Kuzul

OK, stop me if you’ve heard this one…

“So the Yankees signed Mark Prior and Andruw Jones? That would be amazing…if it was 2004!”

Ugh. If I had a dollar for every time I saw a variation of that joke posted on Twitter this week, I would probably have, easily, $24.

I mean, I get it. The fact that the Yankees signed both men during this offseason left the door wide open for this sort of commentary, but come on, people. With the AFC title game coming up, can’t we cook up some good Ben Roethlisberger-is-a-female-terrorist jokes instead?

I’m not against bad jokes. I love bad jokes. This blog may best be explained as one bad joke. But it’s the repetition of this particular bad joke that has me close to a Randy Quaid-level public meltdown.

Prior, of course, was signed back in December to a minor league contract. The Yankees aren’t exactly out on a limb here. It’s unlikely the right-hander will ever regain the electric stuff that made him a sensation at Wrigley Field, but at just 30, he’s young enough where you can justify giving him a shot to resurrect his career.

God knows the Yankees need all the options they can get, the way the bottom of their rotation is shaping up. Did you know they have a dude named Sergio in line for 32 starts? It’s a known fact that dudes named Sergio are good at only two things: 1) Chasing down tail and 2) Playing extended saxophone solos. Notice quality starts weren’t included there.

Jones, meanwhile, is another low-risk/decent-reward acquisition. What needs to be understood here is that Brian Cashman—I assume Cashman made this move, but who knows at this point—doesn’t expect Jones to hit 51 homers and play Gold Glove center field in the Bronx. Andruw Jones doesn’t have to be Andruw Jones anymore—he just needs to be a defensively superior version of Marcus Thames.

After you recalibrate the expectations, the move makes a lot more sense.

Now, it’s entirely possible Jones shows up in Tampa with the build of Rex Ryan. You cannot discount Andruw Jones’ hunger for life, and when I say “hunger for life,” I really just mean hunger. Dodgers fans can attest to this…the man had to be airlifted out of Joe Torre’s clubhouse three years ago.

But if Jones decides to show discipline and do the twilight of his career right, he can serve an important role in New York while also giving himself a shot to get back on the Hall of Fame radar.

It’s easy to forget now, but Jones was a historically good player before the bottom mysteriously dropped out in 2008. As Jon Heyman pointed out on Twitter, Jones is one of only four players to win 10 Gold Gloves and hit 400 homers, joining Ken Griffey Jr., Willie Mays and Mike Schmidt. That’s a fraternity of two jerks and a guy who bawled like a little girl during his retirement press conference, but it’s an impressive fraternity nonetheless.

At-bats may seem hard to come by for Jones now, but a fourth outfielder always ends up getting his fair share of PT. Look at Thames, a roster afterthought last spring who ended up appearing in 82 games for the Yankees in 2010.

In closing, Prior and Jones won’t decide the Yankees’ fate the way a Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia or A.J. Burnett probably will. But they’re veterans with a track record. If they can stay upright—for Prior that means out of the trainer’s room and for Jones out of the fridge—they can be key contributors at a low cost.

And that’s why Brian Cashman made these moves. Assuming, of course, Mr. Cashman is still on the grid. Blink twice if you’re in danger, Brian.

Dan Hanzus writes three columns a week on his New York Yankees site, River & Sunset. He can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

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The New York Yankees have an abundant amount of money to spend after losing out on signing Cliff Lee, who went to the Philadelphia Phillies.

All possible options will be tried, as cash is never short in New York and especially when the team is in need. Nobody puts Baby in the corner; not the Phillies, not Lee and certainly not a lack of free agents.

So, when the news came that the Yankees signed pitcher Mark Prior to a one-year minor league contract, the possibility of what Prior was and could be started to cause butterflies in my stomach.

Back in 2002, when Prior debuted with the Chicago Cubs, the level of excitement could only be compared to that of Washington Nationals phenom Steven Strasburg.

Yes, Prior was that good. At just 22 years old, he was joining team ace Kerry Wood, and in 2003 they made a tandem of the best one-two punch in the majors.

That season Sports Illustrated dubbed them the “Chicago Heat” and it was well deserved. Combined, Wood and Prior posted 522 strikeouts, seven complete games and three shutouts over a total of 422 innings in 2003.

Prior finished with a 2.43 ERA, was named to the All-Star team, finished third in the NL CY Young voting and ninth in the NL MVP. Wood posted a 3.20 ERA, leading the Cubs to 88 wins and a division title.

