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Prospect Report:
The Mark
David Cameron
It was the summer of 2000 and one of the weakest drafts in memory had just passed. The Marlins had made Adrian Gonzalez the number-one pick based more on his willingness to sign for a relatively low price than his ability to help the franchise win games.
However, teams looked ahead to the 2001 draft and pointed to the next great superstar, Mark Teixeira. He was the preseason lock for #1 pick. He was J.D. Drew playing third base. He was a switch-hitting Pat Burrell with speed. His 6'3", 225-pound frame and his lightning-quick bat speed gave him the power to hit light structures like The Natural. There was no question that T-Rex, as he was called, would be the cornerstone for whatever team won (or more appropriately, lost enough games to earn) the right to proclaim Teixeira their property.
Fast forward to June 2001. The cash-strapped Twins have the number-one pick, a good third baseman in Corey Koskie, and a good third base prospect in Michael Cuddyer. There are rumblings that Teixeira is going to ask for a bonus bigger than the salary of every current Twin not named Brad Radke. Minnesota goes cheap and gives hometown hero Joe Mauer enough money to play catcher for them rather than QB for the Florida State Seminoles.
The Chicago Cubs, owned by the wealthy Tribune company, with a woeful offense and a fading memory of the last time the loveable losers had a third baseman worth discussing, picked second. And to the surprise of no one, they selected a cornerstone player named Mark. His last name was just Prior, not Teixeira. What happened?
Well, to be fair to T-Rex, Mark Prior happened. He had arguably the greatest season ever by a college pitcher and is not-as-arguably the best college pitcher ever. The right-hander from USC posted eye-popping numbers: 132 innings, 1.50 ERA, 17 walks, 189 strikeouts. Don't forget that the NCAA still uses aluminum bats and it's not uncommon for someone to hit .400 or a top pitcher to have an ERA in the 5s.
His fastball ranges in the mid-90's. His curveball is up there with Sele, Wood, Glavine, and Gordon. His change-up dives like it has weights on it. His command of all three pitches is remarkable. He throws all his pitches for a strike at any moment. Behind 3-0 with the bases loaded? You're just as likely to see a knee-bending curve as a fastball, and you probably can't hit either.
There was talk that Prior could jump right into the Cubs rotation and skip the minors, but he signed too late for that to be possible, and the Cubs say it wouldn't have occurred anyways. The 20-year-old got the Cubs to allow him to attend classes at USC and won't make his debut in a Cubs uniform until next spring, but it's likely that he'll be allowed to fight for a spot in the rotation. It's more likely that he'll be sent to AAA to dominate hitters before the Cubs just allow nature to take its course and Prior to begin what can only be described as an era in Chicago.
Meanwhile, Teixeira ended up going fifth, to the Texas Rangers, due to stinginess on the part of Tampa Bay and the Phillies' unwillingness to deal with Scott Boras. Despite missing most of his junior year at Georgia Tech due to an ankle injury, Texas was only too happy to add another franchise infielder, a season after paying $252 million for the other Rodriguez.
The Rangers already have a legitimate all-star prospect at third base in Hank Blalock, but the raw power of Teixeira will probably force Blalock to change positions before T-Rex takes a professional at-bat. All the superlatives that were overused on him last season still hold true, but now they are overused on Mark Prior.
Prior hasn't thrown a pitch as a Cub. Teixeira hasn't swung a bat as a Ranger. That, however, won't stop me from prognosticating, speculating, and all-out guessing on the two careers that will forever be entwined. When we look back on this draft five years from now, we're going to wonder what three teams were thinking.
Mark Teixeira will be getting 130 RBIs hitting behind Alex Rodriguez and establishing himself as the premier third baseman in the American League. He'll team with Blalock and Pena to make up the best offense in baseball. He'll be making peanuts and still not be eligible for free agency. T-Rex will prove that not only was he worth the hype, he was better than it.
Chicago fans will still be looking for their third baseman of the future. Will they be disappointed that they have Mark Prior? Not likely, though Don Baylor's treatment of young pitchers makes me wish that Prior would have ended up in a more friendly environment. They will, however, wish they had Mark Teixeira, who will be the best player selected in the draft in the last ten years. He may not have been the number one pick, or even the number one Mark, but he will be number one at third base in Texas for years to come. He is a special player, the type that doesn't come around every year.
Just as I look back painfully at the Mariners passing over Kerry Wood and Todd Helton in 1995, the Twins, Phillies, and Devil Rays will look back and wonder why they didn't select Mark Teixeira. Only the health of Mark Prior's right arm will determine whether the Chicago Cubs join the list of clubs in regret. Both players are special talents and both organizations should be grateful to have such assets in the fold.
Only time will tell which Mark makes a bigger splash. Here's one vote for T-Rex.
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