Jim Morris' Diary From Omaha
June 16th
Today will go down in history as the day the University of Miami Baseball team won their 4th National Championship. I’m writing this diary in between my individual meetings with my players. Some of them have been drafted or graduated, and are moving on. Others may be coming back. This is the best time to sit with them and discuss their futures.
What can I say about today. I’m sure most of you out there saw it for yourselves. Stanford is a quality ballclub and my hat is off to them. Our players were on a mission to prove to everyone out there that they really ARE the #1 team in the Nation.
When that last pop fly was caught, my heart was racing. All I could think of was how special this team has been, and how much our guys deserved this. Guys like Chewy (Charlton Jimerson) have become a household name. In fact, he was voted the Most Outstanding Player. I’m glad to see that everyone in the country now knows what we always knew. That Chewy is not just a special player, but a special human being. He is the personification of this team. One that is hard working, goal oriented, and never say die. That is what your 2001 National Champions are made of.
It has been a lot of fun keeping this diary. At times, I was writing this into the wee hours of the morning, but I know have a keepsake of my memories here in Omaha. I hope you treasure the memories you have created as well.
We look forward to coming home tomorrow afternoon. Please stop by to Mark Light at 6:30 PM to salute our players for their hard work and dedication.
Miami Hurricanes Baseball…Bring it Home? Mission Accomplished!
June 15th
Tomorrow is the big day. I can’t even count how many interviews and press conferences I’ve been a part of since arriving here almost two weeks ago. But it has been worth it. We’ll be getting the team together at 8:30 AM for breakfast, and will be departing at about 9:15 AM for the game.
We practiced earlier today at the stadium. Some of the players and I had a press conference with the Stanford players and head coach. This is going to be one heck of a game. Both teams are similar in matchups. Their pitcher is a 1st round selection. Stanford, like us, made it through the CWS brackets without losing a game, and both of us will be throwing our aces. Another similarity is that we will both have the use of our entire bullpens. As a fan, this should be one exciting game. For a coach, it’s going to be one nerve wracking game.
We’re going to spend the majority of the evenings reviewing our scouting reports. I’m going to be very involved today, so I am cutting this diary entry a bit short. I apologize for not having any more information to share. But this is the pinnacle of College Baseball and our team deserves my undivided attention. I urge you to support us by listening to the game on hurricanesports.com or tune in to CBS at 1 PM Eastern time.
Wish us luck!
June 14th
Just one more game. That’s all we need to win. I’m writing this diary entry to you near midnight. What a game. I am so proud of our guys. My hat’s off to Tennessee. They are a very good hitting ballclub, and are coach very well. When we went down 4-0, our bullpen was able to stop the bleeding. Then, our offense exploded into a 7 hit, 7 run inning. That’s been the motto of this team. When one of us is down, the rest of us pick each other up.
After the game against Tennessee, our Athletic Director Paul Dee took us to a restaurant called Anthony’s, where we were treated to a steak dinner. Our players and staff enjoyed the evening, and took that moment to step back and enjoy the moment. We have all been caught up in preparing for the next opponent, that sometimes you forget exactly how marvelous this season has been. Our dinner together gave us the stage to do just that.
I am proud to say that I have been deemed an Admiral in the Navy. No I am not kidding. We’ve had a bus driver on this trip, Skip, who’s been our bus driver for many of our previous years…including the 1999 National Championship season. He presented me a proclamation where I have been appointed as an Admiral in the Navy in the great state of Nebraska. There will be a picture on our site of me thanking our bus driver. He has been very typical of the people of Nebraska, very kind and outgoing.
After the dinner, our coaches wasted no time in preparing footage of Stanford. They were runner-up’s in last years CWS, so we’re not taking them lightly. We’ll be taking batting practice at Rosenblatt Stadium at noon tomorrow, so I’m getting ready to turn in. It’s going to be a little hard to sleep with all the excitement around us.
June 13th
Today has been a pretty simple day. I purposely have tried to make things as comfortable and relaxing for our players right now. They have been great handling the pressure of the College World Series. I would say that this has been the strength of this team. The fact that they are poised and know what it takes to win it all. Our veterans have been here before, and they’ve both won it and lost it in the CWS. Their knowledge is very important to our younger players.
