Tuesday Morning Headlines -- Update on Prior to DL

by cwyers on Mar 27, 2007 7:49 AM CDT

Ok, guys, sing along to the tune of David Bowie's "Space Oddity":

This is Kerry Wood to the DL,
I'm prepping for rehab
And I'm pitching in a most familiar way
And my shoulder feels just the same today...

Chicagoland is blue, and there's nothing I can do.

Once again, Steve Rosenbloom complains about the continuing of the Wood/Prior drama. You want to stop the drama, Steve? There are 25 other players on the Cubs right now, as far as I can tell. Write about one of them.

And now, to take my own advice...

Big Z would rather not pitch for your "Yankees," as you won't allow him to swing the bat. But he would like his millions, please. Are you listening, Jim Hendry?

Lou apparently will also refer to Wade Miller as a "kid." Way to show your age, Lou.

He also gets the obsession with outs.

More roster cuts have come down the pike; Ronny Cedeno has survived. Apparently Lou Piniella doesn't think that having the best porn names in baseball mean much; Rocky Cherry is waiting in minor league camp to commiserate with Coats.

Also, Soriano isn't a morning person. I can't say that I care, exactly -- our last centerfielder was the first guy to the ballpark every morning, and if I had to see him ground out weakly up the righthand side one more time last year I think I would have lost it. Standup doubles, man! Standup doubles!

Cliff Floyd, recapturing his youth.

The Shark impresses one scout, who said "[T]hey had to get him back to the minor leagues to keep Lou (Piniella) from taking him north."

Update [2007-3-27 13:37:27 by cwyers]: Prior is expected to start the season either on the DL or at Iowa. I'm not sure how much of that is news; it would help greatly if the word "expected" was given a context -- expected by who? This is why the passive voice is evil. Also, this is confirmation in a major media outlet of the idea that Prior can be sent to the minors.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Comments

I Love These Diaries

cwyers, I really appreciate your compilation diaries each day.

Direct, concise, easy to click and read.

You do great work.

PERRY!!!!

by Goat Whisperer on Mar 27, 2007 8:34 AM CDT reply actions

From me too...

... I agree. Great stuff!

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Mar 27, 2007 8:38 AM CDT up reply actions

Me too!

It's great to have all the info in one place. Thanks so much!

by Hobbes on Mar 27, 2007 4:30 PM CDT up reply actions

I for one

will be happier when the beat writers have more day to day stuff to write about. This week is KILLING me.

Not that kind of north side.

by HerrProf on Mar 27, 2007 9:11 AM CDT reply actions

Nice note about Samardzija

From everything I've read, he has impressed coaches and players alike both from his physical skillset but also his mental approach.

Despite not having a pick in rounds 2-4 last season, it sounds like the Cubs got another first round talent. It sounds like Wilken and Hendry pulled a fast one when they convinced him to play baseball.

Oh yeah, and check out my new blog below!!!

Check out Road To Wrigley, my NEW Cubs Minor League System website: Road To Wrigley

by jonpyardi on Mar 27, 2007 9:21 AM CDT reply actions

A fast one?

Maybe, but if he's as good as he appears, he'll make far more money playing baseball than he ever would have in the NFL.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Mar 27, 2007 10:12 AM CDT up reply actions

A fast one on other teams

The fact is, Samardzija was a gamble even in the 5th round, and the Cubs took that gamble and so far it has paid off.

Check out Road To Wrigley, my NEW Cubs Minor League System website: Road To Wrigley

by jonpyardi on Mar 27, 2007 1:06 PM CDT up reply actions

I like Chris Huseby's arm too

who they got way back in the 11th round. He's a long way off, but I really love Wilken's drafting style of going for the high risk/high reward guys in the middle rounds. Getting one or two impact major leaguers from the middle of the draft is far more valuable than getting several bit players--even if most of the high risk picks bust.

As the disparity between minimum wage contracts, and market value contracts for marquee (not Marquis) players widens, having good scouting and minor league personnel has become an absolute premium necessity.

