Morgan rising rapidly through Phillies farm system
Adam Morgan provided another reason why Jesse Biddle's expected climb through the minor leagues to an eventual spot in the Phillies' starting rotation is so intriguing.
Morgan rising rapidly through Phillies farm system
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
Adam Morgan provided another reason why Jesse Biddle’s expected climb through the minor leagues to an eventual spot in the Phillies’ starting rotation is so intriguing.
The two men were teammates last season at single-A Clearwater and there is a panoramic photograph just outside the clubhouse that captures the players and the crowd celebrating immediately after the Phillies won the 2008 World Series. The same photo hangs just outside the clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park.
“Every time we walked past it, he’d tell me how he is in that picture,” Morgan said last week during the Phillies’ prospect training seminar. “You can see the back of his head and he’s in a Phillies jacket. He would always show us where he was at in the crowd. You can really see him.”
Biddle, the team’s 2010 first-round draft choice, was a 17-year-old high school junior at Germantown Friends School when the Phillies won the World Series. This season, his fourth in professional baseball, he is slated to open the season at double-A Reading.
That’s where Morgan, a third-round draft choice in 2011, finished last season. Although he is not as physically imposing or highly touted as Biddle, the 6-foot-1 Morgan has opened the Phillies’ eyes with his performance to date. He went a combined 8-11 with a 3.35 ERA at Clearwater and Reading last season after getting a better grasp on how to throw a changeup and adding a few miles per hour to his fastball.
His promotion from Clearwater to Reading in the middle of the season took him by surprise and made him realize how close he was getting to the big leagues.
“I never thought that I’d get to double-A so fast, but I wasn’t going to let that intimidate me,” Morgan said. “I took it stride by stride and just relied on what got me there.”
Morgan, a lefthander, did not leave Alabama with all that impressive of a resume. The Marietta, Ga. native had a 4.64 ERA his junior season when he was drafted and a 6.18 ERA in 18 starts as a sophomore.
“At Alabama, I had a lot of peaks and valleys,” he said. “I would always try to correct something when I was going bad.”
Morgan, 22, said developing a changeup and a consistent routine has helped him become a better pitcher.
“Developing the changeup was huge, but really knowing what worked for me … and staying disciplined to that routine even when I didn’t have a good game was even more important,” Morgan said. “Sticking with my routine no matter what really helped me out.”
Morgan said Clearwater pitching coach David Lundquist was vital to his success last season, but he also kept in contact with Lance Carter, his first professional pitching coach at Williamsport in 2011. Carter was the pitching coach at the University of South Florida in Tampa last year.
“He could me once every few weeks and ask me how I was doing,” Morgan said. “He’d keep me on track. He’d say, ‘You’re having a great year, but don’t slack off and think you’re some hot shot. Stay humble.’ That’s what I have prided myself on.”
It’s possible Morgan and Biddle could be teammates at the start of this season at Reading. It’s also possible they’ll eventually be teammates in Philadelphia, where Biddle will get to point out again exactly where he is among the crowd in the photograph that celebrates the Phillies’ 2008 World Series title.
I remain disappoined that so many Phils fans make imbecilic comments like tomficara above, showing that theyt're even more clueless than the imbecile g.m. who destroyed the team (who at this point realizes he's overmatched and has no idea what to do anymore but is too arrogant to just resign and leave for the good of mankind)— warbiscuit- This from the little sissy who spent most of last week complaining about people calling him names.
— 1980 - Why would you assume that commenters like that are really Phillies fans? The Phillies probably have PR people on here. "I like a guy who can admit his mistake (Hunter Pence) and correct it" ... Come on -- no real fan types something like that. #1 - there have been a plethora of mistakes (not just the colossal Pence mistake - where RAJ traded a boatload of top prospects for a guy who can't hit, strikes out a ton, and can't field). #2 - Ruin Tomorrow Jr. has not corrected anything. He has made it worse. He traded a decent young major league starter and our #1 pitching prospect for a slap hitter (Revere) not as good as the guy they already had (Victorino) and traded away for nothing. Let's not even go into the slop he got back when he finally traded Pence. RAJ han't made a good trade since he acquired Halladay. His free-agent moves have been atrocious. I guess tomificra is right that, when it comes to Run Tomorrow Jr., "no bad moves is good news" ... — Copper34
- Copper34, the slop they got back from the Giants for Pence includes Tommy Joseph, who will be either the future catcher or a valuable trade commodity. — 1980
- I am disappointed that Warbiscuit keeps singing his one off key note. Was Warbiscuit in line for the job and get passed over for Ruben?
Is that the reason for his anguish?
Did he end up in Cleveland with Banner?— Smoothellc - I am disappointed that Warbiscuit shows no love for Ruben. He is da man with the plan.— Romus
- It was a pleasure to meet you Mr. Morgan. My guess is that was the last time we will do so. Prepare for the carpenter's apprenticeship entrance test.— Mortimer G Fingenfinderstein III
- I am impressed that most of the posts kept to the same premise.— The Time Is Now
- 8 - 11 huh? World Series - here we come!— Bobphxville
- bob, records in low minors don't count. They are looking for progress and working on new pitches.— mike l
- Ruben will be exposed for what he is not this season.— Pete60
- wartriscuit is always such a ray of sunshine.— Jerome99RIP
- Amaro is here for two more years and a zillion posts to the contrary won't change that. Here's why:
1. We won 104 games in 2011, which is awfully good.
2. We won 81 in 2012, with Utley, Howard, Halladay, Polanco and Ruiz missing significant time.
3. When Utley, Howard and Ruiz were back -- and Halladay was back at about 60% -- the team finished strong.
4. MOST IMPORTANT: During the 2013-2014 off-season, this team stands to jettison more than a third of its payroll: Halladay, Utley, Michael Young, Ruiz, Nix, Lannan & Kendrick. IF Amaro cannot rebuild in 2014 or even 2015, he will be gone. But all the philly.com posts in the world won't make it happen before then.
Cue to more philly.com posts about why it should happen today in 3-2-1...— eman - how do I logout?
— depressed - My girlfriend of three years (I haven't met her in person yet), says she may die before the phillies win another World Series:)— Pineapple Betafish
