Power of Caring
  presented by CIGNA

Baseball Notebook

Thirtysomething may debut with Devil Rays in September

Click here for more on this story

Posted: Saturday August 28, 1999 05:37 PM

Ted Williams has begun showing up at baseball's biggets moments, including Wade Boggs' 3,000-hit festivities. AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- In the movies, it made for a great story. An aging catcher named Crash Davis, hoping for one last shot at the majors in “Bull Durham.”

And now comes an even more fantastic tale. It involves a pitcher for the Class AAA Durham Bulls -- and this one is true.

“If I were to hear it for the first time, I'd be skeptical,” Jim Morris admitted.

Of course, the 35-year-old Morris believes the whole thing. Because it's happening to him.

Added Tampa Bay Devil Rays general manager Chuck LaMar: “From a scouting standpoint, it might be the most unique story I've ever been involved with.”

Back in 1983, Morris was a promising, hard-throwing left-hander at a Texas junior college when the Milwaukee Brewers made him their No. 1 pick in the January draft.

He played two years at Class A, but developed elbow problems that required “Tommy John” surgery. Sidelined for all of 1986, he pitched briefly in 1987 and then missed the entire 1988 season.

The Chicago White Sox signed him for 1989, but after just two games at Class A and more elbow trouble, a trip to famed orthopedist Dr. James Andrews convinced him his career was over.

“It was time to move on,” Morris said Tuesday by telephone.

So, he went to Angelo State University in Texas and, in 1991, was voted onto the Division II All-American team as a punter. By then, he was married with his first child, and decided to put away athletics.

Morris' life progressed well. He became a teacher -- integrated physics and chemistry was his specialty -- at Reagan High School in Big Lake, Texas.

And in 1997, he took over the school's bumbling baseball team. This year, with Morris throwing brisk rounds of batting practice, the club started to win.

With his players egging him on, he made a deal, and not one that involved the coach shaving his head. He agreed that if they reached the state playoffs for the first time in recent memory, he would attend a major league tryout camp.

“I wanted to practice what I preached,” Morris said. “I'm always telling them to set goals way beyond reach, and then try to attain them.”

It should come as no surprise, by now, that the team indeed made those playoffs. So in June, Morris drove over to the nearest camp he could find -- a Tampa Bay Devil Rays tryout run by respected scout Doug Gassaway in Brownwood, Texas.

“They asked me if I'd brought over some boys for a look,” Morris recalled. “I told them I was there to try out.

“I figured they would just be polite and tell me I was too old and tell me to go home.”

They might have, except that he kept throwing fastballs in the upper-90 mph range. With a sharp slider to match.

That set off a series of calls in the Devil Rays organization. Eventually, director of scouting Dan Jennings talked to LaMar and convinced him this was not a practical joke.

“I said, ‘Dan, this guy better have real good stuff for you to sign him at 35.’ He said, ‘Well, if you call throwing 98 left-handed good stuff, then he's got it.’”

Tampa Bay signed Morris on June 23 and sent him to Class AA Orlando as a reliever. He pitched three games, recorded one save with a 1.80 ERA and struck out six in five innings.

That's when Orlando manager Bill Russell, the former Dodgers skipper, tapped Morris on the shoulder.

“He told me to pack my bags, that I was out of there,” Morris said. “I remember thinking: What did I do wrong? Instead, he told me I was going up to Durham.”

He was promoted to the Class AAA team on July 21. As of this week, he had a 4.32 ERA in 13 relief appearances, without any decisions or saves. In 16 2/3 innings, he struck out 12 and walked 10.

Only one drawback -- he misses being with his wife, Lorri, and his children, 8-year-old Hunter, 4-year-old Jessica and infant Jamie.

“I'm a real homebody,” he said.

Now, with September call-ups a few days away, there's a chance Morris might be on the brink of an incredible family reunion at Tropicana Field.

“Whether it's this September or whether it's next year, he's got an opportunity to pitch in the major leagues for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays,” LaMar said.

A real-life rookie at 35.

To which Morris repeats the word he finds himself saying all the time these days: “Unbelievable!”

“It's an amazing story,” he said. “There's no way to explain it.”

Welcome back, Mr. Williams

He was the greatest attraction at the All-Star Game at Fenway Park. He drew a huge ovation at the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Cooperstown. And he got an emotional hug from Wade Boggs in Tampa Bay.

All of a sudden, Ted Williams has become baseball's biggest ambassador. He's showing up at all the top events this season and, it seems, loving every minute.

A wonderful turn for the man who, despite his billing as the game's greatest hitter, had earned a rather rough reputation and mostly taken himself out of public view.

The Splendid Splinter, who turns 81 on Monday, often uses a wheelchair these days. But that has not stopped him one bit in traveling from his Florida home and talking up the game wherever he can.

Last weekend, he hopped a helicopter flight to Tampa Bay, where he was on hand at the 3,000-hit festivities for Boggs.

“Anything I can do for the rest of my life to help baseball in any way or recognize somebody that I have admired on anything else I can ever do for the game, I want to do it,” Williams said during his visit.

Around the bases

The Astros keep pushing back Moises Alou's hoped-for return date, increasing speculation the All-Star left fielder will not play this year for the two-time NL Central champions. Sidelined since wrecking his knee in a treadmill accident before spring training, Alou has been working on the road with the team this month. The Astros could sure use him -- because of several other injuries. All-Star second baseman Craig Biggio played left field Wednesday, his first outfield start since 1990. ... Only a few days remain for teams to make trades before the Sept. 1 deadline to set postseason rosters. At this point, players must pass through waivers before they can be dealt. Among the names in the rumor mill: Orioles pitcher Scott Erickson and Tampa Bay reliever Roberto Hernandez. Also, there's talk the Mets might be getting all-purpose player John Mabry from Seattle to complete an earlier deal involving Allen Watson. ... Rugged Return Dept.: Called up Tuesday by San Diego from Class AAA, Matt Whiteside was tagged for nine runs and 10 hits in 1 2/3 innings of an 18-2 loss at Philadelphia. The next night, he relieved with his 48.60 ERA -- and saw it increase. He allowed four runs while retiring only one batter in a 15-2 romp by the Phillies, leaving him with a 58.50 ERA.

 

Related information
Stories
Sports Illustrated's Inside Baseball
Multimedia
Visit Multimedia Central for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.