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McDowell: Could be more to Prior's injury


MasterChief

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Former Cy Young Award winner Jack McDowell talked with Jeff Rickard on the Jeff Rickard Show on Sporting News Radio Tuesday. McDowell said that there might be more to the Achilles' injury suffered by Cubs' pitcher Mark Prior. A portion of the show's transcript is below:

 

Jeff Rickard: Mark Prior looks like he might not pitch until May, you are a guy that has gone through some injuries, are you wondering how this guy is really doing?

 

Jack McDowell: I think the thing that bothers me the most are a lot of these tendon stories that don't heal and that is a telltale sign of guys that have used steroids. I am not saying Mark Prior has or not, but, it kind of worries me that he has an Achilles' heel that won't heal itself. Tendons are the first things to go. You look at the guys that have had heel problems, patella tendon problems, it is one of the tell tale signs and I hope that is not the case with Mark.

 

Jeff Rickard: Could it be in his case that, from the lower half down he is such a big, strong guy, and that is what could be causing the problem?

 

Jack McDowell: Yeah that is true, but you pull an Achilles' tendon and the thing should heal unless he tore it up. And he didn't. I don't know if they (the Cubs) are using that because he is hurt somewhere else, I am not sure. But if it is an Achilles' thing that won't heal, it's worrisome to me.

 

C/O foxsports.com

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Didn't Prior pitch in the Olympics? You can't get away with taking aspirin without their drug test knowing it. Sure that was awhile ago, but why would Prior start taking steroids when he was a top prospect and had no pressure to jump ahead of the pack?

All signs point to wear and tear. His mechanics are great, but that's only upper-body mechanics. The way he pushes off and pivots is very stressful on his lower body, his ankles especially. Pitching so much (113 pitches per start, closest was Wood at 109) at a young age must have caught up to him. I just read that he hasn't pitched in a ST game yet. Maybe there is something to the rumors of shoulder, back and/or elbow pain. Tommy John?

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Jack is talking about things from personal experience.

 

 

This story of the stiff elbow just surfaced I believe.

 

 

The achilles is probably a mild 'cover-up'

 

 

And if you condition an arm properly....the overworking issue isnt really one.

yeah, burnetts arm needed just rest to get better? how about smoltz? no, overwork made then need surgery and dusty is king at overworking his biotches.

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Even as a major Cub and Prior hater, I have to say that I strongly doubt Prior is on steroids.

 

The Achilles thing is lingering from last year, and the Cubs did a bad job treating it, and the elbow problem IMO was caused by Dusty Baker overworking him last year.

 

Like I said in another thread, Dusty Baker is one of the best motivators i've ever seen, but also one of the worst game managers i've ever seen.

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Jack is talking about things from personal experience.

 

 

This story of the stiff elbow just surfaced I believe.

 

 

The achilles is probably a mild 'cover-up'

 

 

And if you condition an arm properly....the overworking issue isnt really one.

yeah, burnetts arm needed just rest to get better? how about smoltz? no, overwork made then need surgery and dusty is king at overworking his biotches. see all the pitchers in past eras that worked more innings than prior.

 

 

and i also said condition it properly...both mentally and physically.

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