TBR Interview- Ryan Morris Cleveland Indians

This is Ryan

Hey everyone, this is Ryan ... I will try and answer any questions you guys may have on here within the next day or so. Thanks for all of your support! I really appreciate it!

Thanks Again,
Ryan Morris

 

^ ^ ^ I replied to Braves questions on his previous reply ^ ^ ^

Ryan

 

Here you go, send me any other questions you might have.
Thanks,

Ryan

 

Ryan Morris seems like one amazing young man with the brightest of futures. I wish only the best for him and his career. Keep working hard Morris and you will be up there with your inspiration Roger Clemens.
Now, Ryan, do you have a girlfriend right now? If so, how is that going when it comes to dealing with the long distance aspect?

 

I actually do have a girlfriend.. she's an amazing young woman. We've been together for over a year now and she's extremely supportive of my career and understands that baseball is a priority. It's hard to find girls like that!

The long distance aspect of it is tough, there's no doubt about that, but she really does help me get through some of those tough times in pro ball. I honestly believe its important for every ball player to have someone like that, whether its a girlfriend, friend, or family member, to talk to about the things you go through.

But again, she understands how important baseball is in my life, and that it was my first love!

 

Questions

Ryan, Congrats to making your dream a reality! Seems like you have things under control with your new life now. Hopefully, you will never forget your parents for all the support that they gave you in your quest to become a pro baseball player!
I have a son in the 11th grade now and his dream is also is to play baseball for a major league team. He works very hard on his game now....he is at the indoor facility six days a week. He has basically given up any other sport to concentrate on baseball.
Was baseball the only sport that you participate in high school?
What advice can you give my son or any kid in high school that would help them make their dreams a reality?
What type of work outs did you do in high school, that helped make you a draft pick out of high school?
Did you have to play winter ball for Cleveland or is it an option at your level?
Was your parents or at least your dad able to spend time with you during your first weeks of pro ball? Meaning, did they travel to games with you or at least be there before each game and after each game to talk with you? Or, did you just commuicate by phone after each game?

 

Hey superwright ... sorry it took so long for me to respond, i caught that flu bug thats been goin around.

I believe that it's a good idea that your son decided to only play baseball in school. I played football and basketball in middle school, but only played baseball throughout high school, and I think its much harder for a player to be able to fully mature in a sport without giving it 100% of their effort and concentration. That's why I decided to give up those other sports when i got to high school.

I think the best advice I can give to the younger kids and older high school kids is to make sure you work on your own ... working out with just your team is not enough! It's running that extra mile, getting in that extra swing, taking that extra ground ball, getting those extra reps of your pitching mechanics that gets you to the next level. Always do more than the guy next to you!

My workouts for high school baseball were very intense. I have to give all that credit to the coaching staff at South Meck! We worked our butts off every day. Just remember that its always quality over quantity. You can do your mechanics 1000 times over and over again, but if you're not doing it right, you're not getting better. Cardio workouts helped me a lot! Running and keeping your arm in shape is the most important thing! Long toss is great! Make sure you always get your bullpens in.

Cleveland has a winter ball program, but from what im told, they mainly use it for guys who are knocking at the door of the big leagues. So i may be there in a couple years or so.

Both of my parents were able to come and see me pitch a couple times. My dad got to see my first professional start. It was nice because all of my games in Rookie Ball were no more than an hour from our home ballpark, so everytime my parents got to see me, I was able to spend time with them after the games. We went to dinner, they hung out with me at my apartment, and even got to go to Sea World for 1 of my off days! If they werent in Florida, I was on the phone with them letting them know how my season was going. So it wasn't bad at all!

Let me know of any other questions you all might have!

Thanks,
Ryan

 

Any more questions

This is Ryan, I will be headed to Spring Training March 4. I will be glad to answer any other questions before I head out.

I appreciate everyone reading my interview....TBR really helps me stay in touch with baseball at home while I'm gone.

Thanks,

Ryan

 

Young Lad!

Young Lad,
It's only Spring Training for the "established" big leaguers. Don't be fooled. For the rest of us it's "tryouts." When you arrive in bustling Polk County "be ready to play!"

 

Congrats Ryan... Best of Luck in the minors!! Maybe I can get east when you get to Kinston...