Controlled Chaos Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 Of course Marriotti doesn't really stick it to him. Can you imagine if Frank did the same thing?? I'm sure Prior was paid pretty well to make this appearance. It's one thing if ya don't sign before the game...but to agree to go to an autograph session and then bolt is kinda messed up. It doesn't take a genius to know what that place was gonna be like. I don't care if his start was today. It would have been the same if he wasn't starting today. I'm sure that place was just insane after he left.... http://www.suntimes.com/output/mariotti/cst-spt-jay04.html Prior commitment just not very ducky June 4, 2004 BY JAY MARIOTTI SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST Advertisement We've seen some weird, bizarre stories in Cubdom, but what happened Thursday evening in a Naperville strip mall is the stuff of Bartman. An event advertised as a meet-and-greet night with Mark Prior, full of fun and autographs, deteriorated into a farce in which an angry Prior fled the session an hour early, prompting the owner of the store to threaten legal action against the pitching phenom as he issued thousands of dollars in refunds to disappointed customers. Meanwhile, kids were seen crying as they were turned away into the parking lot, where TV crews and newspaper reporters had been banished when Prior refused to do interviews. There are worse things in the world, sure, than an athlete bolting an autograph session early and not talking to the media. And you've got to chuckle a little at the name of the store: Just Ducky Too, an arts-and-crafts shop off Route 59, out there by the cornfields of far western suburbia. But all in all, this was an ill-advised way for Prior to spend the eve of an important afternoon in his young career -- his comeback from a sore right elbow and Achilles tendinitis after spending two months on the disabled list. Just what was he doing there, anyway, using the most delicate arm in Chicago to sign dozens of autographs? Yes, he agreed to do the session back in early March, when one of his agents met artist William Lopa Jr. at a New York art fair and arranged for Prior to appear at Just Ducky Too. But given the significance of his start today at Wrigley Field -- along with Prior's well-known wish to be left alone the day before any start -- he really should have stayed home in Lincoln Park and vegged all night. Being an honorable young man, Prior decided to keep his word and take a 45-mile limousine ride through rush-hour traffic to the store. But when he arrived, he saw the assembled media and shooed us away like flies. And when he sat down at a table to sign porcelain replicas of Wrigley, which cost $299 with the promise of his signature, he saw hundreds waiting in line and eventually decided he wanted no part of the three-hour party. So he left around 8 p.m., with his wife and agent in tow, despite being paid a large sum by the Just Ducky people. Sounds like a case for Judge Judy. ''We're at the point where we'll probably have to take legal action,'' said Brandon Donofrio, part-owner of the store. ''He kicked all the press out, then he stopped doing the signing. He said there were too many people. This is a nightmare. All my customers are mad at me because he wouldn't sign something. Even when people were walking up to him, he was not making any eye contact with them and he was looking the other way. It was absolutely absurd, especially with all the fans there.'' Consider it a lesson learned: Prior always should prioritize pitching over off-field matters, which shouldn't take too long to sink in, given his phobia about media and attention. The timing couldn't have been more ridiculous. Certainly, he and the Cubs don't need these distractions as they try to use his presence to remain in the race in the National League Central. What Prior should have done was reschedule the autograph session. Donofrio said he would have been open to another date, but he added, ''The advertising was already done, and he was already under contract.'' It isn't like Prior to let an agent tell him to do an autograph session. The kid already has millions deposited in the bank and, on top of it, impressed the sports world last winter by returning to USC and earning his bachelor's degree in business. Just Ducky Too Gate goes against the grain of everything Prior is about. As he was saying the other day, he has enough trouble understanding why Cubdom is hysterical about his return to the rotation. ''I'm not here to do anything special. I'm here to do what I have to do,'' he said. ''And that's pitch innings and pitch ballgames. Just worry about what's going on in front of me.'' If Prior has a choice, he'd pitch in obscurity, in front of no fans or TV cameras. Sorry to disappoint Cubdom, but he hasn't missed the Wrigleyville hubbub. ''I am who I am. I do what I do because I love to play baseball,'' he said. ''I love playing with the guys on this team. It hurt me more than anything to miss two months because you feel like you let your teammates down and let your friends down.'' He is affable and down-to-earth, one of the most well-adjusted young athletes you'll ever meet. Yet Prior clearly is uncomfortable about his growing fame. At 23, he should be given room to grow as a celebrity, but if he's going to maximize his Hall of Fame potential, he'll have to adjust to life under the hot lights. That's no knock on Chicago, a city he loves. ''It's tough in this day and age to say you're going to stay with the same team your whole career. But you know, I hope and pray that I stay in the city of Chicago and that I'm a Cub for as long as the organization keeps putting a good step forward and doing the right thing to put a winning product on the field,'' he told me in a recent chat. ''I've said from Day One I'm happy to be with Chicago, knowing the history of the team and how bad they've done in previous years. I feel it's one of the best cities. Besides growing up in San Diego, where it's 70 degrees year-round, the city of Chicago is the second-best place I've ever been. It's the best sports town in the country, and personally, my expectations are probably more than those of other people. I want to win a few championships.'' But with life in an impassioned sports town comes an intense microscope. That part, Prior doesn't like. He was bothered by reckless speculation during his injury rehab process, with some media suggesting he would miss the entire season. ''The scrutiny, the attention, the false reports from people all around the country -- that has been frustrating for me,'' he said. So why, less than 24 hours before the first day of the rest of his pitching life, would a smart, worldly guy take a ride into the middle of nowhere to sign autographs with an arm that only recently stopped hurting? The answer: Prior made a youthful mistake, as he occasionally does in games. I'm just wondering what's going to happen when he pitches in enemy ballparks and rubber duckies are waved at him. Quack, quack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 It was mass hysteria over there. It's on the way home so I did a drive by and there were kids crying in the parking lot. I stopped at the gas station and the cashier said that kids were saying "I hope he pitches like crap tomorrow". I think that's just hysterical! