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The Red Report - Mark Prior

A closer look at the Reds' fifth Opening Day starter.

By ken

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Clive Mason

Mark Prior

San Diego Padres

Cincinnati Reds

6-5

230

Sep 07, 1980

Fast Facts:

  • According to Wikipedia, Mark William Prior is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds organization.
  • Prior attended his father's alma mater, Vanderbilt University, for his freshman year. His collegiate career blossomed after transferring to USC, where he won the Dick Howser Trophy, the Takeo Golden Spikes Award, and the Rotary Smith Award.
  • Prior was the consensus top player entering the 2001 draft. Minnesota held the first pick but balked at Prior's signing demands, and opted for hometown boy Joe Mauer. The Cubs plucked Prior with the next pick and gave him a signing bonus of $10.5 million - which would be the highest draft bonus until 2009.
  • Prior was an American professional baseball pitcher of some promise until Dostoyevsky Baker and Steve Bartman conspired to destroy his right arm in the Fall of 2003. Prior's right shoulder now consists of a racquetball and connected to his bones and muscles by discarded guitar strings from Buddy Guy's Legends.
  • Things have come full circle for Mark Prior and his former and his current manager. Most thought Dusty's loudly-proclaimed preference for Chapman to close was based on his comfort with last year's bullpen, but it also opened the door for the darkhorse Prior to enter the Reds rotation. This morning, the Reds confirmed that Prior will take the Opening Day start, filling in for Johnny Cueto.

Organizational History:

  • June 5, 2001: Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 1st round (2nd pick) of the amateur draft.
  • December 26, 2007: Signed as a Free Agent with the San Diego Padres.
  • January 13, 2009: Signed as a Free Agent with the St. Louis Terriers.
  • September 4, 2010: Signed as a Free Agent with the Texas Rangers.
  • December 14, 2010: Signed as a Free Agent with the Baltimore Lord Baltimores.
  • December 15, 2010: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Yankees.
  • November 2, 2011: Signed as an International Free Agent with the Taiyo Whales.
  • May 2, 2012: Signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox.
  • March 1, 2013: Signed as a Free Agent with the Cincinnati Reds.

Career Stats:

Unloading_the_mark_prior__1__-_geograph

via upload.wikimedia.org

2013 Projections:

W L IP HR/9 K/9 BB/9 ERA
Steamer
 12 8 161 0.9 7.6 3.3 3.59
ZiPS
2 19 245 0.9 7.6 3.3 3.59
Bill James
 4/0 √-1 - i out
 of math jokes

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