History of Jack Morris in Timeline
Jack Morris is a former American professional baseball starting pitcher who played in MLB from 1977 to 1994, primarily for the Detroit Tigers. He achieved significant success, winning 254 games during his career.
May 16, 1955: Jack Morris Born
On May 16, 1955, John Scott Morris, later known as Jack Morris, was born. He became a professional baseball starting pitcher.
1958: Last Tiger No-Hitter
In 1958, Jim Bunning threw the last no-hitter for the Tigers before Jack Morris's no-hitter in 1984.
1976: Drafted by Detroit Tigers
In 1976, Jack Morris was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the fifth round of the MLB draft.
1977: MLB Debut
In 1977, Jack Morris began his Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily playing for the Detroit Tigers.
1977: First Called Up to Tigers
In 1977, Jack Morris was first called up to the Detroit Tigers after Mark Fidrych was injured.
1977: Last Time in the Batter's Box
In 1977, it was Jack Morris' first time in the batter's box since playing for the minor-league Evansville Triplets.
1979: Broke into Tigers' Starting Rotation
In 1979, Jack Morris broke into the Tigers' starting rotation, posting a 17-7 record and becoming the ace of the staff.
1980: Learned Split-Finger Fastball
In 1980, Jack Morris learned to throw the split-finger fastball from Roger Craig, which became an effective pitch for him.
1981: First All-Star Selection
In 1981, Jack Morris was selected as an All-Star for the first time in his career.
1981: Led Major Leagues in Wins
In the strike-shortened 1981 season, Jack Morris led the major leagues with 14 wins.
1983: Led League in Innings Pitched, Batters Faced, and Strikeouts
In 1983, Jack Morris led the league in innings pitched (293.2), batters faced (1204), and strikeouts (232), while also posting his first 20-win season.
April 7, 1984: No-Hitter Against White Sox
On April 7, 1984, Jack Morris pitched a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park.
1984: World Series Championship and Babe Ruth Award
In 1984, Jack Morris played on the World Series Championship team, the Detroit Tigers, going 3-0 in the postseason. He also won the Babe Ruth Award for his performance.
1985: All-Star Selection
In 1985, Jack Morris was selected as an All-Star.
1986: 21-Win Season
In 1986, Jack Morris went 21-8 with a 3.27 ERA and 223 strikeouts, including a stretch of three consecutive complete-game shutouts.
April 30, 1987: Only MLB At-Bat
On April 30, 1987, Jack Morris had his only MLB regular-season at-bat after the DH was eliminated in a game against the California Angels.
1987: ALCS Loss
In 1987, Jack Morris lost his only start in the ALCS against the Minnesota Twins, surrendering six runs in eight innings.
1987: All-Star Selection
In 1987, Jack Morris was selected as an All-Star.
1987: Highest-Paid Pitcher
In 1987, Jack Morris was the highest-paid pitcher in the American League.
1988: Highest-Paid Pitcher
In 1988, Jack Morris was the highest-paid pitcher in the American League.
1989: Finished Decade with Most Wins
Despite a sub-par season, in 1989, Jack Morris finished the 1980s with 162 wins, the most by a major league pitcher during the decade.
1990: Career-High Losses
In 1990, Jack Morris lost a career-high 18 games, though he also led the Tiger staff with 15 wins and led the AL with 11 complete games.
1991: Signed with Blue Jays
Following the 1991 season, Jack Morris signed a two-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.
1991: World Series Championship, MVP, and Babe Ruth Award
In 1991, Jack Morris played on the World Series Championship team, the Minnesota Twins, going 4-0 in the postseason. He was named World Series MVP and also won the Babe Ruth Award.
1991: Signed with Minnesota Twins and World Series Win
In 1991, Jack Morris signed with his hometown Minnesota Twins, had a great regular season, and then won both of his ALCS starts. He then won two games in the World Series, including pitching a 10-inning shutout in Game 7 to win the championship and be named World Series MVP.
1991: Highest-Paid Pitcher
In 1991, Jack Morris was the highest-paid pitcher in the American League.
1992: World Series Championship
In 1992, Jack Morris won his third World Series Championship as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
1992: 21 Wins and World Series Ring
In the 1992 season, Jack Morris earned 21 wins for the Blue Jays. Despite a subpar post-season, he won a third World Series ring as Toronto beat Atlanta.
April 6, 1993: Consecutive Opening Day Starts Record
On April 6, 1993, Jack Morris set a major league record by making his 14th consecutive Opening Day start.
1993: Highest-Paid Pitcher
In 1993, Jack Morris was the highest-paid pitcher in the American League.
1993: Fourth World Series Ring
In 1993, Jack Morris won a fourth World Series ring, as the Blue Jays repeated as World Champions. However, Morris was not a factor in the postseason due to a season-ending injury.
December 22, 1994: Signed with Cincinnati Reds
On December 22, 1994, Jack Morris signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds.
1994: Final MLB Season
In 1994, Jack Morris concluded his career in Major League Baseball (MLB), having won 254 games throughout his career.
1995: Retired from MLB
After an abortive comeback attempt with the Reds, Jack Morris retired from Major League Baseball during spring training of 1995.
1996: Played with St. Paul Saints
In 1996, Jack Morris made a brief return to professional baseball with his hometown St. Paul Saints of the independent Northern League before retiring for good.
2000: Hall of Fame Eligibility
In 2000, Jack Morris was eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
2003: Hall of Fame Vote Total
In 2003, Jack Morris's Hall of Fame vote total never exceeded 30%.
2006: Hall of Fame Vote Total
In 2006, Jack Morris received 40% of the vote for the first time for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
2010: Hall of Fame Vote Total
In 2010, Jack Morris managed 52.3% of the vote for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
2012: Hall of Fame Vote Total
In 2012, Jack Morris received 67% of the vote for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
2013: Joined Sportsnet as Analyst
In 2013, Jack Morris joined Sportsnet as a color analyst for Toronto Blue Jays radio and television broadcasts.
January 8, 2014: Final Year of Hall of Fame Eligibility
On January 8, 2014, Jack Morris received 61.5% of the vote in his last year of eligibility for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
2014: Analyst for Twins Telecasts
In 2014, Jack Morris served as a pre- and post-game analyst for Twins telecasts on Bally Sports North.
February 10, 2015: Hired as Tigers Analyst
On February 10, 2015, Jack Morris was hired as a part-time analyst for Detroit Tigers telecasts on Fox Sports Detroit.
December 2017: Elected to Hall of Fame by Veterans Committee
In December 2017, after falling off the regular ballot, Jack Morris was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Modern Era portion of the Veterans Committee.
2017: End of Tigers Telecasts
In 2017, Jack Morris no longer did Tigers telecasts.
January 15, 2019: Named Tigers Color Commentator
On January 15, 2019, Jack Morris was once again named a color commentator for the Detroit Tigers.
August 17, 2021: Insensitive Broadcast Incident
On August 17, 2021, Jack Morris used an accent that some deemed insensitive during a broadcast while Shohei Ohtani was at bat, leading to a suspension.
2022: Parted Ways with Tigers Broadcast Team
After the 2022 season, Jack Morris parted ways with the Detroit Tigers broadcast team.
