The Surest Sign Spring Training Has Started...

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Feb 21, 2006 4:31PM

We all know Spring Training is officially under way for the Cubs when the first denials about Mark Prior's injuries start coming from the Cubs brass.

Yesterday, Cubs GM Jim Hendry issued a strong denial to reports in Baseball Prospectus from an anonymous source that Prior looked to be experiencing shoulder problems and looked "weak and sick.'' While one could try to belittle info from an anonymous source, it's supposedly the same one who first tipped the media off about his achilles injury a couple years ago -- which the Cubs also denied at first.

The Cubs maintain that Prior looks good throwing on flat ground and will begin throwing from a mound by the end of the week. Chicagoist believes the Cubs brass about as much as we trust the White House administration when it comes to truthiness, so we'll believe Prior's actually healthy when we see him pitching in games.