You sure about that?

 

Positive. Prior's downfall was not from dusty, as many want to believe.

Positive. Prior's downfall was not from dusty, as many want to believe.

 

In Prior’s last nine games in 2003, including three in the playoffs, he logged the following pitch counts: 131, 129, 109, 124, 131, 133, 132, 115, 119. After returning from a three-week stint on the DL with a shoulder contusion (collision with Giles) in July and August, Prior tossed 71 innings in a month-and-a-half, never throwing fewer than 110 pitches in a game while reaching 124 or more on six occasions. The only other pitchers this decade to throw at least four 130-plus-pitch games in a season, let alone in two months, are Livan Hernandez and Randy Johnson. It was Mark Prior's first full year pitching. Prior went 110+ pitches 23 times that season. Prior led the major leagues in pitches-per-start in 2003, averaging over 113 pitches per start that year. When was the last time a 22 year old in his first full year in the bigs averaged that many pitches per start?

 

I'd say it's likely Dusty had something to do with Prior's downfall. Maybe not solely responsible, but he deserves some of the blame.

Hamilton isn't exactly tearing it up right now, actually quite the opposite.

 

Sure he is.....his hamstring....bada ching.

In Prior’s last nine games in 2003, including three in the playoffs, he logged the following pitch counts: 131, 129, 109, 124, 131, 133, 132, 115, 119. After returning from a three-week stint on the DL with a shoulder contusion (collision with Giles) in July and August, Prior tossed 71 innings in a month-and-a-half, never throwing fewer than 110 pitches in a game while reaching 124 or more on six occasions. The only other pitchers this decade to throw at least four 130-plus-pitch games in a season, let alone in two months, are Livan Hernandez and Randy Johnson. It was Mark Prior's first full year pitching. Prior went 110+ pitches 23 times that season. Prior led the major leagues in pitches-per-start in 2003, averaging over 113 pitches per start that year. When was the last time a 22 year old in his first full year in the bigs averaged that many pitches per start?

 

I'd say it's likely Dusty had something to do with Prior's downfall. Maybe not solely responsible, but he deserves some of the blame.

 

 

Even so, take Prior out (for whatever reasoning) and look at all the other pitchers ruined by Dusty Baker.

Dick Pole should get more of the blame than he does. Pole has ruined an arm at every stop.

Get rid of both Clowns and throw in Brook Jacoby.

Positive. Prior's downfall was not from dusty, as many want to believe.

 

In Prior’s last nine games in 2003, including three in the playoffs, he logged the following pitch counts: 131, 129, 109, 124, 131, 133, 132, 115, 119. After returning from a three-week stint on the DL with a shoulder contusion (collision with Giles) in July and August, Prior tossed 71 innings in a month-and-a-half, never throwing fewer than 110 pitches in a game while reaching 124 or more on six occasions. The only other pitchers this decade to throw at least four 130-plus-pitch games in a season, let alone in two months, are Livan Hernandez and Randy Johnson. It was Mark Prior's first full year pitching. Prior went 110+ pitches 23 times that season. Prior led the major leagues in pitches-per-start in 2003, averaging over 113 pitches per start that year. When was the last time a 22 year old in his first full year in the bigs averaged that many pitches per start?

 

I'd say it's likely Dusty had something to do with Prior's downfall. Maybe not solely responsible, but he deserves some of the blame.

 

Seems like a pretty compelling case to me.

Positive. Prior's downfall was not from dusty, as many want to believe.

Dusty played a large role in it. Prior was already having arm problems in spring training 2004, after the stretch-drive pitch counts that cooperstown went over in this thread and I have in the past.

Seems like a pretty compelling case to me.

 

It seems to me that the case is closed.