mancowmilitia
6th Man
SLOB - Cubs
2005 / 2009 SLOB Champions
Posts: 966
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Post by mancowmilitia on May 31, 2006 13:35:19 GMT -4
Prior: Don't question my desire
By Paul Sullivan Chicago Tribune staff reporter
May 31, 2006
Mark Prior was visibly upset Tuesday with what he termed "whispers" about his alleged lack of desire to get back to the Cubs as quickly as possibly from his strained shoulder.
"How do I say this in a nice way?" he said. "It's stupid. I want to pitch. If I can throw the ball over the plate, I want to pitch. I don't care if it's at 60 [m.p.h.] or 95, I want to pitch. I can get people out, no matter how I do it. … People say he doesn't have the desire to come back. That's stupid. "Put it this way—it's not exactly fun to be sitting out in Mesa in April and May watching the team play and be out in the heat and be away from home. I mean, this is my home. I do live here. I want to play. I don't like being away from my team.
"If people want to be dumb and question my desire to play, then obviously they don't know me. And most of the time it's people who have never been around me and have never met me. Everybody is entitled to their opinions, but a lot of people don't think sometimes."
Prior hit 90 m.p.h. on the radar gun only once Monday in a two-inning, 44-pitch rehab outing at Class A Peoria. He typically throws a fastball in the mid-90s or higher but said he was "happy with the way the ball was coming out of my hands."
Both Prior and manager Dusty Baker said the Cubs were satisfied with his progress.
"I know we're a game or a society dictated on results," Prior said. "So obviously everyone wants, I don't know, a no-hitter through two innings or a guy not to hit a foul ball off you, but that's not my focus going out there. My focus is to work on things I needed to work on."
Will Prior need two or three more rehab starts?
"At this point, two more is not going to possibly be enough, so we'll see," Baker said. "Who knows? He could turn the corner and go five or six [innings] next time, or five or six the next time after that. Right now we're only going start to start."
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specialk1307
6th Man
SLOX Rockets & SLOR Bulls SLOC North Carolina & SLOB White Sox
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Posts: 756
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Post by specialk1307 on Jun 1, 2006 1:09:18 GMT -4
In all honesty I do not believe that Wood and Prior are the answers to the Cubs problems. But I may be biased as a white sox fan LOL. Barrett you fag
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mancowmilitia
6th Man
SLOB - Cubs
2005 / 2009 SLOB Champions
Posts: 966
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Post by mancowmilitia on Jun 1, 2006 6:41:51 GMT -4
Even though I'm a Cub fan, I really have no hatred for the White Sox. That being said, Pierzynski is the biggest prick in MLB. He deserved to be hit just for being himself. Heck, if I saw him walking down the street, I might have to go hit him myself. ;D
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specialk1307
6th Man
SLOX Rockets & SLOR Bulls SLOC North Carolina & SLOB White Sox
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Posts: 756
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Post by specialk1307 on Jun 1, 2006 23:06:14 GMT -4
yeah i am not arguing AJ is a prick. Just glad he is on my team LOL. He reminds me of Dennis Rodman.
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Post by John on Jun 9, 2006 7:38:52 GMT -4
Prior pitches well for Double-A Diamond Jaxx June 8, 2006 CBS SportsLine.com wire reports JACKSON, Tenn. -- Mark Prior allowed three runs and four hits in five innings of a rehab start for Double-A West Tennessee on Thursday night.
Prior, who has been on the Chicago Cubs' disabled list all season because of a sore right shoulder, helped the Diamond Jaxx to a 6-4 win over the Birmingham Barons.
The right-hander struck out four while his fastball was consistently clocked at 90 mph. Prior walked two batters and did not allow a hit after the second inning.
Prior allowed three hits in the first inning, including a three-run homer by Barons designated hitter Cory Aldridge.
This was Prior's first rehab start with the Diamond Jaxx after two starts earlier this year with Class A Peoria of the Midwest League.
His next start has yet to be confirmed, but Prior is expected to make at least one start next week with Triple-A Iowa before making his 2006 debut with the Cubs.
