Morris signs with Cleveland for final big league season
With the Cleveland Indians on the verge of putting 40 years of frustration behind them, the team’s front office knew exactly the type of competitor they needed.
Few pitchers of his era exhibited more sheer will than Jack Morris, who signed a one-year deal with Cleveland on Feb. 10, 1994.
“Jack Morris is coming in with something to prove,” Cleveland general manager John Hart told the Associated Press. “And I think that our young pitchers are going to have to go hard to keep up with him.”
Morris had recently finished a two-year stint with the Blue Jays where he helped Toronto win back-to-back World Series titles. But in 1993, he went just 7-12 with a 6.19 ERA while battling a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right elbow.
Morris, however, was pain-free by December of 1993.
Meanwhile, Cleveland was assembling a young core featuring Carlos Baerga, Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton, Manny Ramírez and Jim Thome. The Indians had not won an American League pennant since 1954 but seemed primed to change the course of the franchise.
“I’m confident I can help bring the world championship to Cleveland,” Morris told the AP. “I’ve really wanted to come to them all winter.
“There’s a certain camaraderie I see with them.”
Morris’ contract called for a $350,000 salary with a $500,000 bonus for pitching 90 innings and another $125,000 for reaching 150 innings. He started Cleveland’s second game of the season – the second game ever played at brand new Jacobs Field – and earned the win in a 6-2 victory over the Mariners.
After losing his next four decisions, Morris strung together five straight wins. And though his earned-run average hovered around 5.00 for the whole season, he continued to find ways to win as he did throughout his career. The Indians, meanwhile, were 66-47 when the strike ended the season – the best winning percentage (.584) the club had posted since 1955.
Morris had a 10-6 record through 23 starts and 141.1 innings. But he was forced to attend matters at his Montana ranch throughout the summer when he wasn’t pitching. With a strike deadline just two days away, the Indians released Morris on Aug. 9, 1994.
Though he signed with the Reds for the 1995 season, Morris retired on April 18, one week before the regular season began. He finished his Cooperstown-bound career with a 254-186 record and three World Series rings.
“I never cheated myself,” Morris told the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News through tears when he announced his retirement. “I gave it what I had. I could point out some of the good moments I accomplished, but what I’m most proud of is that I was always on teams that won. I thought I was part of the reason.
“I have some peace of mind knowing I went out at the right time, even though you never know if it’s the right time. I know my heart doesn’t have the desire it once had…and that’s good enough for me.”
Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