I’m writing this journal a little early today. They coaching staff is going to be at Rosenblatt Stadium to see the outcome of the Stanford vs. Cal State Fullerton series. If we should be fortunate enough to make it the Championship game, we will be facing one of these teams. Stanford has been ranked in the top 5 all season, and Cal State Fullerton swept us at Mark Light Stadium. So these are two very strong teams, and I’d like to make sure that we see as much of them in this tournament as possible.
Tomorrow we will be leaving for the ballpark at 11:45. We will discuss with the team all the last minute reminders about Tennessee’s hitters and what their pitchers like to do against us. I hope our guys have taken advantage of the rest that the winner’s bracket has provided. We’ll need it.
June 12th
Life has a funny way of putting things into perspective. Sometimes the things you take for granted, are framed into a whole new light…making them just that much more special. I’m writing this journal just after watching Tennessee defeat USC. We should have a good day of practice tomorrow, and hopefully our guys will feel comfortable playing the Vols.
Our day started simple enough today. After breakfast, we had a team autograph session in one of the hotel ballrooms. We have quite a few Miami fans who have traveled to see us play in the CWS. It was a pleasure to take an hour out of our day to sign posters and baseballs for them. I was also surprised to see that a lot of the guests staying here in the hotel also participated in the autograph session. They had their UM hats and T-shirts on. It helps to have a cheering section in Omaha.
During the afternoon, we went to Boys Town, here in Omaha. This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip here to Omaha Nebraska. As we walked in, we were greeted by the kids and their counselors. Once we went through the lobby, it opened into a room where several hundred kids were sitting on the floor waiting for us. The room suddenly erupted into a roar of applause. I chose to have Chewy and Kevin Brown speak to the group. Having these kids hear from Chewy was especially important. As most of you are aware by now, Chewy was raised by his sister. In speaking with these kids, Chewy’s message was about understanding the difficulties that they are going through, as well as not giving up. He spoke of education and following your dreams. I think it was important for these kids to see someone make it from a similar background to theirs. After the speeches, we held an autograph session for the kids. We brought team trading cards, baseballs and posters. The look on these kids faces, as they were handed our players’ trading cards, was priceless. It makes you feel good to know that a simple visit can help these kids enjoy life.
Once the session was winding down, we were given a tour of Boys Town. It included a visit into the Hall of History as well as the chapel where Father Flannagan, the Boys Town founder, was buried. Our players seemed to understand the blessings that they have been given in life, and left there with a sense of appreciation for all that they have been given. I know I did. There are several pictures that should be on the web site by now, so please check them out. It’s necessary for us to realize that there are things in life more important than sports. But the beauty in that statement is that a game of baseball can create a bond and joy between the generations, and make life just that much more enjoyable.
June 11th
It’s funny how one day you can have a 21-13 slugfest, and follow up your performance with a 4-3 nailbiter. That’s exactly what happened today.
We started the morning with a team breakfast, and followed that up with meetings all morning. Coach Kingston and Coach Collazo both took the time to break down USC’s performance. Lazer (Coach Collazo) met with the pitchers, and discussed how we wanted to attack their hitting. Mark (Coach Kingston) and myself met with the hitters, and discussed the different players’ tendencies, and what to expect. We followed this up, with batting practice at Rosenblatt Stadium. Tennessee and Georgia were in a slugfest of their own, so with the wind blowing out I was afraid that we’d be in for the same type of game. It couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Our players stepped it up when they had to. Chewey (Charlton Jimerson) led the game off with a home run. This was the momentum we needed. Soon after, senior co-captain Greg Lovelady hit a double, scoring a couple of runs.
Defensively we couldn’t have been stronger. I was watching Sportscenter a few minutes ago, and they were replaying 3 of our defensive plays. Headlining as one of the web gems was Chewey’s catch over the right centerfield wall. I don’t know how he got to that ball, but he did. Greg also made a couple key plays…throwing out a runner at third and the diving under hand toss to Kevin Brown at first. I still don’t know how they pulled that one off. Kevin made a remarkable play of his own. In chasing down a foul ball, he leaned over the camera well and brought it in. The ironic part was that he did so with one of the ESPN camera’s two inches from his face. Talk about being in the spotlight.
