Rating: 
Summary: America's Pastime
Review: "Everything gets hard before it gets easy." A well known cliché Jim Morris knows all too well. The Rookie, a true story written by Jim Morris, travels the journey of Jim's dream and how he accomplished it. Morris learned to walk at seven months old, passing up five months or normal development, he had natural talent, and was arguably the best baseball player on any team he played on, whether little league or softball. Morris was even a star football kicker, launching the ball over eighty yards with one swift boot. He knew his baseball skills would take him far, maybe even the major leagues, but there was one little problem that hovered over his stardom; his arm. He had Tommy John Surgery on his throwing arm, setting him back a year, then he had more trouble which was a three inch bone spur in his shoulder, the surgery was said to put the cap on his career. Yet Jim Morris wasn't ready to end his career just then.Every novel has its good points and its poor points, that is what makes it popular. It is hard to find a negative point when the novel is based on a subject that one may feel so passionate about, yet some of the facts presented here in the book make one wonder how they were retrieved. When Jim Morris walked for the first time, he claimed that his parents didn't even see him because they were driving across the country and neither of his parents were paying attention. More than likely this information was conjured up, which in turn makes the story more interesting, but should be omitted. Even though it may have been false information, the majority of non-fiction books tend to have some created information in them. A technique many writers include in their "bag of tricks."
Jim Morris dedicated his life to baseball. He played the game basically his whole life, and loved every minute of it. The emotions Morris encounters are of the harshest; from learning he will never play baseball again, to marital problems at home. He shares these sensitive feelings with the reader, letting the reader inside his mind and head, thus making the story feel more personal. When an author expresses personal experiences wit the reader, sometimes the reader can relate with the emotions and problems, and when a reader has gone through them as well, the book gets that much better. Jim Morris is a passionate man who has a love for America's past time, and never will let that love go. Jim Morris loves baseball.
Rating: 
Summary: What are they talking about?
Review: ...This book tells a really fabulous story the way it should be told. The only reason anyone cares about Jim Morris story is because he tells us everything about himself in this book. We get to like him and that means we get to care about what happens to him. If the book had gone right to the major leagues, there would not even be a book. I guess what I'm saying is that I loved this book (I think it is the best book like it I have ever read), and the reason I did is because he did such a good job of telling us everything about himself. He is a funny guy and he did something really, really incredible.
Rating: 
Summary: Incredible Story, YES...True Story, Some Yes, Some No
Review: First, I would like to congatulate Jimmy Morris for reaching his dreams. However, it seems the less documented part of his life (his early years) are some pretty tall tales. For example, being 4 years old and knocking a bird off his roost from 60 feet away and 30 feet up. Come on!! Or how about throwing the baseball 400 ft in the city championship game. Give me a break!! Why didn't Morris just say he threw it in the Camp Bowie Municipal Swimming Pool. The book did bring out what most people in Brownwood, TX already knew about Jimmy Morris. He was a spoiled, conceited, brat and thought everyone owed him something. For example, the so called quarterback duel between Tyler Tabor and Jimmy. Tyler was a much more gifted athlete than Jimmy ever was at the quarterback position and that proved itself out over time. Brownwood won state that year with Tyler at QB. Jimmy Morris and his parents stewed over this situation and probably still do. His hatred for Gordon Wood is evident in this book and is classic Jimmy Morris. Wood was instrumental in Jim even getting a look from Angelo State as a punter and kicker. Coach Wood was a well respected High School football coach in Texas and his record speaks for itself (396 careers wins, 9 state championships). But, by reading this book you would think Gordon Wood was the devil himself. No, Brownwood didn't have high school baseball in the late 70's or early 80's but, neither did anyone in their District or the area(Abilene was the closest and in the largest Class in Texas). Jimmy fails to mention that Brownwood did begin playing H.S. baseball in the late 80's as did all the school in the Central Texas area. Besides, it never stop Jerry Don Gleaton from being an All American at The Univeristy of Texas and #1 draft pick of the Texas Rangers in '79. Morris was a good player, but there were 4 or 5 in town that was better than him at that time. I know all of this because I played baseball against Jimmy Morris in Brownwood. Personally I am glad that Morris overcame the obstacles and made it to the Majors. However, I am disappointed in the way he portrays the fine people of Brownwood, they deserved better from him and this book. But hey, that is the Jimmy Morris that I knew from long ago.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible Story, YES...True Story, Some Yes, Some No
Review: First, I would like to congatulate Jimmy Morris for reaching his dreams. However, it seems the less documented part of his life (his early years) are some pretty tall tales. For example, being 4 years old and knocking a bird off his roost from 60 feet away and 30 feet up. Come on!! Or how about throwing the baseball 400 ft in the city championship game. Give me a break!! Why didn't Morris just say he threw it in the Camp Bowie Municipal Swimming Pool. The book did bring out what most people in Brownwood, TX already knew about Jimmy Morris. He was a spoiled, conceited, brat and thought everyone owed him something. For example, the so called quarterback duel between Tyler Tabor and Jimmy. Tyler was a much more gifted athlete than Jimmy ever was at the quarterback position and that proved itself out over time. Brownwood won state that year with Tyler at QB. Jimmy Morris and his parents stewed over this situation and probably still do. His hatred for Gordon Wood is evident in this book and is classic Jimmy Morris. Wood was instrumental in Jim even getting a look from Angelo State as a punter and kicker. Coach Wood was a well respected High School football coach in Texas and his record speaks for itself (396 careers wins, 9 state championships). But, by reading this book you would think Gordon Wood was the devil himself. No, Brownwood didn't have high school baseball in the late 70's or early 80's but, neither did anyone in their District or the area(Abilene was the closest and in the largest Class in Texas). Jimmy fails to mention that Brownwood did begin playing H.S. baseball in the late 80's as did all the school in the Central Texas area. Besides, it never stop Jerry Don Gleaton from being an All American at The Univeristy of Texas and #1 draft pick of the Texas Rangers in '79. Morris was a good player, but there were 4 or 5 in town that was better than him at that time. I know all of this because I played baseball against Jimmy Morris in Brownwood. Personally I am glad that Morris overcame the obstacles and made it to the Majors. However, I am disappointed in the way he portrays the fine people of Brownwood, they deserved better from him and this book. But hey, that is the Jimmy Morris that I knew from long ago.