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Post by John on Jun 14, 2006 9:19:40 GMT -4
Prior allows one unearned run in strong rehab start June 13, 2006 CBS SportsLine.com wire reports METAIRIE, La. -- Chicago Cubs right-hander Mark Prior had the most effective start of his four rehab outings in the minors, holding the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs to four hits and one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings.
Prior, working his way back from a muscle strain in his right shoulder, walked one and struck out 10 in his first appearance for the Iowa Cubs. He did not get the decision in Iowa's 2-1 victory.
"I felt like with the stuff I had today I could definitely go out and compete," Prior said. "I could take this stuff to the big leagues and have something to work with. More than anything else right now, it's a question of endurance. I'll know more about that in 24 or 48 hours."
The Cubs will decide in the next few days if Prior, who threw 90 pitches -- including 63 strikes -- will make another start for Iowa or join Chicago for the first time this season. Prior was scheduled to join the Cubs on Wednesday and a decision on where he'll make his next start could come by Thursday.
Prior threw consistently between 90-92 mph.
"I threw the ball well in the strike zone," he said. "I threw the ball pretty much where I wanted to throw it and when I missed, I missed in the general location where I wanted to miss. I went after the hitters. I tried to pick up on their weaknesses right away and then exploit them."
Prior struck out the first four hitters he faced. The Zephyrs did not get a leadoff man on base until Alberto Castillo started the fifth with a walk, but Prior got Josh Labandeira to follow with a double-play grounder.
New Orleans scored an unearned run off Prior in the sixth. With one out, Henry Mateo reached on second baseman Mike Fontenot's fielding error and stole second. Ryan Church, batting .195, singled home Mateo.
Prior, who was scheduled to throw 90-100 pitches, had thrown 84 through six innings. He batted with the bases loaded and two out in the top of the seventh and struck out. He returned to the mound in the bottom of the inning and got the first two batters to strike out and ground out on six pitches, then left after his 90th pitch.
Most of the crowd of 7,456, nearly 5,000 of whom bought their tickets Tuesday, gave Prior a standing ovation and he tipped his cap as he walked to the dugout.
The Cubs rallied with two runs after he left.
In Prior's previous three rehab starts -- two at Class A Peoria and one at Class AA West Tennessee -- he was 1-1 with a 7.15 ERA. He got the loss in both of his Class A starts, giving up four hits and three runs -- two earned -- in two innings against Kane County, and allowing three hits and one run in five innings against Fort Wayne.
In his lone Double-A start last Thursday, Prior got the victory after holding Birmingham to four hits and three runs in five innings.
AP NEWS The Associated Press News Service
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Post by John on Jun 15, 2006 9:45:39 GMT -4
Decision on Prior could be made by Friday June 14, 2006 CBS SportsLine.com wire reports CHICAGO -- Mark Prior was sore Wednesday, one day after his best outing in four minor league rehabilitation starts, and still not sure when he'll make his season debut with the Chicago Cubs.
Prior allowed one unearned run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings for Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday night at New Orleans. He threw 90 pitches and struck out 10.
"I think we'll make a decision in the next couple of days," said Prior, who's been on the disabled list all season while recovering from a sore shoulder.
"My stuff I feel is fine, good enough to compete at this level. It's more of a question of stamina, where do I want to be as far as pitch count," he said.
Prior is scheduled to throw in the bullpen at Wrigley Field on Friday. If he feels ready and is cleared, he could start Sunday's game against the Detroit Tigers. He's also made two rehab starts at Single A and one at Double A.
"I'm probably more sore than I have been in other starts, but I think that's to be expected," Prior said. "Each time I've gone up a level and gone up pitch-wise."
Manager Dusty Baker said Prior will have a lot of input into when he pitches in the majors.
"He knows how he feels," Baker said. "If he is ready, he will pitch."
Prior has started each of the last three seasons on the DL with a variety of injuries, including those to his Achilles' tendon and elbow.
AP NEWS The Associated Press News Service
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