What has the early feel of a meant-to-be season again put “Cubs” and “blessed” in the same giddy sentence Tuesday. This time they fell into the most dominant single-season collegiate pitcher of all time. In franchise impact this could be like having the first pick the year Shaquille O’Neal became draftable.
Repeat: Could be.
Of course the Cubs’ good fortune could cost them a small fortune. Minnesota, owned by tightwad billionaire Carl Pohlad, had the No. 1 pick but opted not to meet the demands of USC right-hander Mark Prior for “a landmark deal that could upset the industry,” said the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Prior reportedly wants what the Yankees gave Michigan quarterback Drew Henson–a possible No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL draft–to commit to baseball. If so the negotiations start at $18 million for four years.
Yet if this Next Ryan-Seaver-Clemens is two-thirds as good as projected, $18 million for four would be the biggest bargain since Brock for Broglio. After all catcher Todd Hundley, slumping under .200, is in the first year of a four-year, $23.5 million deal. That’s probably why club President Andy MacPhail didn’t flinch this time. MacPhail–son and grandson of Hall of Fame executives, architect of two small-market World Series winners in Minnesota and dedicated defender of frugal spending–knows a steal when he sees one.
Some say Prior already is better than Kerry Wood. Those who know Prior best say the Cubs won’t be able to keep him out of their rotation this season. I say I have one nagging concern no bigger than Augie Ojeda.
It stems from my respect for the teaching of Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan and former big league pitcher and pitching coach Tom House. The two have written books and made videos together. House runs a pitching school in San Diego for which Ryan consults.
Prior’s father, a financial adviser in San Diego, sent young Mark to House as a high school sophomore. Two years later Prior was drafted with the 43rd pick by the Yankees but chose to play at Vanderbilt, where his father once was an offensive lineman. Mark was a freshman flop, going 4-8. He transferred to USC. He began his sophomore year 5-6 before climbing back to 10-7.
Nobody was talking about the Next Nolan Ryan. Prior finally became serious about committing mind and body to Ryan and House. Endurance running, pitcher-designed lifting, moderate use of creatine, nutrition cleanup, mechanical tune-up, grip changes, mental makeover, strategy sessions–perhaps no college pitcher ever has had more advanced training and teaching.
Into House’s jet propulsion lab went Prior. Out came a 6-foot-5-inch, 220-pounder who was a virtual big leaguer among student-athletes.
Some old-school baseball rockheads laugh off House as a nutty professor. Ryan considers House years ahead of his time. Enough said.
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“Mark had adversity,” House said by phone. “He had a great arm, but he was functionally weak–6-5 and about 120 pounds. So he took the best of traditional baseball wisdom, sports science and contemporary knowledge and became a man among boys. The gene pool produces lots of great arms, but the preparation this kid goes through is right there with what Nolan did. Lots of 5:30 wakeup calls.”
With a fastball that occasionally hit 97 m.p.h., a hard curve and a changeup, Prior has gone 14-1 with 189 strikeouts and just 15 unintentional walks in 131 2/3. That’s a Guinness Book 12.6 strikeouts per walk. That’s throwing supersonic darts past aluminum bats.
Surely that’s as much rare talent as rare teaching. But when you consider how many high-pick college pitchers never measured up to their buildup–from Pete Broberg to Paul Wilson–you can’t help wonder if Prior is somewhat a product of Ryan/House and a Pac-10 without nearly the pro prospects it traditionally has had. For more proof it’s ridiculous the draft isn’t held after the College World Series. Would the NBA draft before the Final Four, the NFL before the bowl games? Now only Prior’s negotiating leverage rides on his big-stage performance.
“No he’s the real deal,” House said. “His mechanics are so good that I wouldn’t be concerned about how many innings he has pitched. I’d find a way to get him in the big leagues before the summer is over. He would make some experience mistakes. But he could handle it physically and emotionally.”
If Prior is the real deal, June 5, 2001, will go down in Cubs history.