As reported by Cubs.com, Kerry Wood is doing well with his rehab from his 142nd arm injury and has already started throwing off of a mound this spring (I may be wrong on the total number of injuries, there may be a few that I don't know about). He is progressing at a healthy pace and should see action before it gets warm in Wrigleyville. While I really want to see Kerry return to the mound and realize his massive potential, I am presently more concerned with Mark Prior's bizarre ability to find ways to keep himself off of the pitching rubber.

In 4 short seasons in baseball, Mark Prior has missed time due to being hit on the pitching elbow with a blistering line drive, a severe Achilles tendon problem, another elbow issue, and also for body slamming Marcus Giles between first and second base. And now he is not ready for Spring Training this year, because he was sick -- in December.

Though many pitchers take it slow in the early going of spring training, Mark Prior did not throw a pitch for the first 3 days of camp. He is still hampered by a respiratory ailment that included a trip to the emergency room. The Cubs are taking their time with their ace, but Prior does expect to be ready for opening day on April 3rd in Cincy.

Battling through two injuries last season, Mark Prior still posted a 3.67 era and won 11 games. Mark Prior was second in voting for the Cy Young award in 2003. He won 18 games that season and is already 18 games over .500 during his professional career. Kerry broke into the big leagues 4 years before Prior did, and Wood is only 16 games over .500 in his career. A full and productive season (dare I say, a breakout season) out of Mark Prior is a bigger necessity for the Cubs than Wood's return to form.

At this point, I am willing to accept words like healthy and solid in hearing descriptions of Kerry Wood. With Prior, I still believe he could be described as one of the great ones. I am not saying Wood does not still have the potential to be a dominant force himself, but the injuries and missed opportunities have piled up quickly for the Texas fire-baller. The best winning percentage that Kerry ever posted was during his rookie year. Since that magical year in 1998, a Kerry Wood arm injury is almost as much a part of a season at Wrigley Field as the ivy on the walls.

I am not trying to bash Kerry Wood here; I hope he wins 20 games and the Cy Young Award this season; but Kerry has only thrown 200 innings in a season twice. In his 19 year career, Greg Maddux has only failed to throw 200 innings 3 times (his first two seasons and 2002 when he threw 199 1/3). That reality speaks about a durability that Kerry Wood will never know.

The fact of the matter is that we need both of these big guns to be healthy at the same time. Both men need to step up and provide not only stability, but also to fulfill their potential and help compose the backbone of this team. The Cubs need Wood, Prior, Zambrano, Maddux and somebody else (Williams, Rusch, or Miller) to step up and lead the way, or they're going no where. I'll say it again; this team will only go as far as it's starting pitching takes it.

The big question is -- Can the Cubs count on these two multi-million dollar snake-bitten starters to carry the load? If not, it is going to be another long, painful summer on the North Side. So, Cubs fans -- sacrifice a chicken, consult a shaman, or channel your positive vibes -- do whatever you can do to help keep these guys stay healthy, because we need them badly. The last (and only) time Prior and Wood each threw 200 innings in the same season was in 2003, which is also the last time the Cubs played baseball in October.

(For reference, here are the career stats for Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, and Greg Maddux)