Stlcardinals.com
February ?, 2002

Morris Primed for Special Season

By Matthew Leach

JUPITER, Fla. -- This time last year, Matt Morris was where Bud Smith and Rick Ankiel are right now. Morris was a pitcher of undeniable ability, whose job in the Cardinals starting rotation was in question.

If Smith or Ankiel need any inspiration, a study of Morris's 2001 season could provide some. That's because this spring, Morris is coming off a career season. The right-hander won 22 games and turned in a pair of superb performances in pressure-packed Games 1 and 5 of the National League Division Series. At 27, he has established himself as one of the game's top starting pitchers, and he seems to be on track for an Opening Day start.

What... he didn't get hit the lottery, too? Actually, he sort of did; Morris signed a three-year, $27 million contract extension in the offseason. It's fair to say it was a pretty good year.

"Those are things that I don't think you can plan," said Morris, who is scheduled to start the Cardinals' exhibition game against the Mets on Friday. "You can work your butt off while you're hurting or while you're trying to come back, but to plan a 22-win season, playing in the playoffs, the way the cards fell....

"The team picked me up all year, battled for me every time I was out there. That's a big attribute in all those wins. But, yeah, it was pretty special."

Morris knows about hurting, and about trying to come back. He had "Tommy John" ligament surgery on his pitching elbow in the spring of 1999 and missed the entire season. He spent the 2000 season coming out of the bullpen for St. Louis. It wasn't a certainty he would make the last year's rotation, but once he got the chance, he never relinquished his spot.

Now he has established himself as at least a co-ace in the Cardinals rotation, along with Darryl Kile. Kile underwent shoulder surgery this past offseason, and while he's well on his way back, he's a little behind the rest of the staff in preseason preparations. As a result, Morris is a heavy favorite to start the season opener on April 1 at home against Colorado.

That's an honor, but it also comes with pressure. Morris is a go-to guy, if not the go-to guy, on a team with World Series aspirations. Or is that World Series expectations?

"We made the playoffs the last couple of years, we made the right changes in the offseason to have a championship team and they (Cardinals fans) expect nothing less," Morris said. "With Izzy (Jason Isringhausen) added to the bullpen and Tino (Martinez) at first, we're doing the right things and we're expecting to win. On paper you have great names. You gotta go out and do it, though."

It would be more daunting if Morris had never been here before. What's sometimes forgotten is just how good he was before he injured his elbow. Morris won 12 games as a rookie in 1997, and he managed a sparkling 2.53 ERA in a half-season in 1998. The guy has been even better in the past than he was in '01, believe it or not.

"He was good before he was hurt," said catcher Mike Matheny, who played against Morris as a Milwaukee Brewer in '98. "I remember facing him before he was hurt, and he wasn't fun to face. (Last year) he worked hard and got some confidence after he had a little bit of success. And that just kind of builds more confidence."

Now, with that confidence, add in another year of experience. Morris was a workhorse and a Cy Young candidate on a team that won 93 games in 2001. He went 10-1 after Aug. 1 as the team charged from third place to tie the Astros for first.

And then came the playoffs. St. Louis battled Arizona for five memorable games in the Division Series, actually outscoring the D-Backs in the series. Morris matched up against Curt Schilling twice, and showed just exactly what he was made of. Morris pitched 15 innings over the two games and gave up just two runs.

Unfortunately for Morris and the Cardinals, Schilling pitched 18 innings and allowed just one run. The Diamondbacks won both times, but it certainly wasn't Morris' fault. And he feels that in the long run, those games made him a better pitcher.

"The whole thing about pitching is experience," Morris said. "And it seemed like those two games were so highlighted and magnified that it almost felt like a year's experience in itself. Everything seemed to slow down. Pitches were highlighted, mistakes were highlighted. Those were special games for anybody to be part of."

If the Cardinals are as good as some of the prognosticators think, Morris could have plenty more special games ahead of him. And there's every reason to think he will be ready for them.