Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 7, 1991 TAG: 9102070480
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C/5 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MINNEAPOLIS LENGTH: Medium
They seem to ignore statistics and recent history. In so doing, they ignore reality.
"I'm excited. I'm really excited," Bell said after the Twins signed the former Detroit right-hander on Tuesday. "I think it makes us a contender. Bona fide. I like our team as much as any in the AL West."
MacPhail and Kelly echo Bell's optimism. Both say Morris immediately and unquestionably becomes the team's No. 1 starter. The theory is that his presence takes pressure off younger pitchers like Allan Anderson, Kevin Tapani and Scott Erickson. Minnesota players anticipate reaping the benefits of Morris' leadership ability.
But Morris was also Detroit's top starter. In that role, he went 6-14 with a 4.86 ERA in 1989 and 15-18 with a 4.51 ERA in 1990, "leading" the Tigers to a combined 138-186 record.
No. 1 starter? Let's look at the AL West.
Cy Young winner Bob Welch was 27-6 last year, yet isn't even Oakland's top man. That role belongs to Dave Stewart. In fact, with Mike Moore in Oakland, Morris would have trouble being the No. 3 starter for the Athletics, the three-time defending division champions and still the team to beat.
Would Morris be one of the top three starters on a Kansas City staff that includes Bret Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza, Tom Gordon, Kevin Appier and Mike Boddicker?
Is Morris even in the same ballpark as the best starters for California (Chuck Finley), Texas (Bobby Witt and Nolan Ryan) and Seattle (Erik Hanson)?
You get the picture. With Morris as their No. 1 starter in the fiercely competitive AL West, the Twins are lagging.
The Jack Morris who led all pitchers with 162 victories in the 1980s was a top gun in any team's book. The same can't be said of the Jack Morris who turns 36 on May 16.
Three years ago, MacPhail used age as an excuse to dump Bert Blyleven. Two years ago, MacPhail used a supposedly fading fastball as a reason to trade Frank Viola. Last month, MacPhail used two straight subpar seasons to cushion the loss of Gary Gaetti.
All those things can be said of Morris, yet MacPhail would have us believe that none of them should.
Maybe Morris will be the exception.
Maybe his recent numbers - 36-45 with a 4.40 ERA over the last three seasons - were a fluke and don't indicate that his ability is waning. Maybe we should recognize Morris as a victim of a bad Detroit team instead of as part of the Tigers' problem. Maybe the elbow fracture that sidelined Morris for two months in 1989 shouldn't be a concern.
Maybe.
But the simple fact is that, Nolan Ryan's notwithstanding, most arms have only so many pitches in them. Not only will Morris be 36 in May, but he will be a hard 36.
Morris was a horse for the Tigers in the 1980s. He worked a lot of innings, struck out a lot of batters, issued a lot of walks, gave up a lot of hits. The reason Morris sports a rather unimpressive career ERA of 3.73 is that he won as much by outlasting opponents as by overpowering them.
At 36, will he still be able to do that? The Twins have been down this road before with once-great pitchers who were past their primes. Remember Steve Carlton? Joe Niekro? Tippy Martinez? Blyleven?
Bell, MacPhail and Kelly talk about Morris' influence on the psyche of the team. No one doubts that the guy hates losing and that the Twins need someone with that attitude.
But some Detroit players, coaches and administrators say Morris can also be a bad influence, a finger-pointer, a pouter.
Despite all of his faults and all of the question marks, the Twins are probably a better team with Morris than without him. A contender? Unlikely. A championship team? Hardly. But better? Surely.
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB