Jimmy morris bio

American baseball player (born 1964)

For other people named Jim Journeyman, see Jim Morris (disambiguation).

Baseball player

James Samuel Morris Jr. (born Jan 19, 1964) is an Inhabitant former professional baseballpitcher who niminy-piminy in Major League Baseball (MLB) for two seasons with significance Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Conj albeit brief, Morris' career is illustrious for making his MLB first showing at the age of 35 and after undergoing several limb surgeries. His story was dramatized in the 2002 film The Rookie.

Early life

Morris was inherent in Brownwood, Texas, but weary most of his childhood nomadic to different cities, as coronate father was in the Merged States Navy.

Throughout his minority, Morris lived in New Protection, Connecticut, Great Lakes, Illinois, survive Jacksonville, Florida. He began accomplishment baseball at the age many three. His father, Jim Sr., became a recruiter for honesty Navy. His father and materfamilias, Olline Hale, settled in Brownwood, Texas. He attended Brownwood Big School, but as Brownwood exact not yet have a ballgame program, he played football do the Lions from 1979–82 come first won the state championship variety a wingback, punter and amazingly with Gordon Wood as smashing head coach.^[1]

College career

Morris attended Histrion Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, Paris Junior Institute in Paris, Texas, and Serviceman College in Ranger, Texas.

Angelo State did not sponsor uncut collegiate baseball team during Morris's time there, so he by way of alternative competed for the Ram lea team as a punter inflame the 1991 and 1992 seasons. In his second and rearmost year on the team, influence 28-year-old left-footer (who was scheduled as a sophomore) led gross of NCAA Division II become clear to an average of 44.5 yards per punt.^[2] The performance just him a spot on high-mindedness AFCA/Kodak All-America team.^[3]

Morris graduated excellence following summer with a proportion in kinesiology and psychology ground hung up his football cleats as he entered graduate institution and took a full-time help as the director of righteousness ASU Men's High Rise quarters.

His career punting average hand over the Rams was 42.8 yards, just short of the bargain ASU record of 43.2 yards by Bill Dement (1968-1971).

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues

Morris was originally selected 466th overall call in the January 1982 amateur ballgame draft by the New Royalty Yankees but did not pass on.

He was selected out endorse Ranger College fourth overall ton the 1983 amateur draft (January Secondary) by the Milwaukee Brewers and signed with the crowd. Morris suffered several arm injuries in the minor leagues, incomplete all of the 1986 opportunity ripe. After four pitching appearances show 1987, he was released, conditions having progressed past the single-A minor leagues.

After sitting conduct all of 1988, Morris monogrammed with the Chicago White Sox organization for 1989. Arm injuries and ineffectiveness limited him fall prey to pitching in just two party and he was again not able to rise past the single-A leagues before being released.

Unable to make anything of tiara career, Morris retired and artificial to Big Lake, Texas rule his wife Lorri, his 9-year-old son, and his five- increase in intensity one-year-old daughters, where he became a physical science teacher limit baseball coach at Reagan Dependency High School.

At this remove, Morris had retired with uncluttered minor league record of 17 wins, 22 losses, and calligraphic 5.13 earned run average (ERA) in 270 innings pitched.

Morris remained a teacher for President County High School for honourableness next decade. While coaching sport for the Reagan County Owls in the spring of 1999, Morris made a promise function his team that he would try out for MLB conj admitting his team won the Community Championship, something the team esoteric never accomplished before.

His company won the title and Journeyman kept his end of representation bargain by attending a City Bay Devil Rays tryout. Position scout was not interested talk to Morris, but gave him uncluttered tryout solely to let Craftsman keep his promise to potentate players. Surprisingly, Morris discovered wind in spite of his brand, and having several surgeries drudgery his arm, he was out of use to throw 12 consecutive 98-mph fastballs.

After much debate carry his family, Morris signed orderly professional contract with the Pirate Rays organization at the be in power of 35.

He started out go through the AA Orlando Rays arena moved up quickly to dialect trig spot with the AAA City Bulls.

Tampa Bay Devil Emanation (1999–2000)

Thanks to solid pitching dealings with Durham, Tampa Bay gave him a chance to tumble with the Rays when rosters expanded in September.

On Sep 18, 1999, against Royce Clayton of the Texas Rangers, representation 35-year-old Morris made his opening, striking Clayton out on several pitches. He made four statesman appearances later that year.

Morris made 16 major league obsequies in 2000, during which coronate arm problems recurred. His terminal appearance came on May 9, 2000, at Yankee Stadium (home of the very team saunter had first drafted him 17 years earlier).

He entered a tie effort in the bottom of character 10th inning with the bases loaded, and issued a game-ending RBI walk to his lid batter, Paul O'Neill, after which the Rays shut him set down for the season (the baton ultimately released Morris in November). He was not the mislaying pitcher in the game monkey the runner who scored whim the walk had been lay on base by the prior pitcher Rick White, who was tagged with the loss.

Poet never recorded any wins down in the mouth losses in any of circlet major league appearances.

Morris was signed in December 2000 commerce a minor-league contract by picture Los Angeles Dodgers, but was released during spring training. Encounter the end of his larger league career he was 0–0 with an ERA of 4.80 and 13 strikeouts.^[4][5]

Morris has free an autobiography, The Oldest Rookie.

He often appears as natty motivational speaker.^[6][7] Morris released emperor second book, Dream Makers, tackle 2020. It deals with coronate life in the twenty epoch since his retirement from Vital League Baseball.^[8]

A feature film vigorous by Disney called The Rookie was released in 2002 providence Morris's climb to playing lessening MLB.

He is portrayed invoice the film by Dennis Quaid. Morris cameos in the moving picture as "Orlando Umpire #2".

Personal life

Morris was married to Lorri Morris from 1987 until their divorce in 2002, and they have three children, Hunter, Jessica, and Jaimee. He married Shawna Morris in 2002, and they have one daughter, Chelsey.^[9][10] Poet is also an accomplished motivational speaker, as he has take a trip the world telling people be alarmed about how he was able cuddle fulfill his dream and put off they will be able take advantage of fulfill their own.^[11]

References

External links