in their right mind would have expected him to pitch immediately after the Giles collision. We certainly wouldn't have when his pitching elbow was broken. We shouldn't have when he had surgery this year. Prior's injuries were a whole lot less about his tolerance for pain than they were about a star-crossed player.
If you didn't like the guy or were just frustrated by unfulfilled promises, more power to you. For me, he became one of my all-time favorites in '03 and I'll miss the guy---even though I think it may be better for him to go. I'm just sick of the "he can't leave fast enough, he was brittle and didn't want to be here," crap that's continually spouted by people who are making assumptions or believing every rumor they hear.
Sorry for the rant, peace in the middle east, I'm out.
by JDay on Dec 12, 2007 10:02 PM CST 0 recs
That's why I'm really hoping he does well elsewher
When the media flat out knowingly is lying tonight it makes me sick. Kaplan who I respected most of every member of the media outside of Bruce Miles knowingly lied tonight when he said Prior never went to an event.
Not only does he know Prior was at every convention Prior appeared on his sports central broadcast almost every year!
by cubstoseriesby100 on
Dec 12, 2007 10:39 PM CST
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LOUD SUSTAINED APPLAUSE
The great problem with Prior was that he has a cool, aloof air about him. He's a low key guy and when everyone wants a piece of you, that just won't do. You are most correct that he wasn't the media hound. He apparently had an uphill battle gelling with his team in the congenial working relationship that pro ballers of any sport would have. That's just the way he was and likely will be. He was no Ryan Dempster, able to crack jokes and engage an audience.
The whole incident with that charity event which he was sued for didn't help.
But he was a great pitcher. My personal touch to the lore of the Cubs will always include the Mark Prior of 2004 fighting through what very likely was bonafide pain to give everything he could in that game in which the Cubs still lost, but he was the champion. I watched that game and the fire in his eyes we saw still amazes me. Watching his shoulders droop at his inability to continue in the game after giving his all in that one game is no sign of him being a "clubhouse cancer" to me. He was a gamer and he wanted to win, and for that Cub fans should be grateful.
There's a lot of bandwidth we can waste here about what happened since then and why the Cubs and Prior went their separate ways. It's worthy of discussion. But Prior will always be a luminary in the star field of the Cubs Nation, and I hope he does well where ever he goes.
Just not in the National League. Please, God ..
by cubnational on
Dec 13, 2007 8:40 AM CST
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All This Means...
Best of luck, Mark.
by initram on
Dec 13, 2007 9:44 AM CST
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I'm going to miss him
The only regret with Prior is that, and I truly believe this, he will return to form and that it is not going to be in a Cubs uniform. He has been a favorite of mine since he came up and think its too bad the 'Mark Prior Era' of the Cubs ends like this.
Again, doubt he will ever see this, but I wish him the best of luck in the future
by DTJchris on Dec 12, 2007 10:09 PM CST 0 recs
Just good business
Hopefully to Erik Bedard, who I honestly think would make us NL favorites.
by SamFels on Dec 12, 2007 10:12 PM CST 0 recs
Not good business at all
The Cubs have a large enough budget and a deep enough pitching corps that they should be investing in at least one high-risk-high-reward pitcher who could make all the difference in October.
The Cubs can pitch a Gallagher or a Marshall in that 5th starter spot for 4 months and leave open the possibility of a Prior/Garcia/Colon type coming in at the end to significantly bolster the playoff rotation. And if that P/G/C player tanks, it's no big deal at all.
A good business decision is to spend a pittance of your budget on that off-chance that you hit playoff gold. Since the Cubs did not make that decision, it seems clear that one of three things are the case -
- Mark Prior did not want to pitch for the Cubs and may have even been willing to slow his recovery time if the Cubs tendered him a contract.
- The Cubs organization just don't want to deal with Prior anymore.
- The Cubs looked at Prior's medical data and said, "He won't be ready and he won't be the pitcher he was before." (That's the only way this would be a good business decision; it's just not how the Cubs are describing this decision.)
by DGU on
Dec 12, 2007 10:27 PM CST
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Will he be booed
What kind of reaction do you think he will get if he signs with an NL team and they go to Wrigley and he's pitching?
It should be interesting...
by ak123 on Dec 12, 2007 10:14 PM CST 0 recs
i hate this move.
he's going to end up winning a cy young somewhere.
and why drop him now, after he's finally had surgery? this whole thing scares the crap out of me.
by buckmulligan on Dec 12, 2007 10:15 PM CST 0 recs
Technically
Yes there will be some people booing him if he comes in to pitch for a new team.
Kaplan flat out lied on the radio tonight. He stated he never appeared at any events and did nothing for charity.
For the record he was at every convention and Kerry's bowling events at the minimum.
by cubstoseriesby100 on Dec 12, 2007 10:34 PM CST 0 recs
One quick comment from me.
None of us thought, on that draft day in 2001, that Prior's tenure with the Cubs would end like this. I doubt he'll see a major league mound till 2009 at the earliest. Could be be Chris Carpenter and have several big years and a Cy Young for another team?
Yes, but more likely, he's Steve Busby or Dennis Leonard or Gary Nolan or Don Gullett. Look 'em all up.
In retrospect, the Cubs should have taken Mark Teixeira.
by Al on Dec 12, 2007 10:44 PM CST 0 recs
How is pointing out lies
How is pointing out a fact about Prior's status not thought out?
by cubstoseriesby100 on
Dec 12, 2007 10:48 PM CST
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Oh yes
And where did I bring up hate? I pointed out facts.
It has been said all over the place this means he can't be a Cub next year.
While he most likely is gone it is not true they can't sign him.
by cubstoseriesby100 on
Dec 12, 2007 10:50 PM CST
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Whoa!
I do know, for a FACT, that Mark Prior was sued for breach of contract for the infamous appearance event that he "attended" for twenty minutes in the NW Suburbs, leaving many kids disappointed, an event he was handsomely paid for.
Yeah, he probably attended Kerry Wood's bowling events, but most of the players do. This is a fact, as well.
And, the Cubs Convention I would assume is a contract stipulation, in exchange for the millions of dollars the player makes. It is either in writing, or a verbal agreement that is "strongly suggested" that the player attend.
Mark Prior was a beast. But, he's also a tool, I'm sorry to say. Perhaps he'll change as the years pass.
The Cubs have had several recent reclamation projects: Wade Miller, Scott Williamson, Glendon Rusch, Chad Fox, Ryan Dempster, and Kerry Wood...
They got lucky on two.
by TheEman on
Dec 12, 2007 11:18 PM CST
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Convention
Yes there was the event at Just Ducky which wound up being very poorly run and executed by both sides. (that's the event you referred to).
Kaplan knows very well Prior made charity appearances. Heck he was featured in a Cubs care brochure at several.
If Kaplan didn't know very well Prior was at every convention I wouldn't be as bothered by what he said tonight.


