Wednesday, April 25, 2007

For Some Reason I'm Not Surprised...


The Chicago Cubs announced this week that their former ace pitcher, Mark Prior, will undergo exploratory arthroscopic surgery on the right shoulder that has plagued his career. After spending at least some time on the disabled list every year since he was called up to the majors by the Cubs in May of 2002, Prior and the Cubs organization decided it's time that something gets done. Why it took them five years to decide this needed to happen is beyond me.

"Hopefully, Dr. Andrews can go in there and find something that isn't major and hopefully help Mark's career get back on track," Hendry said.

Being a longtime and loyal Cubs fan, even through the absolutely terrible times of the mid and late 90s, and also including last year and this season so far, its not hard for me to admit that the organization as a whole are idiots. I have loved the moves GM Jim Hendry has made, bringing in Piniella to manage, Soriano, DeRosa, Izturiz, all great moves that have improved the team.

What I have never understood is their inability to keep pitchers healthy. Most Notably, of course, is the troubled careers of former dominant pitchers Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. If I were in the Cubs' organization, I would find a little more time in my busy schedule to get my two best pitchers back to 100% health as fast and efficiently as I could. I struggle to find the logic in letting them try to work it out or rest it for five years before something gets done about it.

Considering everything I've ever read or hear about, I find it very troublesome that you wouldn't do everything you could right away to fix these ailing hurlers. It angers me when I hear that in their prime, Prior and Wood were said to the have absolute worst mechanics in baseball, but because they were doing so well Cubs officials decided not to fix their minor technical errors in order to perhaps save another mediocre-at-best Cubs season.

Now, four or five years down the road, these dominant pitchers whose mechanics didn't need to be altered because they were so good, have hardly pitched in 15 games combined in 3 years. Maybe mechanics did play a role in it...I just hope someone's learned a lesson before Carlos Zambrano's arm falls off.

6 comments:

EHanover said...

lets go Brewers

Tooch said...

Mark Prior might just go down as one of the biggest busts in MLB history. Sure the guy nearly took the Cubs to the World Series in 2003 (Thank you curse/Steve Bartman/Alex Gonzalez), but since then he hasn't done anything. I'd call him a has-been for that very reason, but he's damn near a never-was.

mstredne said...

I think the cubs are a joke; or at least the NL version of the Yankees. They broke the bank on offensive talents but their bullpen is the weakest in the divison. The cubs will not be able to put up 7+ runs every outing and thats why they are losing games. Oh and where is the Future Cy Young at? 6+ ERA. Give me a break.

ccrohan said...

I am a fan of the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox. Mark Prior is a bust and Cubs fans should stop living in the past. Mark Prior best pitched in the league in his hay day blah blah blah, Kerry Wood another 20Ks blah blah blah, Ron Santo in the HoF blah blah blah. That's all I ever hear. Go CHi Sox

JJ McGraw said...

For all you Cubs fans out their...I don't even know why you bother with them or even give a half ass....The Cubs have, are, and will continue to always experience misfortune as long as they name their profesional team after a bear....and do i even need to mention football.

Michael Bell said...

Haha. Oh those loveable losers. The last time the Cubs won a World Series the Soviet Union hadn't even formed yet.