Chicago Cubs: The Heroes of Wrigley Series presents Mark Prior

The phenom with calves of Popeye has a Cy Young worthy campaign in his first full season with the Cubs, leading them within five outs of destiny.

The 2003 Chicago Cubs were shaping up to be a far cry from the previous year following an aggressive offseason.  Gone were the likes of former 20-game winner Jon Lieber, the half-heartedly Todd Hundley, and the 39-year-old McGriff.  New faces such as lefty reliever Mike Remlinger, second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, veteran first baseman Eric Karros, left-handed starting pitcher Shawn Estes, and former World Series-winning catcher Damian Miller joined the fold.

The organization also made a managerial change as the Cubs fired Don Baylor and hired his replacement, Dusty Baker.  Baker was fresh off a World Series appearance as manager of the San Francisco Giants, and the Cub fans instantly got behind their new skipper, often using the slogan, “In Dusty We Trusty.”

Baker was now in charge of a strong pitching staff, perhaps the strongest he ever had in his career.  While at the reigns, he never shied away from high pitch counts, often letting his starters pitch deep into ballgames.

Mark Prior was no exception, averaging nearly 120 pitches per game.  Baker often was criticized on his handling of Prior as well as teammate, Texas-born gunslinger Kerry Wood.

Despite the criticism, Prior and Wood endured through stellar seasons, both being named to the National League All-Star team.  Sports Illustrated dubbed the tandem “Chicago Heat,” as they quickly became two of the most feared pitchers in the baseball.

After Prior’s strong first half, the 22-year old briefly landed on the disabled list after a collision with Braves second baseman Marcus Giles.  Prior was activated on August 5 and, amid a playoff hunt, went 10-1 down the stretch.

With the Cubs up two games in the division with three games remaining, Prior took the mound in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  After tossing 6.2 innings and 10 strikeouts in a 4-2 victory in Game 1, Prior set up Matt Clement to clinch the division in Game 2.  The Cubs ultimately won the second game 7-2, officially wrapping up the National League Central division title.

In 30 starts, Prior finished the regular season with an 18-6 record and 2.43 ERA through 211.1 innings.  He also finished with 245 strikeouts (10.4 K/9), second in the Major Leagues behind only Wood (266).

Behind Prior and Wood, the Cubs were a legitimate threat for the National Pennant as they headed into October baseball.