I thought USC played remarkably well. Their pitching staff did a good job. They held us to 4 runs, and with the way that the ball has been flying out of the park. Our pitching staff did a great job keeping us ahead of the Trojans. I couldn’t have placed Luke DeBold in a more difficult situation. Man on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. We were up 4 to 3. Luke pitched valiantly and the defense played spectacularly, and we were able to work our way out of the jam.
This team is living up to that title. A TEAM! When one part of our game is not hot, other parts step it up. Freshman closer George Huguet said it best in the post game press conference. “The hitters carried us the other day. Today, we returned the favor and carried them.”
June 10
It doesn’t matter how long a game takes, as long as we win. That is a thought that has been floating around my head all day today. I have done several interviews since yesterday’s record setting game, and it is a topic that keeps coming up. I can’t tell you how many times fans have approached our team and asked how we felt after a marathon of a game. I’ll tell you how we feel…great.
We had breakfast this morning, and the guys were very upbeat. After breakfast, we went straight to our practice at Bellview East High School. After a game like last night, it’s important that our guys are up and active the following day. It is good to get them on the field, so that the blood gets flowing and they don’t tighten up. We took batting practice, where some of our players showed a display of power by hitting a few homeruns into the yards of neighborhood homes across the street. The overall atmosphere was loose, which is what I was hoping for. We even tried something that we haven’t done all year. Our pitchers sometimes tell the position players how easy hitting is. Well, it was time for them to back up their words. We divided our pitchers up into two teams, and placed our position players onto the field. The position players jobs were to play the ball as if it were a live game. Each team had to try to outscore the other. We played six innings, and believe it or not, some of our players took the ball deep. Former football players TJ Prunty and Dan Smith both hit towering shots over the fence. Senior relieve Alex Prendes also followed the act by hitting one off the scoreboard. Not bad, not bad at all.
After the afternoon practice, we were off to the hotel where the team showered up and got ready for another team activity. The Downtown Rotary Club and the Oak Hill Country Club extended an invitation for our team to come out for a driving and putting contest. After the competitions, we enjoyed a wonderful barbecue. For those of you wondering who won the driving contest, I’m sure you are envisioning Kevin Brown or Haas Pratt. We’ll you’re wrong. The winner was reliever TJ Prunty, who hit a towering shot which measured over 325 yards. It landed in the middle of one of the lakes. Not too shabby.
Be sure to check on our website. We made sure to take pictures of all of today’s activities. Tonight, our coaching staff will meet and discuss our strategy for USC. The pitcher we are facing tomorrow is a very poised pitcher, with good command. Only time will tell how successful we are against him.
June 9th
Today has been a very long day. I’m writing this journal entry a few minutes past midnight. I can tell you that I feel both physically and mentally tired right now.
We started out the day very simple. We woke up and had our team breakfast. We let the guys have the afternoon to themselves, to get lunch and try to stay loose and relaxed. Our coaching staff met in my room and began to discuss the final preparations for our opponent. Tennessee is a very good hitting ballclub, and have been known for their come from behind wins this season. The only time I felt comfortable was when that last fly ball was caught to end the game.
The game started out simple enough. Chewey (Charlton Jimerson) started the game with a leadoff homerun. That was the spark that this team needed to get things going. We extended the lead on Tennessee to 9-0. Tom Farmer pitched a very good game, and when he gave up a hit, he was able to compose himself on the mound and get back into focus. But Tennessee wouldn’t stay quiet for long. They had their own bit of power come up big. They had a 3 run and a 6 run inning in this game. But what was key was that our guys were able to match their outbursts run for run. When they scored 3, we followed up with 3 runs of our own. When they scored 6 in the 6th inning, so did we. Our guys did a great job of turning Tennessee’s momentum into ours.
I honestly feel that this game was just one of those games. We used 7 pitchers, some of whom were making their first College World Series appearance. You could tell they were a bit nervous, but it’s good for them to get that experience in the first game. Now they should be able to settle down, and just pitch.
June 8th
One of the things that makes the College World series special is that when you look back on it years from now, it’s the little moments that you cherish. (Winning that National Championship doesn’t hurt either) Today was filled with those little moments.
We began the morning with our team breakfast and morning practice. The team was full of hustle and responded well when asked about the Tennessee tendencies. You can see that they are focused. It helps to have some experience on this team. They know what it takes to win our here, and know what they need to do to get back to the mountaintop. Today’s practice ran until 1 PM, however I left a little early. Our team captains Vince Vazquez and Greg Lovelady, and myself, have been invited to Rosenblatt Stadium to meet the President of the United States. All the head coaches and team captains were extended this opportunity.
