Mark Prior's pitch counts

[LCBOY]

Is anyone worried about Mark Prior's high pitch counts? He is averaging 111 pitches/game. That can't be good for a 22 year old pitcher. I guess the Cubs haven't learned from Kerry Wood...

[jdh]

Dusty Baker has a history of being a manager very much in the Jeff Torborg mould when it comes to managing a pitching staff. He has always overdone pitch counts and overworked his starting pitchers, resulting in many injuries or cases of ineffectiveness later in their season and career. Rob Nen and the fall of Felix Rodriquez from being an lights out setup man to ineffectiveness were the most recent examples of Dusty's abuse.

I think that there's no doubt both Wood and Prior will pay for their heavy workloads at some point, either by having a sharp dropoff or getting injured. It might not necessarily happen this year, but if the workloads don't improve, Prior and Wood might be best avoided next year even if they hold up for this season. In a single season league, I would strongly consider dealing Prior or Wood if I had them because there is the very real chance of either or both of them getting injured or having a severe second half dropoff. Get top value for them while their value is high.

[LCBOY]

Dusty Baker has a history of being a manager very much in the Jeff Torborg mould when it comes to managing a pitching staff. He has always overdone pitch counts and overworked his starting pitchers, resulting in many injuries or cases of ineffectiveness later in their season and career. Rob Nen and the fall of Felix Rodriquez from being an lights out setup man to ineffectiveness were the most recent examples of Dusty's abuse.

I think that there's no doubt both Wood and Prior will pay for their heavy workloads at some point, either by having a sharp dropoff or getting injured. It might not necessarily happen this year, but if the workloads don't improve, Prior and Wood might be best avoided next year even if they hold up for this season. In a single season league, I would strongly consider dealing Prior or Wood if I had them because there is the very real chance of either or both of them getting injured or having a severe second half dropoff. Get top value for them while their value is high.

I agree. I think the problem with the Cubs is that Prior and Wood are not economical with there pitches. It is common for both of them to reach 90 pitches by the 6th inning....

[Madison]

Both Prior and Wood throw too many pitches, in my opinion. Both are injury risks. Prior is solid at release, so he may be able to handle higher pitch counts, but only time will tell.

[trevisc]

It's a shame to waste such talented arms by stressing them out at such a young age. They compare these guys to roger clemens and nolen ryan and expect them to be work horses like they are/were. the bottom line is it takes time for you to get your body used to pitching to where you can throw 120+ innings every outing like RJ or Clemens. I have a feeling that Prior will either:

A. Go on the DL win "tendonitis" or something
B. Get his pitch count severly limited in August/September.

Hopefully it will be B. for his sake.