Jack Morris: “I’m Tired of Getting Scrutinized”

Is it safe to talk about Jack Morris again?

A couple of weeks ago the former pitcher concluded his stint on the Hall of Fame ballot, falling just short (again) of the 75% needed to be enshrined in Cooperstown.  Meaning, quite simply, we're done talking Morris until he hits the Veterans Committee ballot in a few years, right?  Probably.

That is until someone asks Morris about it…which is exactly what happened Friday.

“I’m relieved.  I’m glad. I’m tired of getting scrutinized by writers," the 254-game winner told the Pioneer Press.  “Fifteen years ought to be long enough for anybody, you know?  If it’s not going to happen in fifteen years, it’s not going to happen.”

The good news though…Morris, along with former Detroit Tigers teammates Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell will, most certainly, make up a portion of the Expansion Era Committee's ballot in December 2016. 

But even then, regardless of how close he's gotten in the past (Morris was a mere 42 votes shy a year ago), getting chosen is not a done deal.

“I think it has a lot to do with who’s eligible in that particular year,” Morris added. “Timing is huge in this crazy game. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens. There’s certainly going to be a lot of worthy candidates as we go forward.”