Jack Morris

Playing career

Jack Morris grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he graduated from Highland Park High School in 1973 before heading to Brigham Young University to play college ball for the Cougars. The Detroit Tigers picked him in the fifth round of the 1976 MLB draft, and he got his first big-league call-up in 1977 after Mark Fidrych landed on the disabled list. By 1979, Morris had cracked the starting rotation, going 17-7 with a 3.29 ERA and cementing himself as the staff ace.

Alongside catcher Lance Parrish, shortstop Alan Trammell, second baseman Lou Whitaker, outfielder Kirk Gibson, and manager Sparky Anderson, he helped turn the Tigers into a perennial contender throughout the 1980s. In 1980, new pitching coach Roger Craig taught him the split-finger fastball, which became a go-to pitch for the rest of his career. During the strike-shortened 1981 season, Morris led the majors with 14 wins and a 3.05 ERA. Despite playing for Anderson, a manager nicknamed "Captain Hook" for his quick hook on starters, Morris was a workhorse who finished 175 complete games in his career, 154 of them as a Tiger.

He reached double-digit complete games in 10 of his 12 full seasons in Detroit. In 1983, he completed 20 of his 37 starts, leading the league in innings pitched (293.2), batters faced (1,204), and strikeouts (232), while notching his first 20-win season. On April 7, 1984, Morris no-hit the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park on NBC's Game of the Week, the first Tiger no-hitter since Jim Bunning in 1958. He finished 1984 with 19 wins and a 3.60 ERA, leading Detroit to the postseason.

He picked up a win in the ALCS against the Kansas City Royals and tossed two complete-game victories in the World Series against the San Diego Padres, as the Tigers won the championship. Morris earned the Babe Ruth Award for the most outstanding performance in the 1984 postseason.

Post-career activities

Morris has worked as a color analyst for the Minnesota Twins and as a part-time coach for the Detroit Tigers during spring training in Lakeland, Florida. In 2013, he joined Sportsnet as a color analyst for Toronto Blue Jays radio broadcasts and also appeared on television broadcasts. In 2014, he served as a pre- and post-game analyst for Twins telecasts on Bally Sports North and as a regular contributor on KTWN-FM and the Twins Radio Network. On February 10, 2015, he was hired as a part-time analyst for Detroit Tigers telecasts on Fox Sports Detroit, alongside former teammate Kirk Gibson, while continuing part-time work for the Twins.

In 2017, it was announced he would no longer do Tigers telecasts, but on January 15, 2019, he was again named a color commentator for the Tigers. On August 17, 2021, Morris used an accent during a broadcast that some deemed insensitive while Shohei Ohtani was at bat; he issued an on-air apology, and Ohtani said through an interpreter that he was not offended. Morris was suspended indefinitely from the Tigers' broadcast booth but returned in less than a month.

After the 2022 season, he parted ways from the Tigers broadcast team. Morris has two sons from his first marriage and one with his second, and is known for his love of hunting and fishing, especially in Minnesota.

Hall of Fame candidacy

Jack Morris spent 14 years on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot without ever hitting the 75% threshold needed for election. His early support was weak—he never topped 30% between 2000 and 2003—but it grew slowly. He crossed 40% for the first time in 2006, reached 52.3% in 2010, and climbed to 67% in 2012 and 67.7% in 2013. In his final year of eligibility, January 8, 2014, he got 61.5%.

Once off the regular ballot, the Modern Era Committee of the Veterans Committee elected him in December 2017. He entered the Hall as a Detroit Tiger in 2018, alongside former teammate Alan Trammell. Among Hall of Fame pitchers, his 3.90 career ERA is the highest. Morris also holds the record for fewest regular-season at-bats by any Hall of Famer: one.

That lone plate appearance came on April 30, 1987, when he threw a complete-game win against the California Angels. In the eighth inning, designated hitter Mike Heath moved to first base, ending the DH role for the game. With two outs in the ninth, Morris stepped in and hit a foul fly to right—his first time batting since the minors in 1977. He also served as a pinch runner 19 times, scoring four runs, making him the only Hall of Fame player with more runs scored than plate appearances.