Morton excited about being dealt to Pirates
When Nate McLouth was traded to the Atlanta Braves last June, Pirates fans were outraged.
Charlie Morton was thrilled.
The 26-year-old righthander was one of three players the Pirates got in return for McLouth, who had developed into one of Pittsburgh's most popular players.
"I was excited about the move," Morton said during the Pirates' recent winter caravan stop in Butler. "The Braves had a logjam of starting pitchers.
"I wasn't feeling confident about getting a long look there. My goal is to pitch in the big leagues and I viewed Pittsburgh as a great opportunity for me."
Morton did get a taste of the big leagues with Atlanta in 2008, going 4-8 with a 6.15 earned run average in 15 starts.
He joined the Pirates on June 10 of last year and posted modest numbers at best: 5-9 with a 4.55 ERA in 18 starts. He had 62 strikeouts and 40 walks in 97 innings pitched.
"Control is my big thing," Morton admitted. "I have to keep the ball down to be effective. My sinker is my out pitch."
At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Morton is a towering presence on the mound. But he's never been a big strikeout guy.
He's fanned more than 100 batters only once since entering pro ball in 2002. He whiffed 102 for Class A Rome in the Atlanta organization in 2004.
"I try to get ahead in the count with a four-seam fastball, then use a curve and changeup to set up the sinker," he said. "If I get the ball up in the zone, I know I'm in trouble."
One such troubled start was Aug. 14 at Wrigley Field, when Morton surrendered a nightmarish 10 runs in one inning against the Cubs.
After that outing, he went 3-3 with a 3.50 ERA over his final seven starts, including a four-hit shutout and a career-high eight strikeouts against those same Cubs in his final start of the year.
"One thing I've learned to do over time is not worry about one outing or more against a certain club, good or bad," Morton said. "I used to do that in the minor leagues a lot, figuring I matched up well against this team, not so much against that team.
"That approach does more harm than good. I began to realize that how I match up against any team depends on what kind of stuff I'm bringing to the mound that day."
The Pirates' starting rotation in 2010 figures to have Zach Duke, Paul Maholm and Ross Ohlendorf locked in. The final two spots will come from Kevin Hart, Brad Lincoln, Daniel McCutchen and Morton.
"I don't know if anything is etched in stone," Morton said. "I'm reporting to camp intent on nailing down one of those spots."
Morton is in position to be the first piece of the McLouth trade to produce for the Pirates. Outfielder Gorkys Hernadez hit .262 with three homers and nine stolen bases for Class AA Altoona last season while pitcher Jeff Locke was 5-8 with a 4.59 ERA as a starter with Class A Lynchburg.
"I don't look at all of the trades the Pirates made last year as a bad thing," Morton said. "It wasn't like they were just getting rid of a bunch of guys. Every move was made to make the team and the organization better.
"Now it's up to us to prove that those moves were the right moves."