Rating:
Summary: the rookie
Review: Have you ever moved twice or three times in two or three months?Do you like baseball?Do you like football?Do you have any interest in the military?If so,this is a great book for you. I liked this book a lot because of all the problems the main character , Jim Morris faced. Jim faced moving from time to time and not really haveing any friends because of moving. Jim's dad was in the military and that's why they were always moving from place to place. When Jim was 12, he was playing a baseball game and he just pitched a really good game. He went to see his dad and his dad said they were moving to Texas. Then Jim asked if they had baseball in Texas and his dad said no. Jim grew up in Texas and in high school he played football as a QB. To know what happens next please read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A good book, but could've been better
Review: I have to agree with the first reviewer. I also could not wait to read this book, but it takes too long to get into his playing career. Although reading about Morris' upbringing was somewhat interesting, I thought it went too far into psychoanalysis about why his family was dyfunctional and why his own marriage was on the rocks. The reason why people were interested in his story was because it just seemed too unreal for it to be true. As the first reviewer says, it picked up once he started describing his journey back into the world of professional baseball, but I just wish that he had talked more about what it was like to play in the major leagues when all the odds were stacked against him. It was a bit strange that Morris retires again in during the 2000 season and that's how the book ends, but then he came back for the 2001 season and spring training with the Dodgers. I was disappointed that it ended so abruptly when he was actually planning to play again in the 2001 season. It's just my guess, but they must've been in a rush to put this book out to coincide with the start of the baseball season because it could've been much better had they put some more time into it.
Rating:
Summary: Truth is better than fiction
Review: I really loved this book, not because it was anything special in terms of the writing, but because the story is so compelling...and real. If you love sports or even just love people in general, I think you will like this book. It is candid and includes the hardships of his life which makes seeing his dream come true all the more fascinating. Great book!
Rating:
Summary: A watched pot never boils
Review: Jim Morris chased a baseball dream from early on. But along the way, he had to stop chasing it and think about other people, like his ailing grandfather, dying of ALS, who was very influential in his life, making up for some training his own father didn't give him in morality.
He had to lay it aside for his wife and children, struggling to support a family, paying the price for chasing his dreams with the mediocre jobs he was able to land (he opted out of finishing college, signing early with the Brewers system). He always managed to stay close to baseball, and sports in general, in his "free" time. Finally, he landed a decent coaching job in Big Lake, Texas, and perfected his pitching stroke while daily pitching batting practice. In an effort to inspire the team to "dream big", they dare him to dream. "If we win the division, you gotta try out with the pro's, coach" says catcher Joel DeLaGarza. Morris writes an HONEST account of his recollections, describing how he prayed, not for his dream to come true, but for guidance in salvaging his rocky relationship with his wife, caused by his own lack of communication of feelings to her. Being a father of 3, I could appreciate his dragging them to the pro tryout with him. A great story, not because of how it is told, but because of the honest truth that oozes out of the cracks of it.
Rating:
Summary: A watched pot never boils
Review: Jim Morris chased a baseball dream from early on. But along the way, he had to stop chasing it and think about other people, like his ailing grandfather, dying of ALS, who was very influential in his life, making up for some training his own father didn't give him in morality. He had to lay it aside for his wife and children, struggling to support a family, paying the price for chasing his dreams with the mediocre jobs he was able to land (he opted out of finishing college, signing early with the Brewers system). He always managed to stay close to baseball, and sports in general, in his "free" time. Finally, he landed a decent coaching job in Big Lake, Texas, and perfected his pitching stroke while daily pitching batting practice. In an effort to inspire the team to "dream big", they dare him to dream. "If we win the division, you gotta try out with the pro's, coach" says catcher Joel DeLaGarza. Morris writes an HONEST account of his recollections, describing how he prayed, not for his dream to come true, but for guidance in salvaging his rocky relationship with his wife, caused by his own lack of communication of feelings to her. Being a father of 3, I could appreciate his dragging them to the pro tryout with him. A great story, not because of how it is told, but because of the honest truth that oozes out of the cracks of it.
Rating:
Summary: Dreams Can Come True
Review: Jim Morris was a kid with big league baseball ambitions and a big league arm to match. Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, he spent time in their minor league system working his way toward the majors until injuries to his arm as well as his shoulder sent him to the hospital for surgery and then back to Texas where he scrambled to make a living. He married and had a family, but he never really gave up his dream. Finally, as he coached the Reagan County Texas High School baseball team to a championship, he made a pledge to his players. If they were successful, he would try one more time to pitch on the big league level. They were and he did. At at time in his life when most professional athletes are thinking of retirement, Morris made it to the majors with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. That his old arm problems continued to haunt him seems almost irrelevant. This is a very well written and easy to read story of perserverance and pride told around the narrative of one man's quest to fulfill his dream. The framework of the story is present day baseball, but the quest is timeless. Recommended to all who dream.
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