Stlcardinals.com
May 4, 2001

Time To Shine For Cards' Morris

By Jim Molony (MLB.com)

They say good things come to those who wait and Matt Morris has been waiting such a very long time.

Since 1994, when Morris was first wowing scouts at Seton Hall and then as a member of Team USA, just about everyone was predicting great things for the 6-foot-5 right-hander from Middletown, New York. Baseball America named him one of the top college pitchers in '94, and after the Cardinals made him their No. 1 (12th overall) pick of the '95 draft Morris had a solid year in A ball in '95 and followed up with 12 victories at Double-A Arkansas in '96.

Morris was on the fast track to the St. Louis rotation and when he joined the Cardinals in '97, posting a 12-9 record with a 3.19 ERA, including 9-5 with a 2.73 ERA at Busch Stadium, a great future was predicted for him. He was named The Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year, and his sinking fastball was drawing raves from scouts and opposing hitters every where he pitched.

"That seems like such a long time ago," Morris said. "And I guess it is. Everything was going good, and then all of a sudden it wasn't."

A strained right shoulder in his first start sent Morris to the disabled list. He was limited to just 17 starts in '98, and he was forced to wait until July to return to the rotation. While he was very effective the rest of the way - 7-5 with a 2.53 ERA -- he came to camp in '99 looking to regain his rookie form.

Unfortunately, Morris' dream of returning to the rotation ended when he injured his right elbow during spring training. "That was very tough for me to take at first," he said. "I'd been injured before, but this was far more serious, and I'd be out a lot longer than I was the first time."

Just like that he went from budding phenom to "that rookie who had a great year but got hurt." Morris went from being the pitcher whose name was on a lot of people's lips to one who fell off the radar screen. The description "career-threatening injury" was read and heard by Morris. Concerned but cautiously optimistic, Morris put the bleaker scenarios out of his mind and did what the doctors advised him to do.

The first step was surgery.

Morris would not pitch again in the majors for more than a year after undergoing "Tommy John" surgery. Dr. Frank Jobe replaced a torn ligament in Morris' elbow with a tendon from the pitcher's right hand. Thirteen months between pitching stints was difficult to go through, but Morris finally made it back when he returned to the Cardinals on May 28, 2000.

Morris worked hard on the rehab trail and was determined to make it all the way back. He did, but not to the rotation. Limited to 53 innings of work in 31 relief appearances last season, Morris was solid if not his former overpowering self, posting a 3-3 record and saving four games. But Cards manager Tony La Russa saw enough in Morris' performance to convince him the 26-year-old would be ready to rejoin the rotation in 2001.

The wait is over.

"He's been as good as he's ever been, just outstanding," La Russa said. "His stuff is outstanding, and he's been our stopper so far this year."

On a Cardinals' staff that started the season surprisingly slow, Morris has been the exception. He's 6th in the league in earned run average (2.77), sixth in walks per nine innings (1.85) and eighth in strikeouts-to-walks ratio (3.75, 30 strikeouts and eight walks). Morris' won-loss record (3-2) has been hurt by poor run support, but in just about every other category he's putting up All-Star numbers.

"Morris was as good as we've seen all year except for Randy Johnson," Florida manager John Boles said.

"He's got nasty stuff, some of the best I've seen in a while," Houston second baseman Craig Biggio said.

Morris, who went eight innings Wednesday night against Florida in a bid for his first complete game in more than two years, has gone seven or more innings in all five of his starts. He has allowed a total of five earned runs and put to rest any concerns that his injury might be a factor this season.

He's also bolstered a rotation that has been hamstrung with poor starts from Andy Benes (1-2, 8.10 ERA), Dustin Hermanson (1-1, 6.04) and Rick Ankiel (17 walks in as many innings).

"Even though I've been around a while, I'm still learning," Morris said. "I'm learning the hitters, learning what I can do. I know I can get better, it just takes experience. The encouraging thing for me is I feel great.

"I'm glad I'm contributing. I'm not (the ace), I'm just another guy in the rotation trying to help his team win."

Morris is helping keep the defending NL Central champs in the thick of things and making up for lost time in the process. His mid-90s sinker is back.

"I'm definitely smarter and I'm more comfortable now with what I'm doing," he said.

Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny marvels at Morris' control and the movement the right-hander gets on his fastball and sinker.

"I wouldn't want to have to try and hit it," Matheny said. "He gets a lot of dip on (the sinker). (Darryl Kile) has that big bender, but Matt gets almost as good of movement on his sinker, it's just down instead of east to west. And then he's got that good fastball. He's been incredible."

Morris has induced 69 ground balls in five starts. Among National League pitchers only Pittsburgh's Jimmy Anderson (76) has had more. In a division replete with sluggers like Sammy Sosa, Jeff Bagwell and Ken Griffey Jr., a ground ball pitcher with Morris' stuff is a precious commodity. And one the Cardinals were glad to wait on.

"I wouldn't want to have to go through what I went through again even though it was an experience that made me stronger, at least I think it did," Morris said. "I'm getting another chance, and I want to make the most of it."