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 So why, less than 24 hours before the first day of the rest of his pitching life, would a smart, worldly guy take a ride into the middle of nowhere to sign autographs with an arm that only recently stopped hurting? Naperville.. the middle of nowhere..? Aw Jay.. just because your sorry ass can't afford the tolls on 88 to get there is no reason to bash the place. :dips*** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 Naperville, in the middle of nowhere? Jay doesn't get out much, does he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 To me Prior just looks like he would be an asshole. I heard pretty much that he was and this confirms it. He is a dickhead no doubt about it. He looks smug and talks smug. What a piece of s*** to do this to all those kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IlliniKrush Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 Wow, that's pretty crazy. I can't believe he did that, i hope legal action is taken. He should have completely rescheduled or said "we'll do this again tomorrow" or something, that wasn't a very good move on his part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasywheels121 Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 Wow, that's pretty crazy. I can't believe he did that, i hope legal action is taken. He should have completely rescheduled or said "we'll do this again tomorrow" or something, that wasn't a very good move on his part. But since he's the Cubs' god, this can of course slide. Controlled Chaos brought up a good point, if any White Sox player did this, Moronotti would have bashed the hell out of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 Naperville, in the middle of nowhere? Jay doesn't get out much, does he? And 95th and 59 is damn near the largest intersection in the Naperville, Aurora, Plainfield area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 And 95th and 59 is damn near the largest intersection in the Naperville, Aurora, Plainfield area. My FBIL used to live not too far from there. In fact he just moved a couple months ago (got divorced). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Controlled Chaos Posted June 4, 2004 Author Share Posted June 4, 2004 Moronotti is an ass. Oh he had to drive to the middle of nowhere. I'm pretty sure the Cubs have quite a few fans out there in the middle of nowhere...maybe they shouldn't go to the park cause it's too far. It was a punk move and Moronotti is a punk for not callin him on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moochpuppy Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 Who cares! :fthecubs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldmember Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 prior=dick mariotti=dick 'nuff said... :fthecubs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 And 95th and 59 is damn near the largest intersection in the Naperville, Aurora, Plainfield area. I'm from the north suburbs, that is the middle of nowhere. Anything south of Schaumburg is downstate in my mind. The only mall I thought y'all had was Old Chicago, I didn't know they built another one. Just kidding. It's like you south suburbanites thinking Lake Zurich is the middle of no where. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUKE_CLEVELAND Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 Who cares! :fthecubs :fthecubs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick03 Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 I heard about this last night when i was listening to Espn1000. I was just laughing, I thought it was hilarious. People who were there were calling up the show and saying that he was being real standoff-ish and more or less being a dick. Good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUKE_CLEVELAND Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 Is it Easter again already? Youd think so from reading the Chicago media. They are giving more coverage to the return of "Jesus" Prior than they would if the real deal came back for a visit. Pathetic!! :fthecubs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 He is also wrong wbout the time he left. I was listening to ESPN 1000 when people were calling in that he stopped signing and left early. He left around 7:00-7:15. Mariotti is trying to make this situation smaller than it actually is by some of the things he wrote in his article. If this was anyone on the South Side he would be ripping them a new one. Plus when the hell did Mariotti ever talk to Prior or any other athlete for that matter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 According to the Herald (I think that is what is in lunchroom) there is a debate over when he left Some employees are trying to claim he left between 7:45 and 8:15 which isn't any better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IlliniKrush Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 And he was only signing things that had a value of $200 and up...i guess they were selling pitching rubbers to have him autograph...this according to one of the callers on the Score this morning. Bernstein is ripping anyone who bought this thing for 300 bones anyway and waited in line hoping to get it signed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Critic Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 But HEY....today is GOOD FRIDAY!! The return of the MESSIAHHH named PRIAHHHH!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 I read that too. Apparently he was supposed to have signed a bunch of Wrigley replicas before the appearance and didn't do that either. What a prick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IlliniKrush Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 To top it off he should be a no-show at the Cubs convention next year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moochpuppy Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 Is it Easter again already? Youd think so from reading the Chicago media. They are giving more coverage to the return of "Jesus" Prior than they would if the real deal came back for a visit. Pathetic!! :fthecubs Tomorrow's Front page of the Trib: Headline: A Miracle is Needed: Prior Lit Up by Pirates Sub story: Son of God seen at 7-11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreye Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 Being an honorable young man, Prior decided to keep his word and take a 45-mile limousine ride through rush-hour traffic to the store. He is affable and down-to-earth, one of the most well-adjusted young athletes you'll ever meet. Yet Prior clearly is uncomfortable about his growing fame. I just want to puke over this. It's not a secret anymore. Mariotti is actually in love with Mark Prior. :puke Certainly, he and the Cubs don't need these distractions as they try to use his presence to remain in the race in the National League Central. Is "presence" enough to win the division? I thought they would need his talent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 He is affable and down-to-earth, one of the most well-adjusted young athletes you'll ever meet. Yet Prior clearly is uncomfortable about his growing fame. Yeah, I'm sure it was a huge pain in the ass having to sit back and have a drink while some poor schmoe drove his arrogant ass to the signing. GMAFB Moronotti. What a freaking asswipe. I'm not even sure why this pisses me off as much as it does, but it damned well does. It's too bad Prior is facing the Pirates rather than a higher caliber team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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