3/22ST Cubs (Prior) @ Padres (Maddux) 3:05CT CSN & XM180

[Shawon12]

my honest opinion on Prior is he just wants to make to his 2nd contract with his arm in place, so he doesn't want to do anything to push the limit. He has the ability, he just looks at it too much like a business.

[David]

SD radio guys is calling Prior's curveballs "spinners", saying they don't have much bite to them...

 

Is that accurate?

 

They aren't the normal Prior curveballs, but I wouldn't say they're spinners. He actually threw a couple of nice curves that past inning.

 

Haven't I heard that curveball's are much harder to throw in Arizona and the breaking stuff in the cactus league is never good? did I Imagine that?

 

I've heard the same.

[MustangMike]

my honest opinion on Prior is he just wants to make to his 2nd contract with his arm in place, so he doesn't want to do anything to push the limit. He has the ability, he just looks at it too much like a business.

 

But if he continues on this DL/Minor league path will he get paid? I would think not as well as he'd like if it was all business to him

[Fred Hornkohl]

TOP OF THE FOURTH INNING

 

Lee doubled to left field

Ramirez flied out to center field

Jones flied out to center field

Barrett grounded out to short, 6-3

 

0 runs 1 hits 0 errors 1 men left on base

 

                1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9              R  H  E
CUBS            0 0 0 0                        0  3  1
San Diego       1 0 0                          1  4  0

 

 

 

CUBS           IP  H  R ER BB  K HR PIT
Prior         3.0  4  1  1  2  2  0   0

 

San Diego      IP  H  R ER BB  K HR PIT
Maddux        4.0  3  0  0  0  0  0   0

[Hoosiercubbie]

Does anyone know how many pitches Prior has thrown and how many of them were strikes?

 

He had something like 43 or 44 pitches thru the 3rd, about 60% for strikes.

[PrimeTime]

He better come out for one more..One more good inning like the last would be encourageing.

[TruffleShuffle]

Don't the secondary pitches usually come later? Getting the fastball where he wants will hopefully lead him to be able to execute the secondary ones... hopefully.

 

I don't think one has much to do with the other. Throwing a curve is a very different feeling than throwing a fastball. Guys can throw a fastball great all day and have absolutely no control over the curve. He needs to get his control back on both; hopefully right now he's getting his fastball back, and once he has more confidence in that, he can start getting his curveball back too.

[StMarksCubs]

TOP OF THE FOURTH INNING

 

Lee doubled to left field

Ramirez flied out to center field

Jones flied out to center field

Barrett grounded out to short, 6-3

 

0 runs 1 hits 0 errors 1 men left on base

 

                1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9              R  H  E
CUBS            0 0 0 0                        0  3  1
San Diego       1 0 0                          1  4  0

 

 

 

CUBS           IP  H  R ER BB  K HR PIT
Prior         3.0  4  1  1  2  2  0   0

 

San Diego      IP  H  R ER BB  K HR PIT
Maddux        4.0  3  0  0  0  0  0   0

 

I know we are all prone to pressism and caution here, but I have to think this is really a great step in the right direction for our guy. 91-93, a few nice curves, a couple K's, only a run in 3 innings. This made my day.

[Brian]

I think the best thing for Prior is at least a month/4 starts or so in AAA. And if he's back figure out what to do from there. If he's back to normal make room for him (dump Miller or demote a struggling starter to the pen), or keep him there if he's still struggling.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

SD radio guys is calling Prior's curveballs "spinners", saying they don't have much bite to them...

 

Is that accurate?

 

As great as the 93 mph readings are, his struggles with the offspeed pitches are VERY worrisome. :|

 

Baby Steps

 

No doubt, and his FB has come along real well but the curve hasn't improved much at all. EJ's comments about having a couple nice curves is very encouraging to me.

Edited March 22, 2007 by CaliforniaRaisin

[jaxxradio]

He should go one more inning.. he's working on getting velocity back on his fastball while still throwing the off-speed pitches to keep those pitches fresh.. this is a work in progress.. I imagine he will start the year in extended spring where its alot warmer than Iowa and he will get better with each appearance..

[TruffleShuffle]

my honest opinion on Prior is he just wants to make to his 2nd contract with his arm in place, so he doesn't want to do anything to push the limit. He has the ability, he just looks at it too much like a business.

 

But if he continues on this DL/Minor league path will he get paid? I would think not as well as he'd like if it was all business to him

 

Exactly, if he keeps throwing high-80 meatballs down the middle, there won't BE a second contract. At some point teams will stop looking for that potential and just write him off as a guy who was ruined by injuries. I'm sure he's smart enough to realize that.

[Fred Hornkohl]

Kouzmanoff flied out to left field

[Brian]

Don't the secondary pitches usually come later? Getting the fastball where he wants will hopefully lead him to be able to execute the secondary ones... hopefully.

 

I don't think one has much to do with the other. Throwing a curve is a very different feeling than throwing a fastball. Guys can throw a fastball great all day and have absolutely no control over the curve. He needs to get his control back on both; hopefully right now he's getting his fastball back, and once he has more confidence in that, he can start getting his curveball back too.

 

That's kind of what I meant. From the beginning of spring he was focused on getting the fastball where he wanted it so he had no time to work on his secondary pitches.

[TruffleShuffle]

for comparison, what was the gun picking up on maddux last inning?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

He should go one more inning.. he's working on getting velocity back on his fastball while still throwing the off-speed pitches to keep those pitches fresh.. this is a work in progress.. I imagine he will start the year in extended spring where its alot warmer than Iowa and he will get better with each appearance..

 

That's what I'm thinking too, Ron.

[MustangMike]

for comparison, what was the gun picking up on maddux last inning?

 

121

[YearofDaCubs]

His curve is starting to look good. You can see him growing confidence on every pitch.

[Fred Hornkohl]

Sledge flied out to center field

[Ding Dong Johnson]

for comparison, what was the gun picking up on maddux last inning?

 

I saw 85 on one of his pitches. I've had my back to the TV for the most part.

[pitchcs]

TOP OF THE FOURTH INNING

 

Lee doubled to left field

Ramirez flied out to center field

Jones flied out to center field

Barrett grounded out to short, 6-3

 

0 runs 1 hits 0 errors 1 men left on base

 

                1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9              R  H  E
CUBS            0 0 0 0                        0  3  1
San Diego       1 0 0                          1  4  0

 

 

That 2.00 WHIP is still scary.

 

 

CUBS           IP  H  R ER BB  K HR PIT
Prior         3.0  4  1  1  2  2  0   0

 

San Diego      IP  H  R ER BB  K HR PIT
Maddux        4.0  3  0  0  0  0  0   0

[moorecg]

Andy Mazur is saying he was 92-93 consistently last inning...

 

I'm feeling a little bit happy about this outting...make that alot happy....if Prior can continue this progress and pitch like this on a regular basis we may be onto something.

[98navigator]

I think the best thing for Prior is at least a month/4 starts or so in AAA. And if he's back figure out what to do from there. If he's back to normal make room for him (dump Miller or demote a struggling starter to the pen), or keep him there if he's still struggling.

 

I agree. This is a huge improvement over his previous starts. A few more starts and he could be ready to pitch for the Cubs.

[USSoccer]

His curve is starting to look good. You can see him growing confidence on every pitch.

 

Good.

[bcruise]

Pads announcers just reported that WGN's radar gun was picking up Prior around 92-93 last inning...I'm confused now. :?