Mark Prior
Prior with the Cubs in 2005
San Diego Padres — No. 22
Pitcher
Born: September 7, 1980 (1980-09-07) (age 27)
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
May 22, 2002 for the Chicago Cubs
Selected MLB statistics (through 2006)
Wins-Losses	42 - 29
ERA	3.51
Strikeouts	757
Teams
Chicago Cubs (2002-2006) San Diego Padres (2008-present)
Highlights and awards
All-Star selection (2003)

Mark William Prior (born September 7, 1980 in San Diego, California, United States) is a starting pitcher for the San Diego Padres. His career has notably been muddled with injuries after a promising start which had pundits calling him a future superstar. Image File history File links Mark_prior. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 10, 14, 23, 26, 42 Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1871, 1874-1889) (a. ... Location Wrigley Field (Since 1916) Chicago, Illinois (Since 1876) 2005 Information Owner(s) Manager(s) Dusty Baker Local television CSN Chicago Superstation WCIU-TV Local radio WGN (AM) 720 Stats ESPN.com BB-reference The Chicago Cubs 2005 season was a season in American baseball. ... This article is about the player in baseball. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 142nd day of the year (143rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... In Major League Baseball, a win (denoted W) is generally credited to the pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when they last took the lead. ... In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. ... For the typographical mode indicating deleted text, see Strikethrough. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 10, 14, 23, 26, 42 Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1871, 1874-1889) (a. ... This year in baseball: 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 Events January-March January 8 - Ozzie Smith is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 2006 throughout the world. ... Major league affiliations National League (1969–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 6, 19, 31, 35, 42 Name San Diego Padres (1969–present) Other nicknames The Pads, The Friars, The Fathers, The Dads Ballpark PETCO Park (2004–present) Qualcomm Stadium (1969-2003) a. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 2008 throughout the world. ... The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the Midsummer Classic, is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the respective managers (from the previous years World... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... San Diego redirects here. ... This article is about the U.S state. ... In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher, often abbreviated as starter, is the pitcher who pitches the first pitch to the first batter of a game. ... Major league affiliations National League (1969–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 6, 19, 31, 35, 42 Name San Diego Padres (1969–present) Other nicknames The Pads, The Friars, The Fathers, The Dads Ballpark PETCO Park (2004–present) Qualcomm Stadium (1969-2003) a. ...

His repertoire of pitches includes a low to mid 90's fastball, a curveball, a slurve, and a changeup.-1... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Prior graduated from University of San Diego High School. He was originally drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1998 amateur draft, but they were unable to sign him to a contract. The USDHS Crest The University of San Diego High School (USDHS), also known as The University High School (UHS), and affectionately known as Uni, was a Catholic, co-educational, college preparatory secondary school located in San Diego, California. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 32, 37, 44, 49 Name New York Yankees (1913–present) New York Highlanders (1903-1912) Baltimore Orioles (1901-1902) (Also referred to as...

College career

He would go on to attend USC, where he won the Dick Howser Trophy (he attended his father's alma mater, Vanderbilt University, for his freshman year), given annually to the national collegiate baseball player of the year. After becoming a professional baseball player, he continued his education on a part-time basis and received a business degree from USC Marshall School of Business in 2004. He was part of a pitching rotation that also boasted current St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Anthony Reyes. The Trojan Shrine, better known as Tommy Trojan located in the center of University of Southern California campus. ... The Dick Howser Trophy is presented annually to the national College baseball player of the year, presented by the National College Baseball Writers Association. ... Vanderbilt redirects here. ... The Marshall School of Business (also known as USC Marshall School of Business) is the business school at the University of Southern California. ... Major league affiliations National League (1892–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 42, 42, 45, 85 Name St. ... Anthony Loza Reyes (born October 16, 1981 in Whittier, California) is a right-handed pitcher in the St. ...

Major League career

2001 draft

In 2001, Prior re-entered the draft, and was considered by some to be the top prospect, but the Minnesota Twins, who had the top pick, were warned that Prior didn't want to play for them. Fearing a tough signability problem, the Twins opted to take local talent catcher Joe Mauer, leaving Prior^[1] to be taken 2nd overall by the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs had also been considering drafting Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets' third baseman Mark Teixeira, who went fifth to the Texas Rangers. Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 6, 14, 29, 34, 42 Name Minnesota Twins (1961–present) Washington Nationals/Senators (1901-1960) Other nicknames The Twinkies Ballpark Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 1982-present Metropolitan Stadium (1961-1981) Griffith Stadium (1911-1960... Joseph Patrick Mauer (born April 19, 1983) is a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins. ... The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly known as Georgia Tech, is a public, coeducational research university, part of the University System of Georgia, and located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, with satellite campuses in Savannah, Georgia, Metz, France, Shanghai, China, and Singapore. ... The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. ... The position of the third baseman “Third base” redirects here. ... This article is about the Major League Baseball player. ... Major league affiliations American League (1961–present) West Division (1972–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 26, 34, 42 Name Texas Rangers (1972–present) Washington Senators (1961-1971) Other nicknames None in common use Ballpark Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (1994–present) a. ...

