Prior is "just an employee"

[A New Era]

well all this tells us is that prior doesnt listen to hawthorne heights and wear eyeliner.

 

Off topic, but who is that in your avatar these days?

 

You don't want to know.

[cbbryan]

Prior shouldn't have said "I'm an employee." There's a few different ways he could have answered this that would have been better.

 

I didn't see the interview, but the way the column is written makes him look really bad.

 

Prior obviously wants to be on the ML club. I don't blame the guy for being alittle upset. I think there will come a time that he'll come to terms with the fact that it's probably the best thing for him and this whole "employee" thing will blow over.

[Zuzu]

That article and all of his comments about "being an employee" explain a lot about his mental makeup. The guy is soft.

 

What about those comments make him soft?

 

Did you hear him accepting responsibliity and saying that he has more work to do to get where he needs to be? No, he was trying to make a veiled point with his repeated use of the word "employee".

 

What has he shown you in the past almost half decade to make you think that he has an ounce of mental toughness?

[badger1679666666]

That article and all of his comments about "being an employee" explain a lot about his mental makeup. The guy is soft.

 

What about those comments make him soft?

 

Did you hear him accepting responsibliity and saying that he has more work to do to get where he needs to be? No, he was trying to make a veiled point with his repeated use of the word "employee".

 

What has he shown you in the past almost half decade to make you think that he has an ounce of mental toughness?

 

So because he doesn't say what you think he should say, he's soft?

 

Brilliant NSBB debut.

 

:roll:

[wade]

That article and all of his comments about "being an employee" explain a lot about his mental makeup. The guy is soft.

 

What about those comments make him soft?

 

Did you hear him accepting responsibliity and saying that he has more work to do to get where he needs to be? No, he was trying to make a veiled point with his repeated use of the word "employee".

 

What has he shown you in the past almost half decade to make you think that he has an ounce of mental toughness?

 

I saw him challenge a steroid-addled monster in San Francisco once. That's gotta be worth two, maybe three ounces right there.

[oldcubsfan]

That article and all of his comments about "being an employee" explain a lot about his mental makeup. The guy is soft.

 

What about those comments make him soft?

 

Did you hear him accepting responsibliity and saying that he has more work to do to get where he needs to be? No, he was trying to make a veiled point with his repeated use of the word "employee".

 

What has he shown you in the past almost half decade to make you think that he has an ounce of mental toughness?

 

Any one with the name of Zuzu shouldn't being calling people soft. LOL!!!!

[A New Era]

That article and all of his comments about "being an employee" explain a lot about his mental makeup. The guy is soft.

 

What about those comments make him soft?

 

Did you hear him accepting responsibliity and saying that he has more work to do to get where he needs to be? No, he was trying to make a veiled point with his repeated use of the word "employee".

 

What has he shown you in the past almost half decade to make you think that he has an ounce of mental toughness?

 

How about actually going back on the mound after getting a 100MPH screaming line drive STRAIGHT to his right elbow. Seriously some people go waaay overboard with this "prior mental toughness" stuff. .

[Sammy Sofa]

That article and all of his comments about "being an employee" explain a lot about his mental makeup. The guy is soft.

 

What about those comments make him soft?

 

Did you hear him accepting responsibliity and saying that he has more work to do to get where he needs to be? No, he was trying to make a veiled point with his repeated use of the word "employee".

 

What has he shown you in the past almost half decade to make you think that he has an ounce of mental toughness?

 

How about actually going back on the mound after getting a 100MPH screaming line drive STRAIGHT to his right elbow. Seriously some people go waaay overboard with this "prior mental toughness" stuff. .

 

Or getting rocked on the basepath. Or pitching a huge amount his first full year. Nooooooooooo, "Prior's soft."

[CaliforniaRaisin]

That article and all of his comments about "being an employee" explain a lot about his mental makeup. The guy is soft.

 

What about those comments make him soft?

 

Did you hear him accepting responsibliity and saying that he has more work to do to get where he needs to be? No, he was trying to make a veiled point with his repeated use of the word "employee".

 

What has he shown you in the past almost half decade to make you think that he has an ounce of mental toughness?

 

How about actually going back on the mound after getting a 100MPH screaming line drive STRAIGHT to his right elbow. Seriously some people go waaay overboard with this "prior mental toughness" stuff. .

 

Or getting rocked on the basepath. Or pitching a huge amount his first full year. Nooooooooooo, "Prior's soft."

 

And getting right back on the mound after that collision.

[Mephistopheles]

well all this tells us is that prior doesnt listen to hawthorne heights and wear eyeliner.

 

Off topic, but who is that in your avatar these days?