I still really don't like the Colvin signing though. I suppose he's ok, but I definitely don't like him nearly as much as some do. Waste of a first round pick, IMO.

Baby, you got a stew goin'

by Thelonious on Mar 28, 2007 2:36 AM CDT up reply actions

Colvin...

... didn't have first round pick numbers last year. Give him a full season and see what he can do before you give up on him.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Mar 28, 2007 9:34 AM CDT up reply actions

I don't recall saying I'm giving up on him

I said I've never been a fan of his skills. Part of this is that my draft philosophy clashes with the Cubs' philosophy, in that I hate drafting the "toolsy" players (especially in the first round), because they almost always seem to bust, and important things like power, plate discipline/strikezone judgment, and baserunning skills never develop.

If I could change one aspect of our drafting philosophy, it would be to steer the Cubs toward a combination of power and plate discipline, and leave things like speed as a distant secondary evaluation tool. Toolsy players seem to always be high risk/high reward picks (obviously, some of the best players of all time are very toolsy-- A-Rod, skinny Bonds, Willie Mays, Rickey Henderson etc., but how many toolsy superstars hold the "superstar" moniker at any given time vs. untoolsy sluggers? As rare as finding a superstar may be, the ratio between toolsy superstars and relatively untoolsy superstars has almost always trended to swing in the untoolsy superstars' favor (I can't speak for the deadball/pre-ruth era, as I'm quite sure ruth changed baseball's paradigm).

I fully support taking more risks in the middle rounds of the draft, but I much prefer more projectable position talent in the early rounds.

Colvin was a late riser in the draft, due to his hot streak at the end of the 2006 college season. I really don't think a hot streak is good reasoning for drafting third round talent in the first round. Maybe he develops, and proves me wrong, but as of now I'm not a huge fan. I'm pretty certain he'll never bust as completely as Ryan Harvey, or Bobby Brownlie (in other words, he's a decent prospect), but I feel pretty 'meh' about him right now.

Baby, you got a stew goin'

by Thelonious on Mar 28, 2007 8:04 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah, I see what you mean.

"Toolsy" players -- i.e. the Corey Patterson types -- many times, don't pan out because all they have are physical tools, and that, as we know, isn't enough to succeed.

I can see why you're "meh" on Colvin right now. But again, after a short-season year as a pro, that's too early for any real evaluation, I think.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Mar 28, 2007 9:39 PM CDT up reply actions

my evaluation is colored by his projectability

and ceiling, which isn't as high as you'd like out of a first rounder.

Baby, you got a stew goin'

by Thelonious on Mar 28, 2007 10:04 PM CDT up reply actions

re: Nice note about Samardzija

I caught a little bit of "Sports Central" on WGN last night and they were discussing Samardzija with, I think, the Baseball Prospectus guys.

One negative point they raised about him was that the Shark's college numbers actually aren't all that impressive. They said the Cubs are essentially gambling that, now that he'll be focusing only on baseball, Samardzija's true potential will come through.

In other words, though it's entirely possible that he will go on to become a great pitcher, it's by no means a sure thing.

I'm not trying to slam the guy. In fact, I was really impressed by what I saw from Samardzija in Spring Training. And, so it seems, was Lou.

Also discussed on the radio show: The potential relatonship between the apparently ever-increasing height of major league pitchers (and pitching prospects) and the prevalence of injuries.

I guess, for many years, scouts shied away from tall pitchers because it was thought that they (the tall pitchers) had a harder time managing their mechanics. Obviously, this thinking has gone by the wayside in recent years -- with D-Mat being one notable exception.

I didn't get to hear much of the discussion, but it's an interesting topic to ponder...

I didn't have the ball, bitch!

by daver on Mar 27, 2007 11:20 AM CDT up reply actions

These Diaries...

Are the reason I make it through the morning.

We are so close to baseball I can smell it...

I LOVE IT!!!!

"The game is always healthier when the Cubs are good, and in a week they have made themselves a whole lot better."

by BillHoldenFan on Mar 27, 2007 10:06 AM CDT reply actions

Excellent Work

Im a big concerned seeing Mets, Yankees and GOOD GOD the White Sox in the same sentence as Carlos Zambrano and 2008.

