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Miami Marlins first baseman Logan Morrison eager to move forward

After being plagued by injuries which required various surgeries over the past few seasons, Miami Marlins first baseman Logan Morrison is excited to move forward. Morrison believes inconsistent playing time has troubled him.

By Scott Gelman
Greg Fiume

When the Miami Marlins drafted Logan Morrison in the 22nd round of the 2005 amateur draft, they didn't know what they were getting. The organization hoped that they had found a special talent that could become a starting first baseman, though they were unsure.

Injuries have plagued Morrison in his young career, and two knee surgeries have led to several stints on the disabled list. As the season comes to a close, Morrison is eager to move forward and become productive and consistent.

"I think, honestly, what it is is not playing for a long time and then coming back and trying to be consistent, and just not really knowing how to do that, forgetting how and trying to remember," Morrison said in an interview with the Miami Herald.

In 79 games, Morrison has posted a .243 average with an on-base percentage of .332 and 36 runs batted in. Morrison's first year in the majors was his best. In 2010, he batted .283 with a .390 OBP. Manager Mike Redmond believes that with time, Morrison will be effective as a cleanup hitter, allowing pitchers to be selective when throwing to Giancarlo Stanton.

Morrison missed the season's first two months after recovering from a second operation on his right knee. According to the Herald, Morrison "has hit only .229 since the All-Star break and his six home runs are tied for the fewest among major league first basemen with at least 300 plate appearances".

Morrison believes that the spaciousness of Marlins Park has made hitting home runs more of a challenge for him. With two seasons close to being complete, the Marlins have not said whether they will consider moving the fences as the Mets did at Citi Field."It's definitely a factor," Morrison said of the Marlins' huge ballpark. "And that translates into the average not being there, too. You drive balls to the wall and they get caught. Not only is it not a homer, it's not a hit."

Morrison also said that moving in the fences would "be fair, but it is not my decision."

Having had two operations in the previous two offseasons, Morrison is excited about improving his personal game rather than stressing about rehab after a procedure.

"I hope it makes all the difference," Morrison said. "Actually being able to build strength in my legs instead of having to rehab and get my other leg as strong as my non-surgical leg, and having a nice relaxed offseason without adding scars would be good."

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