 

gwen stefani

[don_kessinger_was_good]

Rather than jump all over the new guy poster for his "soft" comment on Prior, the facts seem to be that Prior is not mentally tough--or do you discount the many whispers to that effect from ball players and executives around the league? I think they have a better feel for it than posters on NSBB.

 

As for Prior's latest--surprising that it came from him, and not his Daddy--the contrast with Kerry Wood couldn't be any more stark. Prior is being demoted because he looks to be finished. Maybe he comes back strong again, but the history suggests this rarely happens with pitchers. The odds say the fork in Prior's back is large and permastuck there.

 

So what chaps MY hide on Prior is that the Cubs have paid this guy $20MM now for what amounts to one great season--4 long years ago. The Cubs made him a bonus baby, they've handled him with kid gloves since the very beginning. They avoided the temptation to trade him two years ago when fans cried loudly, despite the fact it would have been a brilliant trade after the fact (Prior for Tejada were the principals).

 

Don't the Cubs deserve a bit more respect from Poor Widdle Mark than his "I'm just an employee" crapola? I mean seriously...you're a shell of your former self, you were 1-6 with a skyhigh ERA last year, and the Cubs are paying you over $3.5MM again this year. How about you go to Iowa, shut the heck up, and show whether you have anything left? Because at this stage, you're closer to Mark Fidrych than Fergie Jenkins, pal. Grow up.

[Mephistopheles]

you dont get to this level if youre 'soft'

[CubColtPacer]

you dont get to this level if youre 'soft'

 

I disagree with that assertion-Ryan Leaf is one example of a player who made it to a similar level in another league and was most definitely soft.

[biittner77]

Rather than jump all over the new guy poster for his "soft" comment on Prior, the facts seem to be that Prior is not mentally tough--or do you discount the many whispers to that effect from ball players and executives around the league? I think they have a better feel for it than posters on NSBB.

 

What whispers? What executives? What players? Who specifically has called out Prior?

[CubinNY]

Rather than jump all over the new guy poster for his "soft" comment on Prior, the facts seem to be that Prior is not mentally tough--or do you discount the many whispers to that effect from ball players and executives around the league? I think they have a better feel for it than posters on NSBB.

 

As for Prior's latest--surprising that it came from him, and not his Daddy--the contrast with Kerry Wood couldn't be any more stark. Prior is being demoted because he looks to be finished. Maybe he comes back strong again, but the history suggests this rarely happens with pitchers. The odds say the fork in Prior's back is large and permastuck there.

 

So what chaps MY hide on Prior is that the Cubs have paid this guy $20MM now for what amounts to one great season--4 long years ago. The Cubs made him a bonus baby, they've handled him with kid gloves since the very beginning. They avoided the temptation to trade him two years ago when fans cried loudly, despite the fact it would have been a brilliant trade after the fact (Prior for Tejada were the principals).

 

Don't the Cubs deserve a bit more respect from Poor Widdle Mark than his "I'm just an employee" crapola? I mean seriously...you're a shell of your former self, you were 1-6 with a skyhigh ERA last year, and the Cubs are paying you over $3.5MM again this year. How about you go to Iowa, shut the heck up, and show whether you have anything left? Because at this stage, you're closer to Mark Fidrych than Fergie Jenkins, pal. Grow up.

 

You have got to be kidding me.

 

This post is the alpha and the omega.

 

It just doesn't get any better than this, folks

[CubColtPacer]

Rather than jump all over the new guy poster for his "soft" comment on Prior, the facts seem to be that Prior is not mentally tough--or do you discount the many whispers to that effect from ball players and executives around the league? I think they have a better feel for it than posters on NSBB.

 

What whispers? What executives? What players? Who specifically has called out Prior?

 

I don't know specifically (and btw, I am not one of the ones who are calling Prior soft in this thread or any other, although I do have my doubts)-but the guy is not making up stories that haven't been reported. Here's just one example of an article that points to that:

 

And the whispers have grown louder with each injury that Prior is too soft to take the rigors of being a major-league pitcher. Scouts scoff at how he seems overly protective of his prized arm. People he shared the clubhouse with whispered the same cutting critique -- a crude variation for being soft.

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/deluca/213815,CST-SPT-deluca17.article

[jmajew]

I don't like when people say I am an employee and I do what I'm told. It shows a lack of interest. If a player gets sent down to the minors he better be thinking, "those bastards don't know what they just did, I'm going to work my tail off to show them that they made a huge mistake."

 

There are only two roads Prior can take here. He can put his head between his legs and accept his fate or he can rise to the occassion and become the pitcher he once was.

