Chicago Cubs Baseball

Generally speaking, there are four kinds of players in the minor leagues.

There’s the Journeyman - the Crash Davis’ of the baseball world. Some know him as “The Player to Be Named Later.”

This is the guy who’s forever doomed to $10 a day meal money, bad bus rides and cramped locker rooms. He plays for the love of the game. And, he’s also the tutor to the second kind of minor leaguer: the Prospect.

The Prospect is the kid with the tools. Hopefully, with all of them. The minors is the place where his skills are honed and his demeanor is groomed. It’s merely a layover on the way to the “Show.”

The third kind of minor leaguer is the Rehabber. This is the guy who’s on the reconditioning plan. A start or two here, another there. And in two weeks he’s back in the “Bigs,” his rightful place.

Then there’s the fourth kind: the Forlorn. His name would be Mark Prior.

Although no formal announcement has come from Chicago Cubs management, it is a fact that Prior will not be using HoHoKam Stadium to fine tune his pitching mechanics. Another tidbit of truth is that the fifth starter position has become a two-person race between Wade Miller and Angel Guzman.

So where does that leave Prior?

For now down the street at Fitch Park - the home of those destined for reassignment. Whether his downhill journey continues to AAA Des Moines, an extended spring training or a ticket out of Chicago is anyone’s guess - except for those in the know - the Trinity of Jim Hendry, Lou Piniella and Larry Rothschild.

Prior’s imminent absence from the opening day roster bears even bigger questions: What major league team wants to chance a pitcher with an 88 mph fastball, shoddy location and a flat curve? What can the Cubs possibly get for him and if Prior bounces back to his 2003 form, what message does that send about the Cubs’ pitching coaches?

And these are the easy queries. The enigma of Prior has created a storm of skepticism among baseball fans and not just Cubbie backers. We’ve come to question his health, but more disturbing, his heart.

In a spring training year that has seen the return of a healthy Kerry Wood, the arrival of high-dollar free agents and a World Series guarantee from Carlos Zambrano, it’s Prior who’s been the story.

Unfortunately, my guess is this tale will not end pretty.

Here’s a list of Cubbie Cuts from March 13:

• Mike Kinkade - Assigned to minor league camp.
• John Webb - Assigned to minor league camp.
• Ben Howard - Assigned to minor league camp.
• Adam Harben - Assigned to minor league camp.
• Jason Anderson - Assigned to minor league camp.
• Jeff Samardzija - Optioned to Daytona (A).
• Brian Dopirak - Optioned to West Tenn (AA).
• Clay Rapada - Optioned to Iowa (AAA).
• Scott Moore - Optioned to Iowa (AAA).