Cubs manager Dusty Baker was frivolous with his two stars, as fans voiced concerns about the constant high pitch counts. Prior was averaging 113+ pitches during that 2003 regular season, and the number jumped to 126 in September through the postseason.

Baker’s irresponsibility clearly was at fault and he is the reason for all the anal pitch counts across baseball with young prospects. After that 2003 season, neither half of the “Chicago Heat” did anything except be on the DL and Chicago fans were devastated but blamed it on the curse of the Cubs franchise.

Wood was about four years older then Prior, so he managed to hang out in the bullpen but Prior imploded by 2006 and hasn’t pitched in the majors since.

Yankee fans are familiar with Wood, after he joined the pinstripes post All-Star break last season and dominated as the team’s eighth inning pitcher.

For Cubs fans, it was déjà vu because Wood not only dominated, but also stayed healthy through the end of the 2010 season.

Yankee fans’ relationship with Wood was an immediate love affair and I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t want Wood back in 2011.

Presumably I expect to hear that Wood is back within days, confirmed the minute GM Brian Cashman announced the signing of Prior.

Cashman well knows that these two are not going be the “Chicago Heat” ever, but Cashman’s genesis behind it could be brilliant.

If Prior can be as good as Wood in the Yankees bullpen, the “New York Heat” could have a major impact in a huge way.

The humbled “Middle-Men,” also known as the bullpen or the set-up guys, hold such a critical role for every team across baseball. Being dominant in the seventh and eighth innings is without question a game-changer in any situation.

If this little experiment works out, Cashman would be deemed a literal genius. Even if it fails, Wood is still solid and Prior cost the Yankees under $1 million, which is literal pocket change.

This should give Yankee fans some comfort because Cashman is going to try any and every formula possible to make sure the 2011 team can win again.

It’s nice to know that hasn’t changed.

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We all love a comeback story.

Weeks back I wrote a story about Mark Prior, the former first-round pick forced to suck up his pride and start from scratch.

Prior was the next big thing. 

Before Stephen Strasburg, before Aroldis Chapman and his 200 mph fastball, there was Mark Prior.

Prior had all the tools: the arm, the mechanics, and for what it’s worth, the “it” factor.  Just like another big thing in the NFL, Matt Leinart, Prior was the main attraction at USC. 

His phenomenal junior season was profiled on the cover of Baseball America. 

People say they can remember where they were when something special happens.

My dad was seven years old when Bobby Thompson hit the “Shot Heard ‘Round The World”. When I ask him to tell me that story, for the “umpteenth time”, it never gets old.

  My dad was on his way to English class when the janitor gave him the news.  To this day, nearly 60 years after the fact, it was like it was yesterday.

When Prior graced the cover of Baseball America, and rumors were rampant about a $10 million contract, I was somewhere in middle America playing out my final days as a professional with the Gateway Grizzlies.  I remember calling my dad on a payphone (when people still used payphones) and told him about this phenom.

Interesting how things play out, and what you remember after all these years.

Fast-forward to 2010, the multi-millionaire who just turned 30 made enough of an impression with the Orange County Flyers that the Texas Rangers signed him to a minor league contract with their Oklahoma affiliate.

Why did the Rangers pick up an Indy pitcher?

One reason: Dominance

In 11 innings Prior has not given up an unearned run, holding opponents to a .143 batting average and striking out 22 of 44 batters.

Good for him.  For someone that many have called a bust, this is his chance to make amends, to prove the naysayers wrong. 

Personally I hope Prior succeeds.  It will be tough though. PCL hitters are not Golden Baseball League hitters and vice-versa.

He has faced adversity and overcome it. The only thing left for Prior is to put all the pieces together and become that prodigy that everyone has been patiently waiting for.

This article can also be found on The GM’s Perspective

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The Texas Rangers have signed yet another hard throwing arm for their pitching staff. Well, at least when he was first called up he had great start to his career with that arm before it fell apart. Mark Prior has reportedly signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers, according to Fort Worth Star Telegram’s Jeff Wilson. 

He states that the deal will not just run through 2010, but could be intact for the long-term on his Twitter page. 

The Rangers have added yet another fragile arm to their staff as Prior has been cursed with injuries. They signed Rich Harden, who is always injury prone, this past offseason. Cliff Lee has been very hard working these last few years and he doesn’t exactly look like the type of pitcher that can take a ton of work in such a short amount of time. 

Prior has come back to the public spotlight as his name was being thrown around when Stephen Strasburg was shut down for the next year. Prior has unofficially been donned as the dictionary definition of blowing a young arm. 