The only thing worse then the White Sox, is White Sox Fans. Thank God im a CUBS FAN!

by Galvan316 on Mar 27, 2007 11:10 AM CDT reply actions

My thoughts

exactly. Wouldn't that suck, Jim? Get the deal done.

D-LEE!

by airweino on Mar 27, 2007 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions

Z to AL

No point in him going to the AL where he wouldn't be allowed to hit (though if he went to the White Sox and was allowed to hit for himself, he would help their offense far more than Brian Anderson did last year)

"Hello again, everybody. Harry Caray from Wrigley Field on a beautiful day for baseball."

by danimal15 on Mar 27, 2007 2:43 PM CDT up reply actions

Outs, outs, outs

I told Lou yesterday I loved his comments. He understands that the "out" is the currency of baseball. And how about Ronny Cedeno being tied for the team lead in walks this spring? It really is a new day. Maybe some of Lou's sense will drift upward in this organization.

by Bruce Miles on Mar 27, 2007 11:33 AM CDT reply actions

The more I hear from Lou...

... the more I like him. He wasn't my first choice -- but it seems he may have been the RIGHT choice.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Mar 27, 2007 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions

my sentiments exactly

So far, I've heard nothing from Lou that I haven't liked. I don't remember being this fond of him when he managed the Mariners, the "local" team (6-hour drive), but I wasn't paying that close attention.

by bleacher on Mar 28, 2007 10:56 AM CDT up reply actions

re: Outs, outs, outs

I particularly loved Lou's quote of: "There is no clock, but there are outs."

It's just a cool (dare I say almost literary) image -- each of a game's outs represents a tick of the clock, with a team's pitching and defense serving as the gears of said timepiece.

I didn't have the ball, bitch!

by daver on Mar 27, 2007 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions

Get Z signed aleady!

What are they waiting for, the price of uninjured, league strikeout leading pitchers to drop in price? The price of that stock is one way..to the moon baby. The quicker you buy, the better off you are.

It just astounds me how a major league club can throw millions at a Jason Marquis, then have trouble inking a guy who's been their best pitcher the last 3 years.

If Z leaves the Cubs because of money, I may have to rethink my loyalty to this team. I can't think of anything that would be dumber than letting this guy walk.

Well, sometimes nothin is a real cool hand.

by wicubfan on Mar 27, 2007 12:12 PM CDT reply actions

I agree

I am really pumped up for this season. I'm gonna deadhead the club to Shea. However, if they lose Zambrano, hell, if they merely don't sign him in the next week, I will be really disappointed and pissed off.

We knew what what Marquis was and signed him. Ok. We know what Zambrano is. Now, sign him.

by buckmulligan on Mar 27, 2007 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions

Prior...

... no surprise there at all. It'll be REAL interesting to see what they do, though, if he has a good outing on Wednesday.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Mar 27, 2007 12:41 PM CDT reply actions

Yeah...

...I'm kinda suprised to see this sort of article before his last spring outing.

by cwyers on Mar 27, 2007 12:50 PM CDT up reply actions

A good outing by Prior

would indicate his injury(ies) may just be behind him, meaning he would start the year in Iowa.

On the other hand, it could be construed that his health issues remain unresolved in the advent of a bad outing, meaning he would be placed on the DL.

In either case, Wade Miller has the 5th spot, at least for now.

by JFCubFan on Mar 27, 2007 3:05 PM CDT up reply actions

My guess is that Prior

isn't going to recover his velocity, that he'll have to learn how to become a different kind of pitcher. Something happened to his shoulder that doesn't prevent him from pitching, but does prevent him from throwing 95. I am betting that once he figures out that he's lost some of his tools, he's going to figure out how best to use the one's he's got left. He's a smart, competitive guy, who wasn't always the star of his teams in the past. I'm just guessing here, but if I'm right, Iowa is a good place to learn--as long as they don't throw him in the cold.

by bleacher on Mar 28, 2007 11:02 AM CDT reply actions