Reds sign Mark Prior to minor league contract...

Evidently the only people who believe the story are the sportswriters from Chicago who made it up in the first place and all the people who keep repeating the lie over and over again even though they never read the story to begin with.
 

Well, I'm not a Cuns fan, so I don't know particulars about Dusty's contribution to Prior's injury. Pitchers DO get hurt, all by themselves.

I DO remember the DAY Aaron Harang went in the dumper...it was the next start after he pitched 4 innings of relief in a meaningless game against the Padres, in between his regular starts. Harang said so after leaving the Reds...and also said he didn't blame Dusty, because he could have refused to pitch....yeah, right. I always thought that refusing to do what you were paid to do, meant you quit. It's much the same in MLB as on the assembly line, folks. Dusty should NOT have asked Harang to pitch what amounted to 80% of a start, in between regualr starts...in a game that didn't mean diddly...I'd say THAT qualified as overuse.

There is usually some shred of truth in all inuendo....Prior, Wood, Schmidt, Harang, others...ever wonder why Dusty gets all that blame ? Who knows ? Dusty's not a exacrtly a deep thinker, but he;s quick to blame others.


In the infamous "Bartman" playoff game, Dusty left Prior in a 7th inning that had him well over 100 pitches when it started, albeit with a comfortable lead. Dusty had no one in the bullpen warming up. Yep, there were 2 outs when stone-gloved LF Moises Alou met Bartman in foul ground, but Dusty sat motionless having what might have been a small stroke, or just negilgence, for 6 runs before relieving Prior. It wasn't the deciding game, Dusty's club lost their World Series chance the following day, but Dusty blamed it all on Bartman.

It was perhaps the most famous display of Dusty's ineptitude under pressure, but there are dozens each season, not confined to pitching. He steals in pitch out scenarios, plays the defense back in prevent situations, doesn't est up forces for his defense, won[t bunt a leadoff double to 3b even in an elimination game in extra innings, and plays the running game like he needs a German Shepard and sunglasses to see better. I find it hard to believe he didn't also make similar gaffes with overusing his pitchers.

1507, couldnt agree more.

I can tell everyone a little history on Prior.  One of my best friends used to have a high level position with the Cubs (he is with another team now but I wont mention which so no dots can ever be connected).  Bottom line is that expert after expert couldnt find anything wrong with Prior.  On the flip side, Kerry Wood's shoulder, I was told, looked like a grenade went off in it.  It was a marvel he could pitch.  Talk was that Prior couldnt handle any type of discomfort. Also talk that he was into the juice a little more than needed.  At that time, everyone was doing it....Prior just a little more.