A TALE OF THREE PITCHERS
or how I had a moment of Zen before a Friday night game.

Greg Maddux
The Mighty Prof goes in tonight's game. Use the cool game thread below to discuss. Maddux's last start wasn't so hot, but after a really rough beginning to the season, he's pretty much been as effective as, well, Greg Maddux.

LAST FOUR OUTINGS
IP  BB  K   ERA
27  3   22  3.00

Kerry Wood

"The MRI on his elbow showed posterior inflammation, kind of right underneath the triceps, which is where he was sore. He also has some mild tendinitis, which Yocum says an MRI would show on most pitchers the day after they pitch. The doctor was pleased, and Kerry was kind of relieved to see the results."
- Cubs Trainer Dave Groeschner

Still breathin', it would seem.

Mark Prior
Another quote, this time from labelmate Will Carroll's column on Baseball Prospectus earlier this week:

"Mark Prior may have had his return date pushed back, but his progress has been steady. Prior pitched three strong innings in a rehab start, going 45 pitches. He mixed in some breaking balls and for the first time, pitched from the stretch. He was very upbeat after the outing and--while the date has changed in the past, I admit--it appears that the June 3 target is all but set in stone for his return."

Steady pulse? You betcha.

next up: JUST THE TWO OF US, or how we fans at TCR know that Carlos Zambrano and Matt Clement are the most underrated staffmates in the universe, and how the rest of the league is finding out fast.