As we walked into the locker room, we were greeted by metal detectors and secret service. It’s amazing to see all that goes into the preparation for the arrival of our country’s President. As he walked into the room, you could feel the electricity in the air. The best way I could describe it to you is to imagine the buzz you feel in the air as a fan in the crowd at Mark Light Stadium, during a Regional or Super Regional Championship game. As President Bush approached us, he was informed who we were. As I was to be introduced to the President, he stopped the gentleman and said, “I already know Coach Morris. How have you been?” Many of you are not aware, but I met President Bush a few years ago. After winning the 1999 College World Series, then Texas Governor George W. Bush was on the campaign trail. Florida Governor Jeb Bush invited us to meet with his brother. We met on the tarmac of the Miami International Airport. In fact, the picture of that day hangs on the wall in my office. I’ve been told that pictures from our meeting is on hurricanesports.com. I urge you to check them out. Still, it was a pleasure to see the look on Vince and Greg’s face, as they shook the hand of our nation’s President. This is what coaching is all about.
From a coaching standpoint, tonight gives us the opportunity to scout two games tonight. Our staff will be present during the Tulane vs. Stanford game, as well as the Cal State Fullerton vs. Nebraska game. If we should be fortunate to make it into the Championship game, we would be facing one of these teams. I can feel the excitement already. I hope you are as well.
June 7th
Today was the busiest of the three days since we’ve been here. After a team breakfast this morning, we were off to Rosenblatt Stadium for a whirlwind of activities. It started with taking our individual pictures and sound bytes for ESPN. Following that, we got our first practice in on Rosenblatt field. The conditions were a bit windy from left field. The ball didn’t seem to have much carry to it.
After practice, we were joined by the other teams in the College World Series for an autograph session. They had tables set up for us in the concourse of Rosenblatt Stadium. I got to meet quite a few UM fans out here. Even though Nebraska is in the tournament, and Nebraska fans outnumber UM fans out here, it is a bit impressive to see a large number of Hurricane hats and T-shirts out here.
After showering back at the hotel, we set back out for the stadium again for the College World Series Opening ceremonies. After a barbecue on the field, there was the team flag presentation from a parachutist, a homerun derby, and one of the most spectacular fireworks shows I have seen in a long time. As I was standing out on the field, I couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious to get going. One of the hardest things to do here in a tournament is to be in an off day. You sometimes find yourself more relaxed during a game, then before one.
June 6th
Today was kind of a light day for our players. We had a very long flight last night, so it’s best to let the guys rest a little. We had a practice this morning, where we focused on the mental side of the game. The Tennessee team likes to run a lot. In that regard, they are similar to us.
After the practice, we took the team to an all you can eat buffet. I want these guys, especially our seniors, to have fun out here. There is a lot of pressure to win out here. All these teams won their Super Regional, and for the most part, have been hot lately. Each team here feels in their gut that they are going to walk out champions. Some of seniors are making their 3rd appearance in the College World Series. I think this gives us an advantage in the sense that don’t feel as overwhelmed as a team who is making their first appearance ever.
From a coaching standpoint, our goal tonight is to dissect film a little more and make sure that we have not missed anything. This is pretty much something that we will do up until game day.
June 5th
This is the first time I have kept a diary during a College World Series trip. I hope that you as a fan can feel the same excitement I feel here at the College World Series. My goal is to give an end of the day synopsis of all that has been accomplished.
We arrived into Omaha tonight at about midnight. We flew in on Northwestern and had a pretty smooth ride, although we did hit an occasional air pocket. Today’s ceremony at Mark Light Stadium was one of the best I have experienced as a head coach. I was very proud to see that on her second day on the job, President Shalala would take the time out of her busy day to come to The Light and wish us well. She even took the time to address the players about wish them luck. Our players really appreciated it. And what can I say about our fans? I figured with us leaving at 4:30 in the afternoon, attendance would be light. But it wasn’t. There were over a hundred people out to wish us well.
We’ve got a long day ahead of us. I plan on watching a little more film of Tennessee tonight with our coaching staff. They are a fundamentally sound team, and they key to our success is to try to prepare our players for as many possible situations as we can think of.
