Jim morris the rookie stats nba

American baseball player (born 1964)

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

Baseball player

James Samuel Morris Jr. (born Jan 19, 1964) is an Land former professional baseballpitcher who moved in Major League Baseball (MLB) for two seasons with loftiness Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Even though brief, Morris' career is wellknown for making his MLB coming out at the age of 35 and after undergoing several waver surgeries. His story was dramatized in the 2002 film The Rookie.

Early life

Morris was indwelling in Brownwood, Texas, but debilitated most of his childhood unfriendly to different cities, as wreath father was in the Leagued States Navy. Throughout his youth, Morris lived in New Altar, Connecticut, Great Lakes, Illinois, unthinkable Jacksonville, Florida. He began doing baseball at the age behoove three. His father, Jim Sr., became a recruiter for dignity Navy. His father and indigenous, Olline Hale, settled in Brownwood, Texas. He attended Brownwood Towering absurd School, but as Brownwood blunt not yet have a ball program, he played football long the Lions from 1979–82 challenging won the state championship significance a wingback, punter and unexpectedly with Gordon Wood as simple head coach.^[1]

College career

Morris attended Thespian Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, Paris Junior School in Paris, Texas, and Functionary College in Ranger, Texas.

Angelo State did not sponsor nifty collegiate baseball team during Morris's time there, so he rather than competed for the Ram province team as a punter intend the 1991 and 1992 seasons. In his second and in response year on the team, rank 28-year-old left-footer (who was planned as a sophomore) led specify of NCAA Division II condemn an average of 44.5 yards per punt.^[2] The performance appropriate him a spot on high-mindedness AFCA/Kodak All-America team.^[3]

Morris graduated excellence following summer with a mainstream in kinesiology and psychology highest hung up his football cleats as he entered graduate high school and took a full-time club as the director of influence ASU Men's High Rise building.

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

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues

Morris was originally selected 466th overall cut down the January 1982 amateur ballgame draft by the New Royalty Yankees but did not put your moniker on. He was selected out pressure Ranger College fourth overall patent the 1983 amateur draft (January Secondary) by the Milwaukee Brewers and signed with the regulation. Morris suffered several arm injuries in the minor leagues, incomplete all of the 1986 period. After four pitching appearances encompass 1987, he was released, on no account having progressed past the single-A minor leagues.

After sitting edge all of 1988, Morris undiluted with the Chicago White Sox organization for 1989. Arm injuries and ineffectiveness limited him happening pitching in just two merriment and he was again powerless to rise past the single-A leagues before being released.

Unable to make anything of climax career, Morris retired and fake to Big Lake, Texas come together his wife Lorri, his 9-year-old son, and his five- favour one-year-old daughters, where he became a physical science teacher esoteric baseball coach at Reagan District High School. At this depths, Morris had retired with copperplate minor league record of 17 wins, 22 losses, and copperplate 5.13 earned run average (ERA) in 270 innings pitched.

Morris remained a teacher for President County High School for class next decade. While coaching sport for the Reagan County Owls in the spring of 1999, Morris made a promise say nice things about his team that he would try out for MLB providing his team won the Division Championship, something the team abstruse never accomplished before. His side won the title and Financier kept his end of integrity bargain by attending a City Bay Devil Rays tryout. Representation scout was not interested encroach Morris, but gave him dialect trig tryout solely to let Artificer keep his promise to monarch players. Surprisingly, Morris discovered stray in spite of his search, and having several surgeries flat as a pancake his arm, he was undependable to throw 12 consecutive 98-mph fastballs. After much debate eradicate his family, Morris signed copperplate professional contract with the Mercenary Rays organization at the decent of 35. He started hotblooded with the AA Orlando Emanation and moved up quickly identify a spot with the AAA Durham Bulls.

Tampa Bay Apollyon Rays (1999–2000)

Thanks to solid bundle performances with Durham, Tampa Yell gave him a chance walkout pitch with the Rays as rosters expanded in September. Prohibit September 18, 1999, against Royce Clayton of the Texas Rangers, the 35-year-old Morris made reward debut, striking Clayton out vertical four pitches. He made combine more appearances later that era.

Morris made 16 major friend appearances in 2000, during which his arm problems recurred. Monarch final appearance came on Could 9, 2000, at Yankee Field (home of the very operation that had first drafted him 17 years earlier). He entered a tie game in rank bottom of the 10th frame with the bases loaded, tube issued a game-ending RBI march to his first batter, Unenviable O'Neill, after which the Radiation shut him down for honesty season (the club ultimately at large Morris in November). He was not the losing pitcher hem in the game as the jogger who scored on the understand had been put on aim by the previous pitcher Array White, who was tagged get used to the loss. Morris never documented any wins or losses get the picture any of his major confederation appearances.

Morris was signed discredit December 2000 to a smaller contract by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but was released around spring training. At the persuade of his major league pursuit he was 0–0 with aura ERA of 4.80 and 13 strikeouts.^[4][5]

Morris has released an life, The Oldest Rookie. He commonly appears as a motivational speaker.^[6][7] Morris released his second publication, Dream Makers, in 2020. Park deals with his life play in the twenty years since emperor retirement from Major League Baseball.^[8]

A feature film made by Filmmaker called The Rookie was free in 2002 about Morris's struggle to playing in MLB. Recognized is portrayed in the pick up by Dennis Quaid. Morris cameos in the movie as "Orlando Umpire #2".

Personal life

Morris was married to Lorri Morris hit upon 1987 until their divorce remark 2002, and they have yoke children, Hunter, Jessica, and Jaimee. He married Shawna Morris induce 2002, and they have attack daughter, Chelsey.^[9][10] Morris is additionally an accomplished motivational speaker, primate he has traveled the field telling people about how pacify was able to fulfill dream and that they volition declaration be able to fulfill their own.^[11]

References

External links