When Prior came up to the Major Leagues, he was one of the most hyped up prospects in recent baseball history. The Cubs and their fans could not wait to have him on the team and called him up quickly. He pitched like an ace, but injuries would quickly catch up to him. 

Some of the injuries have been odd including the most recent one where he was shut down for a few weeks due to getting hit during batting practice. But, he could have put those injuries behind him recently as he has been pitching well in the Independent League. 

The last time Prior was seen in the Major Leagues, he was with the Chicago Cubs and went 1-6 with a 7.21 ERA. Kerry Wood was like Mark Prior’s twin when with the Cubs. Both were injury prone most of the time, but threw very hard. 

Kerry Wood has found success with the New York Yankees in 2010. Mark Prior still has that chance for success, as he is only 29 and could turn things around. 

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The last time Mark Prior took the mound in a major league game, it was August 10th, 2006 against the Milwaukee Brewers. He lasted just three innings that day as he gave up four hits, five walks, and four earned runs.

Since that day and a lot of shoulder issues later, Prior has done everything he could to possibly pitch on a major league again. He even pitched in the independent Golden Baseball League to prove he could still pitch in the majors.

Prior hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2006

Now after Friday, Prior is one step closer to pitching on a major league mound again.

The Texas Rangers signed the 29-year-old Prior to a minor league contract yesterday. He will report to Triple-A today.

While Prior was a starter many moons ago, he is now trying to make it as a reliever. While playing for the Orange County Flyers of the before mentioned Golden Baseball League, Prior had a 0.00 ERA with 22 K’s, five hits, and five walks in 11 IP—all in relief.

It will be very interesting to see if Prior has anything left. It’s hard to judge his accomplishments for the Flyers because the independent leagues are nothing to write home about. As someone who has sat through a Long Island Ducks and Newark Bears game, the talent level at that level is a cross between Double-A and Triple-A.

Regardless of whether or not Prior succeeds, I think his comeback is a testament to his love of the game. To go through the amount of injuries he has and still want to pitch is pretty amazing.

By the way, did you know that Prior’s teammate in Orange County was Byung-Hyun Kim? The last time we saw Kim was in 2007 with the Florida Marlins. Of course Kim’s career officially ended in 2001 when the New York Yankees ripped his heart out twice in the World Series.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Making the rounds right now is the news that Stephen Strasburg will likely have to undergo Tommy John surgery, meaning he would miss the rest of 2010, but also all of 2011. This is bad not just for Strasburg and the Nationals, but for baseball as well. The most hyped prospect since, well, another pitcher who will show up on this list, he was set for great things.

Instead, we are left wondering if he will be the same after his injury. This is not an uncommon occurrence, sadly. Many pitchers started off with amazing careers, only to befall injury and have to retire early, or perhaps worse, pitch on as a shell of their former selves. Ten pitchers in this list had great starts to their careers, but fizzled out quickly due to various reasons.

It’s a list that Strasburg, we are all hoping, will not end up on.

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It’s no secret that Mark Prior has talent.

That’s never been a problem for the one-time ace. It’s been injuries that have plagued the Southern California native.

So, why would any team be interested in the former flamethrower?

If you’re St. Louis Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, you should. Not because the Cardinals lack starting pitching. Far from it.

St. Louis currently has one of the most solid starting rotations in the National League, headed by aces Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, and complimented by strong rookie pitcher Jaime Garcia and workhorse Jake Westbrook.

Instead, the Cardinals should attempt the most radical move of this season—making Mark Prior a relief pitcher.

When I first contemplated this idea, I thought I was crazy, as you probably do now. The Cardinals’ biggest need is at third base, and Prior isn’t going to help them there.

But the more I thought about it, the less crazy I seemed. At least to myself.

Didn’t Kerry Wood also have an injury history? And what did the Cubs do? They moved him to the bullpen, and in 2008, Wood was an All-Star closer.

Could Mark Prior do the same? I think so.

If Prior is willing to accept the league minimum to pitch out of the ‘pen for a playoff contender, I could see him returning to the major leagues. If he’s willing to grow a beard, he could pitch out of the ‘pen for the Cardinals.

Experts seem to agree that Prior’s injuries stemmed from mechanical flaws, part of a delivery that resembles those of Kris Benson and Stephen Strasburg. With Dave Duncan, the best pitching coach around, kinks in pitching mechanics can be worked out.

After losing Jason Motte to the 15-day DL, the Cardinals are now relying on Mike MacDougal’s fastball for strikeouts in big situations. When it comes to the big situations in the midst of a close race, or the playoffs, can you afford to trust MacDougal?

