Andrew Morton...Recruiters- check him out

Lexington pitcher Andrew Morton must be a machine. He pitched a complete 9 inning game Friday night and came back with two day's rest to pitch another complete 9 inning game tonight. Amazing. If he's not a machine I hope he's been trained to pitch by Dr. Mike Marshall in Florida. That's a lot of pitching in four days for anyone. I hope he knows what he's doing. I'd hate to see him hurt his arm. He's an outstanding pitcher.


The Lexington team continues to refuse to lose. They are one of the best clutch hitting teams around. Winston-Salem is going to have to play their best baseball of the summer to beat Lexington 3 games in a row. Good luck to both teams.

 

Your concern is appropriate, but let me share a couple of insights:

1--Coach Griffin keeps the kids on a tight pitch count. This would never happen in the regular season or to another kid. However "Mort" is a special kid with a special circumstance...

2--Andrew graduated a year ago from Lexington High School with a 4.4 GPA. Apparently nobody coached him into applying for academic scholarships, so he missed the window. Some counselor was asleep at the wheel.

3--He attracted zero baseball interest because Lexington was horrible, winning zero games. Their outfield literally resembled a Little League team.

4--Mort starred for our Legion team last summer, & Wilkes Community asked him to come, giving him a small scholarship. Mort attended last fall & (I have been told) in scrimmages was clearly their best pitcher.

5--Because of finances, Andrew had to drop out at Christmas & go to work. So this Legion season is probably the end of his baseball career...unless he can attract a major amount of cash from some school. We all hope some college will realize his talent & help him.

Andrew (I think) is 11-0 this Legion season. When he takes the ball, he goes the distance almost everytime. He recovers quickly & begs Coach Griff to use him in relief on days off. Griff has never done that, but this kid is a bulldog. Scouts are unimpressed because his fastball stays in the low 80's, but he is a lefty with a wicked change & can locate his curve with a 3 ball count.

Mort is a miniature Greg Maddux & could really help a D2 or D3 school. Yea, he doesn't light up a radar gun, but for 2 seasons he has developed into one of the toughest kids I've ever seen on the hill. But understand...Andrew has no reason to save his arm. This is his last hurrah. If only he had played for another high school....sad.

 

Let me just add a few comments of my own to what Mr. UK7Dook3 so skillfully described. First of all I absolutley love this kid. UK7Dook3 is dead on on his finacial situation and the realization that this is probably his last hurrah. THIS IS HIS WORLD SERIES.

This is a kid who didn't pitch much his first year of Legion ball (3 years ago), but he just loved coming to the ballpark. He's never had a car, until this year and he walked to the ballpark (and to school for that matter). We kept encouraging him when he wasn't pitching and his response was, "Coach, I'm just happy to be on this team and get to see good baseball every night."

What everyone needs to understand is that he has had to grow up before his time and he fully understands his situation. This is not your everyday 18 year old kid. He's more like a 30 year old man than a teenager.

In my opinion, when Andrew Morton comes to the ballpark and says "Coach I'm good, I want the ball." you give him the ball. He's earned that.

 

He needs to apply for academic money ... its available.. and student loans are always a resort if ya need it.

 

Intimidator as I understand it, Andrew doesn't even have the money to buy a car, much less the funds for incidentals not covered by student loans, etc. He has to work. He tried to do both while attending Wilkes, but without transportation he was helpless. I can't imagine a college program that would allow (timewise) a kid to work enough hours during the season.

It really is a sad situation. He's a gentleman & a bulldog of a competitor. Makes me want to adopt him.

 

I know what ya mean...

 

He has a lot going for him. A smart student, a competitor...a lefty...I'm sure he is mentally tough. There are many ways to get more money than is needed for college, especially for a kid with a 4.4 GPA. I hope a college coach reading this gives this young man a look. From what has been described, this young man is very unique and has a "passion for the game"...just what a college recruiter is looking for.

 

Thanks for the background information on Andrew Morton. There has got to be a way for this kid to continue playing baseball. What a competitor.

Some pictures from the first 5 innings of the game last night... better late than never.


Link starts here => http://www.photoworks.com/share/shareLanding.jsp?shareCode=AD72823BD1D&cb=PW <== Link ends here

 

Thanks again for the photos. Much appreciated on this end. I think you have a backup profession.

 

It sounds like a tuff situation. It really puts things in perspective that there is more to life than baseball at the next level (even though sometimes we all have a one track mind when that's what our boy wants to do). One day all of these boys will lace up their cleats for the last time and will have to make a living and some alot sooner than others. When you play the game right and with the passion like this kid apparently does, once yours baseball days are done you will have learned more about life than anyone could ever have tought you. I'm sure this young man will be successful wherever he goes after baseball and I wish him the best!