2003 season

In 2003, Prior finished third in the National League's Cy Young Award voting after compiling an 18-6 win-loss record despite missing three starts after an on-field collision with Atlanta Braves second baseman Marcus Giles. Prior and Giles had both been chosen to play in the 2003 All-Star Game, but were forced to miss the game as a result of their injuries. Prior and fellow right-handed pitcher Kerry Wood were dubbed "Chicago Heat" by Sports Illustrated, and the name stuck, as the twosome were dominant in leading the Cubs to an 88-win season and a division title. However, sportswriters and fans began to criticize Dusty Baker on the high-pitch count of the two pitchers. Despite the concerns, Prior and Wood continued to pitch high counts throughout the season. In 2003, Prior averaged 113.4 pitches per starts in regular season. In the month of September, Prior recorded 126 pitches per starts. Prior averaged another 120 pitches games in the Postseason and struggled with an injury next season. Pundits often blame Baker for ruining the careers of both pitchers. The following are the events of the year 2003 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... National league can refer to: National Basketball League, in the United States and Canada, which merged with the rival Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association National Football League, the major American football league in the United States National Hockey League, the major ice hockey league in... The Cy Young Award of the American League, 1983. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) East Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966–present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston... Marcus William Giles (born May 18, 1978 in San Diego, California) is a US Major League Baseball player. ... The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the Midsummer Classic, is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the respective managers (from the previous years World... Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977 in Irving, Texas) is an American baseball player. ... The first issue of Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1954, showing Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews at bat in Milwaukee County Stadium. ... Johnnie B. Dusty Baker, Jr. ...

After Prior's stint on the disabled list came to an end, he compiled a 10-1 record, and pitched against former Cub Greg Maddux in the first round of the playoffs. The Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves in the first round, but lost to the eventual World Series Champion Florida Marlins in the NLCS, despite a tightly contested seven game battle. Prior, who was the winner in Game 2, was on the mound for the infamous Steve Bartman/Moisés Alou foul ball incident in Game 6. At the time, the Cubs were nursing a three-run lead in the 8th inning, and were only five outs away from breaking the Curse of the Billy Goat. Instead Mark lost command of all of his pitches and threw the lead away with help from some shoddy defensive work behind him, most noticeably the booted double play grounder and error by Alex Gonzalez. Gregory Alan Maddux (born April 14, 1966) is a pitcher for the San Diego Padres. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) East Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966–present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston... Dates October 18, 2003–October 25, 2003 MVP Josh Beckett (Florida) Television network FOX Announcers Joe Buck and Tim McCarver Umpires Randy Marsh, Tim Welke, Larry Young, Ed Rapuano, Jeff Kellogg, Gary Darling The 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. ... Major league affiliations National League (1993–present) East Division (1993–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 5, 42 Name Florida Marlins (1993–present) Other nicknames The Fish Ballpark Dolphin Stadium (1993–present) a. ... In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series (NLCS) determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to baseballs championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. ... Steven D. Bartman (born 1977) [1] [2] is a resident of the Chicago area, who gained notoriety on the evening of October 14, 2003, for attempting a catch of a foul pop-up in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins... Moisés Rojas Alou (born July 3, 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a Dominican American All-Star outfielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the New York Mets. ... The Curse of the Billy Goat is an urban legend concerning various regular-season and postseason woes of the Chicago Cubs, a Major League Baseball team. ... For the present-day baseball infielder born in 1977, see Álex González (shortstop). ...

The Marlins built off of the miscue by scoring eight runs in the next inning and 2/3, and also went on to win the deciding Game 7 of that NLCS and ultimately beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. NLCS can refer to different things: North London Collegiate School, a girls school in North London. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 32, 37, 44, 49 Name New York Yankees (1913–present) New York Highlanders (1903-1912) Baltimore Orioles (1901-1902) (Also referred to as... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ...

2004 season

Prior was forced to miss the first two months of the 2004 season due to an achilles tendon injury. There were published reports stating that Prior would need reconstructive Tommy John surgery on his elbow, but both Prior and the Cubs flatly denied this, saying that his achilles tendon injury is the only reason he missed time in 2004. After coming off the disabled list Prior did not pitch up to expectations, leading to more speculation about the health of his arm. However, towards the end of the 2004 season, Prior seemed to return to form. Prior struck out a career high 16 Cincinnati Reds in his last start of the season. The following are the baseball events of the year 2004 throughout the world. ... This is about vertebrate anatomy. ... Tommy John surgery, known by doctors as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (or UCL), is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body (often from the forearm, hamstring, knee, or foot of the patient). ...

2005 season

Prior's 2005 season was again marred with numerous missed games due to injuries. After starting the season on DL again, he returned and pitched well in the early part of the season. However, on May 27, Prior was hit on his right (pitching) elbow by a 117-mph comeback line drive off the bat of Brad Hawpe, giving him a compression fracture. This sent him to another stint on the DL. Coincidentally, Hawpe, when playing for LSU in the 2000 College World Series, had hit a three-run home run off Prior that eliminated USC from contention that year. Prior finished the 2005 season with an 11-7 record in 27 starts. is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... In baseball, a batted ball can be called one of several various things, depending on how it comes off the bat and where in the field it lands. ... Bradley Bonte Hawpe (born June 22, 1979 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who has played for the Colorado Rockies since the 2005 season. ... For other uses, see LSU. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the main campus of the Louisiana State University System. ... The 2000 College World Series was held June 9 through June 17, 2000 in Omaha, Nebraska. ...

