When do phenoms become busts?

Editor's Note: Guest post courtesy of a full-time Cubs fan and a part-time ChiSox frontrunner.

As my first post, I would like to discuss the lifespan of phenoms and having great potential/up side. Being a die hard Chicago fan, both north and south.. yes it is possible!!! for example, be honest... when I watch any international sporting event, I pull for the Chinese... granted I hate the commies and what Mao did but when it comes to sports, I'm all for my people meaning if the cubs don't win, the next best thing is to let those damn commies from the southside take the crown... anyway, I digress...

So as a die hard fan of the north siders from way back in the days of the Sarge, Ryno, The Penguin, Leon Bull Durham, Rick "Hi Im Joe Naimith" Sutcliffe, the original black unlcutch closer Lee Smith, Bobby the Deer Dernier and Andre the Hawk Dawson can I officially stop waiting for Prior and Wood to transfer their phenom status to Ace status.... or can we start calling them Van Poppel like busts!!

Here are some numbers... 70-54 3.67 era in 7 years... best year 14-11 with a 3.20... geez is this a phenom, an ace or does it sound a lot like Chan Ho Park or John Smiley... and we know they were never aces by any stretch of the imagination...

Or how about... Mark Prior? his numbers look a lot like Scott Erickson's... so I should put the fate of the damn billy goat curse on Scott Erickson? good lord... Im doomed for another 90 years.." GO COMMIES!!

Anyawy, please chime in on when does a phenom become a bust...how many years of mediocre performance? how many years of cactus league disappointment? how many trips to the 15 then 60 day DL retroactive the last game of last year? how many times must they play with my emotions as reports of he's throwing a simulated game off the mound tomorrow or he just pitched 5 scoreless innings in Des Moines Iowa against the Class A Sioux Falls Musgrats... Please tell me, so I can decide whether or not to invest another week's pay on the Alternate 5 Road Jersey for the Calf-zilla...