Angry Prior returns or Iowa awaits

[Sammy Sofa]

WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE SIZE OF YOUR AVATAR.

[98navigator]

Prior has been optioned to AAA. I just heard it on Comcastsportsnet.

[David]

My spider senses tell me Mark didn't throw over 90 MPH. He hit 90 a couple of times.

 

Does this actually mean anything? Or are you just making something up?

 

What? Do you think I'm a spider or something? Of course I'm making it up! It's an educated guess based on the past.

 

LOL, smart guy. I just was wondering if you had actually heard something or if by some chance you were at ST and saw the game live.

 

I'm hoping for, but not expecting, a little better news than that. Bruce said his stuff was appreciably better, so we'll see what that means.

[Chris]

From the Cubs

 

Right-handed pitchers Rocky Cherry and Mark Prior, and outfielder Angel Pagan have been optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Cherry, 27, was 1-1 with three saves and a 1.74 ERA (2 ER/10.1 IP) in 10 spring contests. Prior, 26, went 0-2 with a 6.97 ERA (8 ER/10.1 IP) in four spring training contests (three starts). Pagan, 25, batted .222 (6-for-27) with seven walks and six stolen bases in 15 spring games.

[98navigator]

From the Cubs

 

Right-handed pitchers Rocky Cherry and Mark Prior, and outfielder Angel Pagan have been optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Cherry, 27, was 1-1 with three saves and a 1.74 ERA (2 ER/10.1 IP) in 10 spring contests. Prior, 26, went 0-2 with a 6.97 ERA (8 ER/10.1 IP) in four spring training contests (three starts). Pagan, 25, batted .222 (6-for-27) with seven walks and six stolen bases in 15 spring games.

 

I knew it as going to happen it's still shocking to see. I saw on Comcastsportsnet that Hendry and Lou spoke with him about it--he wasn't happy (as you'd expect).

 

Hopefully, it motivates him to return quickly.

[E.J.]

That's really got to tick him off. Hopefully he uses that as fuel. I guess with Pagan being optioned that means that Lou is going with a 12-man pitching staff.

[VanceJergins]

I'm kind of surprised to see Cherry on the list. With how craptastic Cotts has been and with Guzman to fill the long-man role, I thought he had a good chance.

[Mephistopheles]

WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE SIZE OF YOUR AVATAR.

well if i had no avatar it would still be hard for you to hear a post here.

[mordecaibrown]

Prior threw well today, low 90's. Had some problems with command on the breaking ball and left some fastballs over the plate. He looked the best I saw him all spring, but he still was not finishing batters. He had batters 0-2 more than once and failed to make the batter get himself out(pitchers counts), and allowed them off the hook.

 

Looked good overall, it a shame he was demoted. I honestly think the Cubs and Prior will part after this season, in one way or another. Prior and his father's egos (the next Tom Seaver) are too big for a demote. Only bad can come from this, if you are a Prior fan.

[98navigator]

Prior threw well today, low 90's. Had some problems with command on the breaking ball and left some fastballs over the plate. He looked the best I saw him all spring, but he still was not finishing batters. He had batters 0-2 more than once and failed to make the batter get himself out(pitchers counts), and allowed them off the hook.

 

Looked good overall, it a shame he was demoted. I honestly think the Cubs and Prior will part after this season, in one way or another. Prior and his father's egos (the next Tom Seaver) are too big for a demote. Only bad can come from this, if you are a Prior fan.

 

How do you know he threw in the 90s? Bruce Miles said there was no radar reading available. Also, Prior is under contract through 2008. There's no reason for them to release him and they aren't going to get much value in a trade with him in the MiLs.

Edited March 29, 2007 by 98navigator

[Sarcastic]

Prior threw well today, low 90's. Had some problems with command on the breaking ball and left some fastballs over the plate. He looked the best I saw him all spring, but he still was not finishing batters. He had batters 0-2 more than once and failed to make the batter get himself out(pitchers counts), and allowed them off the hook.

 

Looked good overall, it a shame he was demoted. I honestly think the Cubs and Prior will part after this season, in one way or another. Prior and his father's egos (the next Tom Seaver) are too big for a demote. Only bad can come from this, if you are a Prior fan.

 

According to who? The ever reliable Muskat said he was reaching around 87. Not clear if it was an average or a top.

[Omar]

Must be a snow newsday. ESPNEWS has this as their top story.. and its breaking news, accordingly.

[mordecaibrown]

low 90's by the naked eye, topped out at 91 according to a scout I briefly talked to.

[Sarcastic]

low 90's by the naked eye, topped out at 91 according to a scout I briefly talked to.

 

The naked eye is not a credible source for velocity, ever. Neither is an unnamed scout. Muskat is only slightly better, though. We'll have to wait for someone else to give a reading.

[Mephistopheles]

Naked eye? Wow I've heard it all.

[mordecaibrown]

I did not see any radar guns out there today, so it could be awhile.

 

All I know is he threw harder then Wuertz but not as hard as Guzman, so I think the 86-91 range is accurate, along the lines of Muskat and the "unnamed scout" who was keeping a close eye on Angel Guzman(not trying to start a rumor just informing the interested parties who could not attend or view todays ballgame).

