Morgan Finally Finds Home in Run-Happy Texas

Mike Morgan has never had it as good as he does now with the Texas Rangers. Monday’s 9-1 victory over the Angels was just another example of it.

Oakland . . . New York . . . Toronto . . . Seattle . . . Baltimore . . . Los Angeles . . . Chicago . . . St. Louis . . . Cincinnati . . . Minnesota (oh, and Chicago again), at all the stops in a traveling salesman-like career, Morgan has lacked for support. Now Morgan is with a team that keeps on giving, averaging nine runs every time he starts. Nine runs.

With that kind of support, Harry Morgan could win a few games.

“I was on a lot of budget-cutting teams that didn’t have a lot of offense,” said Morgan, 39, now in his 21st season. “It never mattered. I just take the ball and pitch.”

Morgan didn’t need the glut he received Monday. He came within one strike of his first shutout since July 15, 1993, but couldn’t slip an 0-2 slider past Todd Greene, who homered to left.

By then, the Angels were so beaten they had Bret Hemphill, called up Monday from Edmonton, in the game.

It was Morgan’s ninth victory this season, tops on the Rangers’ staff. He wasn’t exactly overpowering--When was he ever?--but he gave up only seven hits and was in trouble only once.

Back-to-back singles by Darin Erstad and Randy Velarde put runners on first and third with Mo Vaughn at the plate in the third. The Angels gave Vaughn $80 million for just such occasions.

“I was just trying to get a ground ball, a line drive, anything but a home run,” Morgan said.

Instead, he struck out Vaughn with a fastball, preserving a 2-0 Ranger lead.

“Yeah, he slowed Mo’s bat down with a splitter, then threw that 98-mph fastball by him,” Ranger Manager Johnny Oates said. “OK, maybe it wasn’t 98 mph.”

Well, 98 . . . 68 . . . what does it matter? By the time Vaughn came up again--and hit into a double play--the Rangers were up, 9-0.

“Guys like Pedro Martinez can pitch for the Bad News Bears and be a winner, Walter Matthau included,” Oates said. “Guys like Mike keep you in the game and give you a chance to win.”

Morgan has been with 11 teams, a professional sports record, starting with the Oakland Athletics in 1978, when he was just out of high school. His cap was sent to the baseball Hall of Fame after he appeared in his first Ranger game this season.

The Rangers signed Morgan to a minor league contract and he started the season in the bullpen. He was in the rotation by mid-April and was the major leagues’ first four-game winner. He was slowed by an ankle injury in May--the 17th time he has been on the disabled list--but has won his last three starts.

“I told everyone in January that Mike Morgan would be the most important signing we made for the dollar,” Oates said. “He’s already told me he wants to pitch again next year. The way he pitched tonight, there is no reason he can’t.”