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Around the National League

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 24, 2001

Morris tells Reds he's retiring

SARASOTA -- First baseman Hal Morris retired quietly, leaving the Cincinnati clubhouse for the final time after his teammates had cleared out.

Those who knew him weren't surprised by the quiet exit.

"Yesterday, I saw him hanging out in the clubhouse and nobody said anything," shortstop Barry Larkin said Friday. "I have yet to talk to him. I know he's going through some things."

Morris, 35, a mainstay on the Reds' teams in the 1990s, told general manager Jim Bowden late Thursday that he was giving up his comeback attempt.

The Reds invited Morris to camp on March 6 on a non-guaranteed minor-league contract, curious to see if he could play well enough to win a pinch-hitting job. Morris hit only .118 and had been weighing his options.

Morris, who left medical school to play professional baseball in the 1980s, is 10 hours shy of getting his degree in organic chemistry.

"My goal was to go to medical school," Morris said Thursday, before informing the team of his decision. "That's the main reason I signed to play, because it was getting to be too much to go to school and play ball.

"I thought baseball would be a good summer job. That was 15 years ago."

He'll be remembered for his hitting. He batted .304 in 14 seasons, using an unorthodox style -- he shifted both feet before swinging -- that numerous batting coaches had tried to change.

"They say there are guys who could wake up and hit right out of bed," Larkin said. "He's that kind of guy. He's special."

Morris had two stints with the Reds, from 1990-96 and as the backup to Sean Casey in 1999-2000. He helped the Reds win a World Series title in 1990 by hitting .340, and batted above .300 in five of his eight seasons with the Reds as a regular.

He played 59 games for the Reds last season, hitting .222, before going to Detroit and batting .311 in 40 games.

In other Reds news, second baseman Pokey Reese (shoulder) is expected back today.

BRAVES: Third baseman Chipper Jones (sore left thumb) missed his second straight game.

BREWERS: Richie Sexson, acquired from Cleveland in a multiplayer deal July 28, hit his sixth home run of the spring.

CARDINALS: Pulitzer Inc., a media company whose flagship newspaper is the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, agreed to buy nearly 4 percent of the team. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The St. Louis company was to have been part of the investment group that bought the Cardinals from Anheuser-Busch before the 1996 season. Major League Baseball blocked that deal because Pulitzer's broadcast unit had a small ownership interest in the Diamondbacks that since has been sold. ... Darryl Kile pitched six scoreless innings against the Orioles. "I'll ... try to improve my rhythm, build arm strength and try to stay healthy," Kile said.

DIAMONDBACKS: Third baseman Matt Williams (bone spur) is slated to return to action Monday.

PADRES: Shortstop Santiago Perez, fighting for a roster spot as a backup infielder, left the game in the first with a bruised right shin and foot.

ROCKIES: Mike Hampton became the first Colorado pitcher this spring to complete seven innings. He threw 98 pitches, 61 for strikes, and made a nice play to start a double play in the fourth. "I'm right where I need to be at this time," Hampton said. "If the regular season was to start tomorrow, I'd feel pretty confident that I'd be ready to go."

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