[imb]

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Mark Prior was sent to the minors Wednesday where the Chicago Cubs hope he can regain the form that made him an 18-game winner and All-Star selection four years ago.

Prior, whose career has been slowed by an assortment of injuries, was optioned to Triple-A Iowa right after his final spring training start.

“It wasn’t easy. But at the same time, this is good for his career,” new Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.

Prior had left the Cubs’ clubhouse and wasn’t available for comment after pitching just three innings in Chicago’s 4-4 tie with the Colorado Rockies.

“He handled it OK. He wasn’t happy. He wasn’t pleased. But you don’t expect that,” Piniella added.

Prior, the second player chosen in the 2001 draft after a stellar final college season at Southern California, broke in with the Cubs in 2002. He has a 42-29 record, including 18-6 in 2003 when helped pitch Chicago into the playoffs.

He was on the mound for Game 6 of the NL championship series against Florida with the Cubs leading the series 3-2 and the game 3-0 before the Marlins rallied with eighth runs in the eighth. Florida went on to win Game 7 and then captured the World Series.

Prior, 26, has started the last three seasons on the disabled list with an assortment of injuries to his Achilles, elbow and shoulder. He was limited to nine starts by shoulder problems a year ago when his record was just 1-6.

He had four appearances and three starts this spring, pitching just 10 1-3 innings.

The decision to go with Wade Miller as the fifth starter was announced Tuesday, so there was no place in the rotation for Prior, and his final spring outing really had no bearing on his chance to make the team.

“I didn’t want him to go out here and really really push to get a spot when in turn we had already made a decision on Miller,” Piniella said.

“I told Mark that there is a marked difference between what we are seeing now from what we were seeing much earlier in the spring. He’s come a good ways. He just needs to continue to work.”

Prior gave up two hits and three runs against the Rockies, but they were all unearned because of sloppy play by the Cubs’ outfield, which committed three errors.

“He’s making progress,” general manager Jim Hendry said. “Every time out, he’s been better. He’s not quite there yet and I don’t think he would disagree with that.”

Hendry said a member of the Cubs’ staff would be present at every one of Prior’s starts for Triple-A Iowa.

“And obviously when he gets back to being where you want him to be, he’ll be able to help us,” Hendry said. “We’ll make a spot for him when he’s ready. I promise you that.”

But Hendry didn’t put a timetable on Prior’s return.

“As long as he is making progress, what is the right time frame? A couple of weeks, a month?” Hendry said. “To me, if he keeps getting better, it will show up when he’s ready for us.”

It was a long day for the Cubs’ outfield. Alfonso Soriano missed a sinking liner for an error in the first, Cliff Floyd had two errors in left, and Soriano and right fielder Jacque Jones let Troy Tulowitzki’s long fly fall between them in the second for a double that led to a run.

Soriano hit his fourth homer of the spring in the third, but then couldn’t reach Matt Holliday’s fly to center that went for an RBI double in the fifth.

Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez hit back-to-back homers off Tom Martin to tie the game in the sixth.

Rockies starter Aaron Cook, who entered the game 4-0, allowed three hits and two runs — one earned — in four innings. Notes: The Cubs also optioned OF Angel Pagan and RHP Rocky Cherry to Triple-A. ... Piniella announced his starting lineup and batting order for Monday’s opener at Cincinnati: Soriano, cf; Matt Murton, lf; Lee, 1b; Ramirez, 3b; Jones, rf; Michael Barrett, c; Mark DeRosa, 2b; Cesar Izturis, ss; Carlos Zambrano, p. ... One day after winning Super Bowl coach Tony Dungy of the Colts sat behind home plate, the losing coach in the same game, the Bears’ Lovie Smith, was in the same row.

[sethuel1]

according to my naked eye he was actually throwing a grapefruit instead of a baseball.

[Sarcastic]

Old news.

[Laura]

AZ Phil has a pitch-by-pitch breakdown of the start today at The Cub Reporter.

[Mizzou]

Hendry said. “We’ll make a spot for him when he’s ready. I promise you that.”

 

I hope he means that.

[Sarcastic]

Hendry said. “We’ll make a spot for him when he’s ready. I promise you that.”

 

I hope he means that.

 

I think a healthy and ready-to-go Prior can't be denied a rotation spot. If he really is ready, they won't keep him in AAA. The question is, how ready do they want him to be before they bring him up, and how long will it take him to get there?

[98navigator]

Hendry said. “We’ll make a spot for him when he’s ready. I promise you that.”

 

I hope he means that.

 

Of course he does! They're not going to leave a dominating Mark Prior in AAA. He seems like he might be working in that direction. It also seems like Bruce and Lou are on the same page when they both said today that Prior may only be 2-3 weeks to a month away from returning.

 

"[Prior] has improved a lot," Piniella said. "He just needs to keep working. I told him if it's another month, another three weeks, we'll know when he's ready and he will, too."

 

There's no official time table but if he's good he'll be back.

[imb]

Old news.

 

im virutally flipping you off. consider this post an e-bird

[98navigator]

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