2006 season

During the 2005 off-season, after Nomar Garciaparra left the Cubs via free agency, Prior was mentioned as part of a possible deal for Baltimore Orioles's shortstop Miguel Tejada, but this trade did not come to pass. His bad luck would continue in Spring Training of 2006 when he was put on a slow throwing program. After feeling stiffness in his throwing shoulder, was diagnosed with a strained shoulder. He was placed on the 15 day disabled list, missing the first two months of the 2006 season. His 2006 debut came on June 18th, when he was shelled by the Detroit Tigers, giving up six runs in the first inning and lasted just 3.2 innings before being pulled. Prior was 0-4 in four starts with a 7.71 ERA, until he was once again put on the disabled list July 14, after straining his left oblique muscle while taking batting practice. He returned on July 21 to play against the Washington Nationals. He pitched 3.1 innings before he was pulled out of the game. Anthony Nomar Garciaparra[1] (born July 23, 1973, in Whittier, California)[2] is an American baseball player who currently plays third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers. ... Free agency can be: In Latter-day Saint theology, free agency is the name of the human capacity to make choices for themselves and to choose between right and wrong. ... This article is about the contemporary American major league baseball team. ... Miguel Odalis Tejada (born May 25, 1974 in Baní, Dominican Republic) is currently the shortstop of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball team. ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Major league affiliations National League (1969–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Washington Nationals (2005–present) Montreal Expos (1969-2004) Other nicknames The Nats Ballpark Nationals Ballpark (2008–present) RFK Stadium 2005-2007 Hiram Bithorn Stadium[3] (San Juan) (2003-2004) Olympic Stadium (Montreal) (1977...

On August 14, Prior was again placed on the disabled list (tendinitis) for the remainder of the season. He finished 2006 with a 1-6 record and a 7.21 ERA. is the 226th day of the year (227th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

2007 season

In the off-season, the Cubs reported that Prior suffers from a "loose shoulder" which leads to injuries and means he has to do more conditioning work. Being eligible for arbitration, Prior then proceeded to ask for a pay raise from his 2006 salary of $3.65 million to $3.875 million for 2007. The Cubs avoided arbitration with Prior when he settled for a one year $3.575 million contract for 2007.^[2]

Prior missed the rest of the 2007 season after going through season-ending surgery. After one start in the minors, which he won despite giving up 3 runs, Prior had Dr. James Andrews, a noted orthopedic surgeon^[3] perform "exploratory surgery" on his right shoulder, which, not surprisingly to the fans and media, showed Prior to have structural damage that the Cubs had never properly diagnosed or treated and Dr. Andrews immediately addressed the issues. Interestingly, the Cubs, for the first time in four years, have not counted on either Prior or Wood pitching a game, as waiting on the injury-plagued twosome had proven to be frustrating for the fans, teammates, and the coaching staff. In the offseason the Cubs signed lefty Ted Lilly from the Blue Jays and righty Jason Marquis from the rival Cardinals. Cubs GM Jim Hendry said that anything provided by Prior or Wood would be "gravy" and he hoped that this would come to fruition.^[4] In June of 2007, Prior was called up to the big league club from Iowa, in order to place him on the 60-day DL and keep him active on the roster. This gave the team more flexibility at the AAA level so that they could keep RHP Angel Guzman in the minors. While Wood made his return to the club on August 5, Prior was non-tendered on December 12 2007, ending his tenure with the Chicago Cubs. Dr. James Andrews is an orthopaedic surgeon, widely considered one of the foremost surgeons in the United States for knee, elbow, and shoulder injuries[1][2][3]. He is also credited with performing some of the very earliest arthroscopies[4]. Some of the most common procedures performed by Dr. Andrews... Cubs may refer to The Chicago Cubs baseball team The Wolf Cubs; the junior age group of the Scouting movement This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Theodore Roosevelt Ted Lilly (born January 4, 1976 in Lomita, California), is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. ... Jason Scott Marquis (born August 21, 1978, in Manhasset, New York), is an American Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. ... Cubs GM Jim Hendry Jim Hendry (born July 27, 1955, Dunedin, Florida) is the Vice President/General Manager of the Chicago Cubs. ... Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977 in Irving, Texas) is an American baseball player. ... is the 217th day of the year (218th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The San Diego Padres were rumored to pursue him in the offseason [1] and Prior reciprocated his interest in San Diego, where he resides during the offseason [2]. The Astros, Reds, Nationals, Mets, and Yankees were other interested teams.

On December 26th, 2007, Prior agreed to a contract with the San Diego Padres. It is a $1 million, one-year, incentive-laden deal.[3] When the 2008 season arrived, he had hoped to pitch again by May or June, but a shoulder tear at the end of May required surgery that forced Prior to miss his second consecutive season.

Injuries

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube