Jack Morris' baseball story

[Music] you know I can't remember if it was really a bunch of neighborhood friends that got involved in pickup games roof was actually my dad who probably started rolling the ball across the living room floor when I was a little infant and it started young I just can't remember exactly how or when I just know that a very young age we were playing neighborhood baseball all summer long summer days feel longer when it comes to childhood reminiscing for Jack Morris many of those carefree flashbacks took place in st. Paul John Scott Morris was born in 1955 when baseball in Minnesota flourished not within granite walls or beneath a Teflon sky but rather upon a Bloomington Prairie when I went to see a major league game as a kid I was a child amongst men and you could tell there was a huge difference but that they were playing a sport with genuine love that you couldn't help but admire but it was a lot of fun I remember that was one of our special nights when our family would get together and it was always spontaneous dad would come home from work and say to my mom hey you know what got anything going tonight let's go out to the twins game and at the old met to sit on the third-base bleachers there and watch the guys it was always a special night Jack's family consisted of an older sister Marsha and a younger brother Tom it was his brother who can be credited for fueling the fire in the future hall-of-famer we were so competitive in everything we did you know I don't know how many times I heard mom yelling at both of us to get out of the house we're gonna wrestle and I was go on outside and we would I mean the Morris brothers Jack and Tom you know Jack was a little bit older he was the you know great athlete great pitcher although known for his wildness and Tommy is younger brother who was the smooth left-hander but we didn't play against each other a ton at the high school level you know Jack was at Highland Park and I was at Creed knee but we played against each other quite a bit in American Legion ball my first step at against Jack go way back to probably my mid-teens I was not a pitcher I was a thrower I could throw the ball through a wall if I hit the wall I probably could not get done sometimes I missed I remember him hitting a kid up at a Highland Park Field on our team in the face and it was one of the ugliest hit bats when I had seen at that level because normally a guy philosophy doesn't concern that you can't get out of the way you're gonna cause a lot of damage well Jack's arm wasn't accurate it was strong and he attracted the attention of Brigham Young University the College offered the former third baseman a scholarship to pitch joining Morris at BYU was his brother Tom Harmon Killebrew son cam and Vance law whose father played a vital role in honing Jack's skills Vernon law was my ecologist pitching coach and he had played in the major leagues for the Pirates Byrne law is the perfect example of what mothers and fathers if their sons idolize a baseball player he was the first guy to ever show me any kind of changeup you know my changeup wasn't anything refined it was so slow that 99% of the guys would just take it so I always looked at it as a free pitch if I could just throw it for a strike I got a free pitch because they were so baffled that I'd throw that slop up there with that being said I realized the change-up is you know changing speeds is really an art with new guidance from acai Young Award winner Jack flourished he went on to be drafted by the Tigers during his junior year in 1976 but on the days leading up to his date with destiny Jack was feeling a little uncertain and he went home to Minnesota to reflect and be with family while I was home I went to a Twins game and Bert Blyleven was pitching against Frank Tanana and both guys were throwing curveballs from off the moon and I looked at my mom and dad and honestly I had this thought I don't know if I'm good enough for this Morris was good enough in fact in a twist of baseball fate he got to prove it his first major league start was against the pitcher he so greatly admired yeah it was quite the start and again you know butterflies and anxiety comes into effect my first start I think I walked the first three hitters I remember Ralph Houk our manager came out to the mound and he said Jack you're really throwing the ball well but you gotta throw a striker I got to get you out of here and I thought to myself this is not the way to end your first start and so I kind of calmed down took a deep breath was able to get the next two guys out got out of the inning and then it was off to the races we both went nine innings it went extra innings and the Texas Rangers one thought on the mound you knew if I was pitching against Jack Morris I'd have to be on top of my game because you know as he matured and got settled into his role as starter he came up with that split finger along with this fastball he was nasty in the 1980s nobody won more games than Jack Morris and for a young Jack Morris it all started on the third base bleachers watching a pitcher's duel at the old met those guys were flat-out dealing and I was so impressed with those two guys little did I know that I'd be friends with Burt Frank Tanana had become my teammate later on in life had no idea that that was gonna be a part of my future but I was very impressed with what I saw in 1977 Jack Morris found a new home in Detroit but a major-league mound for the first time there was only one problem his debut at Tiger Stadium was the situation of star substitution mark Federer was the biggest name in baseball during that time I know it's a very emotional moment for you people coming out Detroit pitch I said we couldn't give you a better show you know nobody was more loved in Detroit than the bird and when he couldn't make his start our pitching coach Fred gladden came running up to the locker my locker and said hey get your spikes on your pitch and I started laughing because I knew there's 40,000 people there they're all there to see bird not me and he says he can't pitch your pitch and get going right now I have reoccurring nightmares about not being ready in time to this day as I was walking towards the mound the PA announcer made that announcement that ladies and gentlemen mark pitchers will not be pitching today's starting pitchers Jack Morris and the whole place got up in booed and I knew they weren't booing me per se but it it still didn't feel well and the good news is I think I won that game and got deep into the game and those boos turned in and cheers when I came off the mound so it just shows what baseball fans really want they want to see a good game Tiger fans saw many more good games for Morris especially during the 1984 season