stlcardinals.com
August 3, 2002

Morris Will Try To Get Cards A Win

By Matthew Leach

ATLANTA -- This time last year, Cardinals fans were marveling at Matt Morris. As August of 2002 gets under way, Morris has put up almost identical numbers to those in the first four months of his Cy Young-caliber campaign ... and many of those same fans are wondering what's wrong.

Morris remains one of the National League's best and toughest-to-hit right-handers. He also continues to be susceptible to bad innings and bad nights. It's just that this year, there seem to be reasons for it. The death of his friend and mentor Darryl Kile comes to mind, and Morris doesn't discount that factor six weeks later. But there's more to it than that.

"Sometimes he gives me energy," Morris said of Kile. "Different days. I have some other stuff going on outside the field. (I) got engaged and just bought a house -- going through those regular, normal stresses of life that everybody goes through. And they're a big deal."

Those things will weigh on anyone, even a 27-year-old multi-millionaire with one of the greatest jobs in the world. So if it seems Morris is struggling a little, despite his nice numbers, well, he is.

As a result, it may not be a coincidence that his best outings recently have come away from Busch Stadium, where Morris can get away from some of the pressures and stress and just focus on pitching.

"There's a lot going on back at home," Morris said. "I hate to measure it as one place is easier or not, because last year it was just the opposite. It's just the timing of everything, and me focusing and feeling good that particular day and thinking about the right things.

"I've felt good at home plenty of times. I've lost my focus some, and some (games) I just got beat by the other team. Next year it'll be something else. Those are all things where (if) I block them out and stop trying to prove to myself that it is some kind of reason, it'll help me."

Whatever it takes, Morris needs to bear down. His team needs him -- badly. Injuries to Woody Williams, Garrett Stephenson and Rick Ankiel, along with the struggles of Travis Smith and, more recently, Jason Simontacchi, have put the St. Louis rotation in another bind. Simontacchi was pummeled for nine runs in one-plus innings Friday as the Braves topped St. Louis, 11-5, in the opener of a key three-game series.

Saturday in the FOX national Game of the Week, Morris takes the ball for arguably his biggest start of the year. Morris, a fiery competitor, looks forward to the challenge but won't get too jacked-up beforehand.

"I tend to look more forward to making pitches," Morris said. "Every lineup is dangerous. If you're not making pitches, these guys are paid to hit the ball. I try to focus on getting my mechanics down, (getting) into the thinking game part of it. Because it doesn't become fun until you can get a guy like Chipper (Jones) out there and work a count and think with him or opposite him. Just to be able to get to that mental side of it is a nice thing."

The Cards have lost three consecutive games for only the second time since early May, and the skid could have been even longer. The Cubs hit Morris hard on Sunday night, but the Cardinals roared back from a 9-4 deficit in the ninth for a rousing 10-9 victory.

"Sunday night was special," Morris said. "To feel so down and so out, and as a team to struggle back, get close, give up a run here and there, and to just feel like ... almost (to) chalk that one up as a loss, and then to pull it out the way we did, and then have the day off."

And on that day off, Monday, the Cards got another boost. St. Louis pulled off a blockbuster trade, bringing in All-Star and Gold Glove third baseman Scott Rolen in exchange for Placido Polanco, Bud Smith and Mike Timlin.

"I hate to see Polanco go, and Timlin, and Bud Smith especially, but it's nice to see what we can do now," Morris said. "Some new fresh faces around, that haven't been dragged through some of the stuff that we've been dragged through, which may help. Even though you wish some of them other guys that (went through it) were still here. But a fresh face is always nice."

Even with fresh faces around, Morris won't forget his friend, 'DK.' None of Kile's teammates will -- but Kile was especially important to Morris. And while St. Louis' unquestioned ace refuses to chalk up his struggles entirely to that devastating loss, it's never far from his mind.