Friday, March 23, 2007

85 to 93

Well it looks as though the kid is alright, health wise that is. No pitcher goes from throwing 85 mph in one start, then follows it up with 93 mph in the next one if he's hurt. It seems that Mark Prior yesterday finally has had enough. Like the kid in grade school that just is teased unmercifully, Prior has finally remembered he's got a "Y" chromosome and, isn't going to take it anymore.

Actually I believe Prior hasn't been as motivated by words in the press as by his own dissatisfaction of what's transpired this spring. Sometimes life's changes good or bad, can come at you pretty damn fast and when your career path had done nothing but go in a straight line UP, most people have trouble adjusting. It's certainly true that many of Prior's injuries, although not of the magnitude of his teammate's Kerry Wood, have been legitimate. The collision with Marcus Giles in 2003 probably separated or came close to separating Prior's shoulder. The line drive off the bat of Brad Hawpe that hit Prior flush in the elbow was no make believe injury either.

The point is, Prior may very well be a little bit of a head case, he does hail from California not Texas after all, but he also was definitely abused like Wood, by "In Dusty We Trusty," makes you just want to hurl doesn't it. Prior's had every doctor from Dr Frank Jobe to Dr Joyce Brothers, give him a clean bill of health and it just looks like Prior has had a hard time believing it.

Prior's performance yesterday showed us and him two very important things. One, is that potential when unrealized can be spelled with FOUR letters and they're not STUD. Two, is that the shoulder is really healthy.

Prior may never be a damn the torpedo's and full steam ahead type of guy, but there is no doubt that healthy, he can DOMINATE!


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Give me a break Clute. The dude hits 93 a few times on the gun, and now he's "back". Just think about what your saying dude.

Klute said...

Don't be a hater AG.

The point I was making is not that he was back, but that the shoulder is healthy. You don't just throw mid 80's in one start and throw in the 90's the next if you're hurt.

Give him a few more starts to work on his mechanics and control and he'll dominate. He just didn't forget to pitch after all. If Prior feels he can let it loose without incident, he'll be fine.

CCD said...

Clute, after further examination didn't they say he topped out at 89? Maybe the MPH isn't worth worrying about. But I'm still worried.

Klute said...

CCD-

I've since read and heard the same thing about 89mph vs 93mph. But I watched that game and there was no mistake about how effective he was against their hitters.