when this team of youngsters won 17 consecutive games on the road we didn't have a lot of household names at that time you know we're all kids Lance Parrish Lou Whitaker Alan Trammell myself dan Petry we had a lot of young guys that came up through the minor leagues together but hadn't established ourselves as any stars in the big leagues but one thing I know is I've never been with a group of guys that when the first pitch started we were ready done to do our part when we won our seventeen in a row on the road bunch of writers who were just all swarming all of us saying this is remarkable and we looked at each other like we're just playing ball you know this is not a big deal but it was a big deal we just weren't aware of it another big deal for JAC that season came on April 7th at Comiskey Park in front of a few vocal fans especially one particular drunk fan having a few pops over the dugout he was piling up the big 1618 ouncers and about the fourth inning he started getting real vocal and by the sixth inning he started giving me the heckle I looked up and I saw these zeros on the scoreboard and I didn't even know at that point that I had a no-hitter going and I couldn't remember any time my career where I was that deep in the game where I had a no-hitter so it was like wow this is pretty cool I didn't know it and when I came off the monitor seventh inning the guy was just getting really belligerent and I told him I said quit drinking you're gonna see something great here today and you got to stick around for it he didn't make it he had one more and they kicked him out so he didn't even get to see the end of it I remember we came up in the shadows of the 68 Tigers they were the last team to win a World Championship and in those years it really brought a city together because of the real tough times that the city of Detroit was going through in the late 60s we heard so much about how a baseball team could influence a community you win and it's never forgotten you know you're never ever brushed aside you win and it's a part of the culture of the community and it's something special I think it's probably the most cherished part of my whole baseball career is being a part of those championship teams because of what it means to me even at this point my life [Applause] Minnesota's own Jack Morris was a five-time all-star in 1985 this honor proved to be extra special for a trio of future hall-of-famers from Saint Paul it was special and I also think it was kind of cool I don't know what the odds are of three players from this particular area not necessarily known as a baseball hotbed by any means to have the opportunity to participate in the all-star game in our own backyard [Applause] you know I remember being on the field taking pictures with those guys mayor George Latimer from st. Paul was out there and he was pretty proud after we've his guys out there none of us were playing for the twins at the time and yet the all-star game was right here and I think all of us wanted to at some point come back home it was special for me anytime I started an all-star game was special but to come back home it's tough you dream about as a kid and you know I got to experience that it was soo is wonderful another opportunity for a homecoming came to Jack in 1991 twins wrapped up the previous season with a last place finish and they were looking for a winning revival from their hometown hurler Morris joined a roster of names now fondly cherished in twins territory including the likes of Kirby Pucket he had passion for baseball every day he played like a pro he ran out every ground ball every fly ball probably everything I'm manager would ever want in a player because of his leadership on the field he always is at ease Kirby because I had my way with him when I was an opposing pitcher and rarely did I throw him a strike and he got mad at me so many times about not challenging why wouldn't you throw one in there it's like why would I Kirby I mean if you're gonna swing I'm gonna let you go ahead and make yourself out I don't have to get you out you'll get yourself up and he said Jack you don't walk to the Hall of Fame you got to hit your way on [Applause] Kirby's bat led the twins through Game six of the 1991 World Series setting the stage for Morris and arguably the best game 7 played in baseball history you know I don't think I've ever been more at peace in a big game than that night Jack Morris now coming out to the cheers of a crowd I got goose bumps walking down to the bullpen to warm up because the PA announcer announced my name and I got a standing ovation and I could never remember that happening in my career and I tipped my hat to the crowd I'll never forget it I looked up like wow this is something special [Music] [Applause] [Music] being in Game seven of the World Series or something every kid dreams about and we're just bigger kids right now that's all that is TK and I have been at many events together and both of us giving our various arguments of what we were thinking but I've got to tip my hat and give him credit he gave me a chance he let me stay in a ball game he came through all his note cards out the window and he looked me in the eye and he saw my heart doesn't get old I'm a little bit in awe by the fact that they still remind me of that but that's what I was referring to when I said when you win it lasts a lifetime and I was given a gift but I was able to share that gift to make other people happy and that's just an incredible thing to share over the course of his career Morris experienced an incredible string of honors most recently being selected for a spot in Cooperstown after a 15-year wait he finally got the call I was alone I was in my room down at the Winter Meetings and I just kept looking around and tears rolled out of my eyes and it's like why is this happening you know so you're reflecting you go back and forth but I'm blessed to have a family that keeps you grounded makes you understand that there's more to life than baseball that baseball is a fun part it's a huge part of my life of Who I am but if that defines my life then I failed I've got a lot left to do I still have goals and still want to accomplish things and it's up to me from this point on to make a difference in a positive way with my example and what I can say to people to help inspire them I guess that's the ultimate message is how grateful I am not just because I'm a Hall of Famer just because I had a chance to live this world in this time and somehow I want to put that all into some message that has me you [Music]

Channel: Bally Sports Detroit

Views: 3,044

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Id: 7jVSkcijneU

Length: 14min 48sec (888 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 11 2018