Prior is just signed on to pitch for the Orange County Flyers of the Golden Baseball League, a long way from St. Louis. Will he be able to pitch in big situations? Who knows?

I’m not saying they should insert him into the closer’s role. Sign him to a minor-league deal, and work him in to games slowly. If it works out, St. Louis has a good relief pitcher and Prior fulfills his dream of returning to the bigs. If not, no big deal, the Cardinals lose $40,000, and Prior heads home to SoCal.

In a recent workout at his alma-mater USC, a veteran major league scout said Prior was “just all right.”

Call me crazy, but for a bullpen that currently boasts Fernando Salas, “just all right” could be just what they need.

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Once regarded as the next “next big thing”, Mark Prior had expectations set so high, one could always wonder if those highs could ever be met.

Compared to 2010’s newest phenom Stephen Strasburg, Prior’s ascension to fame peaked during his junior year at USC as he went 15-1, 1.70 ERA in 18 starts with 202 strikeouts in 138 innings.

All signs pointed to Prior as a success—unspoiled mechanics with the stamp of approval from pitching Guru Tom House.

As we all know, anything can happen in this game and can’t miss prospects more often than not, miss, and unknowns become legendary.

By all means, Prior’s career started out true to form, going 24-12 with an ERA hovering around 2.74 and 392 strikeouts in 328 innings.  When all is said and done, those first two MLB seasons were the highlight of Prior’s career.

From 2004 through 2006, Prior recorded 18 wins coupled with 18 losses and ended ’06 giving up 35 runs in 46 innings.

Needless to say, the Chicago Cubs No. 1 pick in 2001 was out of baseball.

Five years later—and without a doubt, countless hours of rehab behind him—Prior is attempting what many professionals do,  a comeback.

However, this comeback is not with a minor league affiliate, or playing overseas, it begins in the Golden Baseball League and the Orange County Flyers.

The 29 year-old Prior, who worked out for Flyer’s Manager Paul Abbot, was scheduled to pitch in the second game of doubleheader against the Victoria Seals on August 3.

Prior did pitch in that game, throwing a scoreless frame while racking up his first strikeout.

Working his way back up to “the show” is where Prior wants to be, but for now small steps and getting batters out is his priority.

“I want to get back out there and get some competitive games under my belt,” said Prior.  “It’s been a few years with a couple shoulder surgeries.  I finally feel that I’m at a point now that I can go out, compete and get guys out, so that’s the first step.”

This article can also be found on The GM’s Perspective

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You have been hearing about Stephen Strasburg since he burst onto the scene throwing fireballs at San Diego State.

The hype has been building ever since he was taken first overall in the MLB draft last season by the Washington Nationals.

Well, guess what?

The wait ends tomorrow, when Strasburg is expected to finally make his major-league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 21-year-old certainly will feel the pressure in front of a sold-out crowd and a full media lineup (over 200 press releases requested).

You will have to tune in tomorrow night to see if he actually lives up to the hype in his first performance, but rare is the athlete who lives up to the enormous expectations that tower over him.

With the ESPN machine running in overdrive these days, there is no shortage of hype for phenom athletes making their debut on the big stage in the past decade.

So where does Strasburg’s debut rank on this list?

Note: These are professional debuts in America, not debuts for a new team (Brett Favre the past two seasons, A-Rod in New York, etc.) or after a long layoff (I’m looking at you, Tiger).

And unfortunately, a lot of deserving hyped players were left of this list. Feel free to let me know who you think belongs here.

Now, let the hype begin.

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Stephen Strasburg was drafted by the Washington Nationals last year with the first pick in the Rule 4 Draft.

Fans, scouts, and players say he has the best stuff they have ever seen. Every eye was on him as he progressed through the Minor Leagues. Some said that he could have just skipped the Minors.

The Washington Nationals made an announcement that Strasburg would be starting on June 8th against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

He has the potential to become the next Randy Johnson or Roger Clemens.

But there is one thing that might hold Strasburg back, and maybe even end his career—his windup. 

When he delivers a pitch, his arms make an M, as shown above. Ring a bell?

Mark Prior anyone?—He seemed to be a player born to dominate baseball throughout his career, but after one strong season, injuries kept him from making some starts, and it ended his active career. He is now a free agent.

Could this be the same fate for Stephen Strasburg?

All the money, cameras, and scouting wasted on a busted player?

Because Prior has had healthy seasons, there is hope.

People ask, why not just change his windup. Fat chance.

You would not tell a first year pro baseball pitcher to change his windup completely when you have dominated like he has through Double and Triple-A and threw a no-hitter in college.

Nationals fans: let’s just hope for the best. 

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