The Brandon Morrow Story
Brandon Morrow, of the Toronto Blue Jays, recorded his milestone achievement on the 8th of August in 2010 as he struck out 17 players in the match against his rival team, Tampa Bay Rays. The fact that the match closed in for a no hitter till the 9.2 inning tells a very different story altogether. The pitcher was disappointed when opposing hitter Evan Longoria put him off for a single in the closing minutes of the match. The day couldn’t have gone better for the 26 year old as he humbly took the win without any regrets. He pitched 137 times and allowed just 1 hit and 2 walks.
So what did transpire at the end? Suffice to say that the Toronto side won with a slender 1 run lead in a 1 – 0 thump of their opponents. The post match celebrations saw Morrow being dumped on with a cooler of water. However, what makes the feat more impressive? Well, it’s one thing to state that the player carries a record of an average 17 wins and 18 losses in his complete Majors career, but there is the other point which deals with the pitcher’s medical ailment. The player is a Type 1 diabetic and he wears an insulin pump, off field, to regulate his sugar level.
The player was diagnosed with the condition during his senior days in high school, where he played baseball for Rancho Cotate High School. Specializing in four various major pitches, the pitcher is well skilled in throwing split finger fastballs, fastballs, change balls and a range of curveball combinations. He can throw the ball at a pace of mid 90s at will.
Though he was born in Santa Rosa, California, the player played mostly for the Seattle Mariners. He played much of the 2008 and 2009 season with them as a relief pitcher, but eventually made the move to the Blue Jays. For this season alone his statistics depict 151 strike outs, 9 wins, 6 losses, Earning Runs Average of 4.45, 66 runs give away with 10 of them coming off home runs, 57 walks and a total of 117 hits.
The player does a lot to keep himself in good shape. The insulin pump he uses, maintains his sugar level during the routine and he needs to be cautious about his condition off field so he can get into the right mood to pitch the ball up to his opponents when starting on the mound as the ace man for his team.
The fastball expert further explains his routine preparation before a start pitching call for a match:
I check my blood sugar more on a start day because I have a tendency to get low during warm ups,” he mentions in an interview from last month. “Sometimes I try to be too perfect in keeping my blood sugar levels right and I give myself a touch too much insulin and I fall a little low and I’ll need a Gatorade before the game starts. Then I have to check again after the first inning and after the second, and usually from there I’m all right.”
With the Mariners, the skilled pitcher made about 100 appearances in 2007 and 2008. Morrow made his first start for the team against the New York Yankees in 2008, September 5th. Brandon would pitch a no hitter till the 7.2 innings when Wilson Betemit would break the bid to secure the team’s reputation. The match would be won by 2 runs with the final score reading 3 Mariners – 1 Yanks. In the march of 2009, the player would be used as a relief pitcher, citing his condition as the major cause for the decision. However, he would make 5 saves for the team during the period until his call up to start pitching again in the later period. The game against the Oakland Athletics would be considered his best for the team on the 30th of September as he pitched a single hitting shutout innings for the team.
Whatever, Morrow’s history may be, the fact that he would come so far to do what he did against the Tampa Rays, the night before last, only gives the impression that the player is a hard working baseball player with a lot to be satisfied with. His condition makes the last game even more special as it becomes a wonder story. Maybe there are still stars out there that play for the game rather than themselves. If any kid wonders who their role model should be, they can always look up Brandon Morrow; the unsung hero of the Modern Era. The last questions to be asked here is are you tuning in to a Jays’ game, anytime soon?
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