No big deal: Morris maybe a little surprised, but still with Pirates
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Something just doesn’t seem right about the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation. Ian Snell, age 26, 24 career victories. Paul Maholm, age 25, 21 career wins. Zach Duke, age 24, 21 career wins. Tom Gorzelanny, age 25, 16 career wins. Matt Morris, age 33, 121 career wins.
So how did Matt Morris land in a rotation in which he is at least 7 years older than every other starter? One in which he makes about 20 times more than any of the other four? A rotation in which only one pitcher, Snell, has more career wins than Morris had by himself (22) for St. Louis in 2001?
“My piece didn’t seem like it fit here, but actually it does,” said Morris, who heads off to spring training in two weeks as the unofficial leader of the rotation and the untitled assistant pitching coach. “It does more than the previous team I was on.”
Morris, who has 39 more major league wins than the other four Pirates starters combined, wound up with Pittsburgh in one of the most unexpected deals made at the July 31 trade deadline.
Normally, an experienced, big-ticket pitcher such as Morris is dealt from a noncontender like the Giants to a team that is close to first place. Instead, Morris went from one last-place team to another, and without San Francisco picking up any of his $9.5 million salary for 2008.
Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield rationalized that adding an experienced and reliable starter would be a move applauded by Pirates fans during the offseason. So why not make it during the season?
Instead, the transaction was viewed curiously in Pittsburgh, where the Pirates have one of the majors’ four lowest payrolls. Taking on Morris’ salary seemed to be an odd decision for a franchise that has fled from such big numbers in the past.
Barely a month later, coincidence or not, Littlefield was fired.
Morris’ take on the trade: It actually makes more sense for him to be in Pittsburgh, where the rotation is relatively young, than in San Francisco, where the team was much older.
“Usually, you can find one or two (younger) guys on a staff like this, but there’s maybe six guys here,” Morris said. “There’s a lot of talent here, a lot of quality players. They just need some seasoning and I think my role, besides competing and showing them what I do between the lines, it’s about (displaying) heart and desire.”
The Pirates ended last season 68-94, yet Morris noticed something many players wouldn’t pay attention to: The Pirates got their uniforms dirtier than the Giants did, and did so almost daily.
“Guys were diving and laying out and just trying to compete,” he said.
That made an impression with Morris. So did the young pitchers’ constant questions to him: How did he set up batters? How did he spot weaknesses? How did he sequence his pitches?
“For some reason they listened to me – we’ll see how long that lasts – but it’s been fun,” Morris said. “They’ve been real receptive.”
With Morris making nearly one-fifth of the their projected payroll of $51 million, the Pirates are hoping he will give them a lot of solid starts that will set a tone for the younger starters. He was 3-4 with a 6.10 ERA in 11 Pirates starts last season and 10-11 overall.
If he’s having a good year, Pittsburgh might even be able to move him to a contender, saving at least a portion of his salary while picking up a prospect. There is a $9 million club option for 2009, but it would be a shocker if the Pirates picked it up.
“I had no expectations,” Morris said after new Pirates GM Neal Huntington tried but failed to trade him during the offseason. “I didn’t know what was going to happen. But I’m here now and I’m going to enjoy it. I’ve really liked it here.”
Copyright Associated Press 2008