Mark Prior
A pitcher whose electric talent and devastating injuries became a defining story of baseball's 'what if' generation.
Born 1980 (age 46)·American baseball player and coach·Birthday: September 7·Generation X
Biography
Mark Prior arrived in Chicago not just as a prospect, but as a phenomenon. Drafted second overall in 2001, he possessed a textbook delivery and a blistering fastball that made his 2003 season—18 wins, a 2.43 ERA, a third-place Cy Young finish—feel like the start of a dynasty. He was the golden arm meant to end the Cubs' century of longing. But his mechanics, once praised for their perfection, placed immense strain on his shoulder. A collision with Atlanta's Marcus Giles in 2003 became an ominous turning point, and a cascade of arm injuries followed. His prime was brutally short, ending after just five major league seasons. Yet, his legacy pivoted from mound to dugout; his deep understanding of pitching mechanics forged in his own struggle now informs his work as the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching coach, where he helps others avoid the fate that claimed his career.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Mark was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mark Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Mark's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Finished third in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2003 after posting an 18–6 record and a 2.43 ERA.
- Struck out 245 batters in 2003, a Chicago Cubs single-season record for a right-handed pitcher at the time.
- Named a National League All-Star in 2003 during his dominant second season.
- Helped lead the Chicago Cubs to the 2003 National League Championship Series as a key starter.
Did You Know?
He was drafted ahead of future MLB stars Mark Teixeira and David Wright in the 2001 MLB Draft.
Attended the same high school (University of San Diego High School) as fellow MLB pitcher David Wells.
His father, Jerry Prior, played minor league baseball in the Detroit Tigers organization.
He won the Golden Spikes Award in 2001 as the best amateur baseball player in the United States.
“The game gives you everything, and then it takes it all away.”