 

With regards to Prior being soft that is all a bunch of BS. Prior is a tough son of a gun, who has lost all confidence. Give him some time to regain his confidence and he should be good to go. If he can't regain his confidence he will be gone.

[Abe Frohman]

I take back what I said earlier. After reading what Prior said in the article, to me it sounded like he was meaning that he was just another guy in the system who has to earn his way on the team. Just another employee. I guess that is giving him the benefit of the doubt. Didn't watch the interview, and may have a different opinion after that.

 

I hope he lights AAA up and comes back strong.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Rather than jump all over the new guy poster for his "soft" comment on Prior, the facts seem to be that Prior is not mentally tough--or do you discount the many whispers to that effect from ball players and executives around the league? I think they have a better feel for it than posters on NSBB.

 

Why is that? Why would someone who's employed for another team have a better handle on Prior's makeup than any Cub fan who follows the team closely?

 

Don't the Cubs deserve a bit more respect from Poor Widdle Mark than his "I'm just an employee" crapola? I mean seriously...you're a shell of your former self, you were 1-6 with a skyhigh ERA last year, and the Cubs are paying you over $3.5MM again this year. How about you go to Iowa, shut the heck up, and show whether you have anything left? Because at this stage, you're closer to Mark Fidrych than Fergie Jenkins, pal. Grow up.

 

This is ridiculous. If anything, Prior's taking the high road in not trying to make himself more important than anyone else who got sent down with the "employee" comment. I can't believe how many people are jumping him for this.

[SouthSideRyan]

A lot of players and executives are idiots.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

you dont get to this level if youre 'soft'

 

I disagree with that assertion-Ryan Leaf is one example of a player who made it to a similar level in another league and was most definitely soft.

 

Not a good comparison. Leaf didn't have to get promoted through 4 levels of minor league football.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Why do you bother, TT?

 

*Not talking about your most recent post.

[jmajew]

Rather than jump all over the new guy poster for his "soft" comment on Prior, the facts seem to be that Prior is not mentally tough--or do you discount the many whispers to that effect from ball players and executives around the league? I think they have a better feel for it than posters on NSBB.

 

Why is that? Why would someone who's employed for another team have a better handle on Prior's makeup than any Cub fan who follows the team closely?

 

Don't the Cubs deserve a bit more respect from Poor Widdle Mark than his "I'm just an employee" crapola? I mean seriously...you're a shell of your former self, you were 1-6 with a skyhigh ERA last year, and the Cubs are paying you over $3.5MM again this year. How about you go to Iowa, shut the heck up, and show whether you have anything left? Because at this stage, you're closer to Mark Fidrych than Fergie Jenkins, pal. Grow up.

 

This is ridiculous. If anything, Prior's taking the high road in not trying to make himself more important than anyone else who got sent down with the "employee" comment. I can't believe how many people are jumping him for this.

 

I just wish he wouldn't have used the "I'm an employee" line. If he would have said something like "This is what is best for the team right now and I understand, BUT i'm going to do my best to make sure this is not permanent."

 

It is clear he was just trying to be the good soldier, I just think that line shows a lack of desire. I know most people where I work say I'm just an employee there is nothing I can do because they are lazy and don't care.

[SouthSideRyan]

There are only two roads Prior can take here. He can put his head between his legs and accept his fate or he can rise to the occassion and become the pitcher he once was.

 

It doesn't matter either way he'll be roasted by those who made up their minds on him over a year ago.

 

DKWG managed to find a way to frame Prior's "putting his head between his legs" as him being overly cocky. Others will frame it as him not caring.(We call this the Corey Patterson method of hatred.)

 

If he got pissed and said he'll prove them wrong and pitch his way back, well obviously he's a spoiled brat who doesn't think his results should affect whether he's demoted or not. "I'm Mark Prior!!! Do you know who I am? You don't dare demote me!!"

[jmajew]

There are only two roads Prior can take here. He can put his head between his legs and accept his fate or he can rise to the occassion and become the pitcher he once was.

 

It doesn't matter either way he'll be roasted by those who made up their minds on him over a year ago.

 

DKWG managed to find a way to frame Prior's "putting his head between his legs" as him being overly cocky. Others will frame it as him not caring.(We call this the Corey Patterson method of hatred.)

 

If he got pissed and said he'll prove them wrong and pitch his way back, well obviously he's a spoiled brat who doesn't think his results should affect whether he's demoted or not. "I'm Mark Prior!!! Do you know who I am? You don't dare demote me!!"

 

I see your point. Prior is in a no win situation here. I just wish he would have said it in a calm tone that he understand this is best for the team and that this has made him more determined to get back to where he was. I don't see that as being defiant. I see it as being honest and respectful to the team.