Prior to Miss Entire Season

[Shmee]

ESPN Article

CHICAGO -- Oft-injured Chicago Cubs pitcher Mark Prior will miss the entire 2007 season after surgery on his right shoulder, the biggest setback yet in his once-promising career.

The 26-year-old Prior had surgery Tuesday by noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. Andrews also worked on Prior's rotator cuff.

Prior has been beset by injuries since his first full season in the majors in 2003, when he almost pitched Chicago into its first World Series since 1945.

Prior was not on the Cubs' active roster to start the year and was optioned to Triple-A Iowa after a poor spring training. He instead went to extended spring training in Arizona, but pitched only two innings there April 12 before reporting discomfort in his shoulder.

The right-hander went to Dr. Lewis Yocum in California before going to see Andrews, who told Prior last October he had genetic looseness in his shoulder joints.

Prior is 42-29 with a 3.51 ERA in the majors. He made just nine starts last year for the Cubs after three trips to the disabled list and took a slight pay cut this season, from $3.65 million to $3.575 million.

Prior finished third in NL Cy Young voting in 2003, when he 18-6 with a 4.24 ERA and struck out 245 in 211 1/3 innings. He was the overall No. 2 pick in the 2001 draft by the Cubs.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

[TFoA]

Mark Prior is injured?! And out for the whole season?!

This is definitely a suprise.

[zig]

I hate that this always happens. I stinks that he has talent but there is always and injury in his way.

[PeytonManningRocks]

.....and in other news the sun rose in the east, the US is at war, and the Cubs still have not won a World Series.......

[FiddySicks]

Gahh just cut the guy, count your losses, and move on. Im getting sick of hearing about how Prior and Wood "Were going to be" so great. Seriously, when did baseball stop being a business?

[EatSleepJeep]

Larry Rothschild is a blight on society at large.

[Billy B]

The Cubs suck.

[eriqjaffe]

This is definitely a suprise.

The surprising part is that the Cubs are no longer attempting to sugar-coat the situation and imply that the situation isn't that bad, which had been their M.O. for the past couple injury-plagued seasons.

[CS85]

Mark Prior needs to go bye-bye.

[Lee.]

I think I speak for all Cubs fans as well as myself when I say, "okay."

This team needs a GM who knows how to stock a minor league system.

[no97]

See, I think you're missing the entire point by posting such a generic story from ESPN...

Here's what I mean. The feeling with a lot of Cubs fans has been that Prior is a head case. Look at it this way: He's had "general loose-ness" in his shoulder, but nothing that can be realy seen in an MRI. In fact, this surgery yesterday wasn't even to specifically address any known injury, rather, it was termed exploratory surgery when it was announced on Monday. To me, that says the Cubs are sick of hearing about the fact that there's nothing wrong with his arm, and either they go in and find out for sure, or his career is over, period. Now, after the surgery, they actually have a diagnosis.

Now, don't get me wrong... I'm not saying I think he'll be back next year, and as good as 2003, just that it was almost a relief that there was something wrong with the shoulder, as he realy had gotten that "head case" label to a lot of fans...

Moose

[patsox]

shocker.

[HedleyLamarr]

I wonder if that collision he had with Marcus Giles a week or so before the 2003(?) All-Star Break was the starting point of his downfall?

[Shumway]

I have a feeling that a goat or someone named Bartman ruined Prior's arm.

[Joshawaggie]

And people crticized the Twins for taking Mauer over Prior out of "convenience" .

[IronChefShark]

I have a feeling that a goat or someone named Bartman ruined Prior's arm.

I thought Kevin Mitchell ate that goat before the 1989 NLCS

[CS85]

I just don't like to waste any more time paying guys who can't stay healthy.

[EatSleepJeep]

And people criticized the Twins for taking Mauer over Prior out of "convenience" .

They did. Instead of 'criticized' I think 'crucified' might be better word to use here.