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2004 season Morse eyeing the big league
shortstop job in Seattle Mike Morse already has plans on how he'll spend the money from his first major league contract. No, he doesn't plan on buying himself a big, fancy car.
"One of my goals in this game is to get my mother a house and ... her own car," said the Seattle Mariner shortstop prospect. "It all goes to her." Morse's mother, once a track star and Olympic hopeful in her native Jamaica, sacrificed everything in raising two sons by herself. "She raised my brother and me on her own, with no college education or nothing," said Morse. "We grew up very poor in Florida. She always put us in sports ... she dedicated her life to help my brother and me to play sports. We didn't have much, but she made sure we had cleats and gloves." Morse spent the early part of his childhood living with his grandparents in Jamaica because his mother couldn't take care of both children, finally returning to Florida for good when he was six and a half. He is very proud of his Jamaican heritage. "We've got a lot of family in Jamaica," Morse continued, "and they keep up with me. Everybody wants me to do well." Morse's family must be swelling with pride after his 2004 season, one in which he was included as one of the key players in the deal that sent star pitcher Freddy Garcia from Seattle to the Chicago White Sox. The Mariners are certainly glad to have acquired the 6'4", 220 pound shortstop, along with outfield prospect Jeremy Reed and big league catcher Miguel Olivo. "He joined us around the halfway point," said Mike Goff, Morse's manager in the Arizona Fall League and a minor league coordinator with the Seattle organization. "He had an outstanding second half ... he drove in quite a few runs in the second half ... I think he finished with about 80 (runs batted in) for the year. For a premier position like shortstop, that's pretty impressive." The 2004 season could be considered to be Morse's breakout year, as he improved his offensive numbers in all categories, finishing at .274/.326/.465 with Seattle's AA affiliate in San Antonio after batting .287/.336/.536 with Birmingham, the White Sox AA team. He combined for 17 homeruns and 71 RBIs. Morse was sent to the Arizona Fall League by the Mariners for one primary purpose. "They told me that 97% of the reason I'm here is to work on my defense," said Morse, "and learn how to play the position." He continued, "I've been working with Mike Goff. He's helping me a lot, just working on my footwork. If you've got good feet, you can definitely play the position." Goff agreed with Morse, stating, "We're trying to smooth out his feet a little bit, really concentrate on his first step." Because of his size, there has always been speculation that Morse would eventually have to move to another position, either third base or the outfield. He projects to have enough offensive potential to play any of those positions, but a move away from shortstop, which he's been playing since first signing with the White Sox in 2000, is not a done deal. "We're going to keep him there and let him play his way off that position," said Goff, "or he's going to show us he can play the position ... in the very near future, one way or the other, it's going to be determined." Morse is confident that he can play shortstop at the big league level. "I think I'm not growing too big for shortstop at all," he stated Morse has a good role model in fellow south Florida native Alex Rodriguez, who is just about the same size as Morse.
"I met A-Rod one time down in Miami," Morse recounted. "He told me, 'Don't ever let them tell you that you can't play short. Just because of your height and size, don't ever let them tell you.' That really stuck with me. Four years later, I'm still thinking about it. I think that there's no reason I shouldn't play shortstop in the big leagues." Morse has seen a big difference in philosophy between the Chicago White Sox and Seattle organizations, especially as it pertains to his glove work. "Seattle believes a lot in defense," he said. "With the White Sox, I was more of an offensive power hitter and just okay in the field. I'd just get the routine stuff. But in Seattle, they stress defense. They want you to make every play --- routine or not routine. Everybody in the organization can field with the best of them ... they're teaching me how to play the position." While Morse's future position might still be in doubt, there is no question about his dedication to the game. "The last couple of years, baseball's been 24-7 for me," said Morse. "Off-season, I work out every day. I have trainers. I have a lot of big league friends I hit with." "Baseball, basically, is my whole life," Morse continued. "I told myself I'm going to dedicate myself to this and get to the big leagues. I'm not here to be a minor leaguer my whole life." Morse's off-season workout partners, veteran major leaguers such as Juan Pierre, Charles Johnson, Lenny Harris, Dmitri Young, Preston Wilson, have been a big aid to his development. "Each one of them has put in so much work with me," said Morse. "I'm the only minor league guy, and they bring me in like I'm one of them. It's pretty neat." While much of his emphasis in Arizona has been on his defense, Morse is also doing very well at the plate. Through the first half of the season with the AFL's Peoria Javelinas, he's batting .340/.377/.400. He's making good contact, having struck out only six times in 50 ABs. With the shortstop position in Seattle unsettled, does Morse feel that his Arizona Fall League experience can help him leapfrog AAA and contend for a spot on the big league roster in 2004? "I hope that's the case," he replied. "You never know. You always want to set your goals high ... if you fall short, so be it." "I had a great year in AA," Morse continued. "Coming out here (Arizona), you're playing with the best of the best, so it makes me feel more like I can play at the next level." "I'm going to try my best here and I'm going to try my best in spring training and show them what I can do. I just want to go there and better the team and help the team win." Considering his performance in the first half of the Arizona Fall League season, Morse's mother may not have to wait long for that new house and car. --- Bill Mitchell All photos on the Arizona Fall League Report are credited to Bill Mitchell, unless noted otherwise, and are not to be used for any other purpose without express permission.
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