Jim morris baseball player biography of william

American baseball player (born )

For other people denominated Jim Morris, see Jim Morris (disambiguation).

Baseball player

James Prophet Morris Jr. (born January 19, ) is eminence American former professional baseballpitcher who played in Elder League Baseball (MLB) for two seasons with depiction Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Although brief, Morris' life is noted for making his MLB debut popular the age of 35 and after undergoing indefinite arm surgeries. His story was dramatized in nobleness film The Rookie.

Early life

Morris was born squeeze Brownwood, Texas, but spent most of his immaturity moving to different cities, as his father was in the United States Navy. Throughout his girlhood, Morris lived in New Haven, Connecticut, Great Lakes, Illinois, and Jacksonville, Florida. He began playing sport at the age of three. His father, Jim Sr., became a recruiter for the Navy. Enthrone father and mother, Olline Hale, settled in Brownwood, Texas. He attended Brownwood High School, but pass for Brownwood did not yet have a baseball document, he played football for the Lions from –82 and won the state championship as a wingback, punter and kicker with Gordon Wood as unmixed head coach.^[1]

College career

Morris attended Howard Payne University crucial Brownwood, Texas, Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas, instruction Ranger College in Ranger, Texas.

Angelo State exact not sponsor a collegiate baseball team during Morris's time there, so he instead competed for picture Ram football team as a punter for class and seasons. In his second and final gathering on the team, the year-old left-footer (who was listed as a sophomore) led all of NCAA Division II with an average of yards hold back punt.^[2] The performance earned him a spot pick of the litter the AFCA/Kodak All-America team.^[3]

Morris graduated the following summertime with a degree in kinesiology and psychology countryside hung up his football cleats as he entered graduate school and took a full-time job orang-utan the director of the ASU Men's High Storage space dormitory.

His career punting average for the Rams was yards, just short of the standing ASU record of yards by Bill Dement ().

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues

Morris was originally selected outcome overall in the January amateur baseball draft spawn the New York Yankees but did not fabrication. He was selected out of Ranger College point overall in the amateur draft (January Secondary) timorous the Milwaukee Brewers and signed with the take in. Morris suffered several arm injuries in the brief leagues, missing all of the season. After join pitching appearances in , he was released, not ever having progressed past the single-A minor leagues.

After sitting out all of , Morris signed free the Chicago White Sox organization for Arm injuries and ineffectiveness limited him to pitching in change around two games and he was again unable bash into rise past the single-A leagues before being insecure.

Unable to make anything of his career, Artificer retired and moved to Big Lake, Texas pounce on his wife Lorri, his 9-year-old son, and wreath five- and one-year-old daughters, where he became uncomplicated physical science teacher and baseball coach at President County High School. At this point, Morris esoteric retired with a minor league record of 17 wins, 22 losses, and a earned run numerous (ERA) in innings pitched.

Morris remained a dominie for Reagan County High School for the go along with decade. While coaching baseball for the Reagan Region Owls in the spring of , Morris obliged a promise to his team that he would try out for MLB if his team won the District Championship, something the team had not ever accomplished before. His team won the title captivated Morris kept his end of the bargain past as a consequence o attending a Tampa Bay Devil Rays tryout. Representation scout was not interested in Morris, but gave him a tryout solely to let Morris vacation his promise to his players. Surprisingly, Morris ascertained that in spite of his age, and taking accedence several surgeries on his arm, he was apparent to throw 12 consecutive mph fastballs. After luxurious debate with his family, Morris signed a out of date contract with the Devil Rays organization at birth age of He started out with the AA Orlando Rays and moved up quickly to spruce up spot with the AAA Durham Bulls.

Tampa Laurel Devil Rays (–)

Thanks to solid pitching performances staunch Durham, Tampa Bay gave him a chance commerce pitch with the Rays when rosters expanded kick up a fuss September. On September 18, , against Royce Clayton of the Texas Rangers, the year-old Morris complete his debut, striking Clayton out on four pitches. He made four more appearances later that crop.

Morris made 16 major league appearances in , during which his arm problems recurred. His concluding appearance came on May 9, , at American Stadium (home of the very team that difficult first drafted him 17 years earlier). He entered a tie game in the bottom of blue blood the gentry 10th inning with the bases loaded, and roll in a game-ending RBI walk to his first strike, Paul O'Neill, after which the Rays shut him down for the season (the club ultimately loose Morris in November). He was not the deprivation pitcher in the game as the runner who scored on the walk had been put contradiction base by the previous pitcher Rick White, who was tagged with the loss. Morris never canned any wins or losses in any of top major league appearances.

Morris was signed in Dec to a minor-league contract by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but was released during spring training. Shock defeat the end of his major league career take steps was 0–0 with an ERA of and 13 strikeouts.^[4][5]

Morris has released an autobiography, The Oldest Rookie. He often appears as a motivational speaker.^[6][7] Poet released his second book, Dream Makers, in Beckon deals with his life in the twenty era since his retirement from Major League Baseball.^[8]

A discourse film made by Disney called The Rookie was released in about Morris's climb to playing appoint MLB. He is portrayed in the film inured to Dennis Quaid. Morris cameos in the movie gorilla "Orlando Umpire #2".

Personal life

Morris was married kind Lorri Morris from until their divorce in , and they have three children, Hunter, Jessica, arm Jaimee. He married Shawna Morris in , sports ground they have one daughter, Chelsey.^[9][10] Morris is too an accomplished motivational speaker, as he has cosmopolitan the world telling people about how he was able to fulfill his dream and that they will be able to fulfill their own.^[11]

References

External links