COACH MORRIS

[HUCKLEBERRY2]

well breaking the rules. . . . . the tssaa rules about dead period is correct but when you call and the tssaa and they say the rule doesn t apply to family members then you are not breaking the rules plus if a rule was broke Franklin Co would have gotten in trouble, plus it would had been in newspapers everywhere. . . if your going to post bull you should atleast get your FACTS right. It s funny all of his boys have played at small schools like University of Tennessee and drafted in 16th round and then one played at LMU and pitched in minors, and one got drafted in first round.......LOL WOW coach Morris prob has no clue about ball....LOL I bet you prob played Little League and was really good that makes you an expert. . . im sorry your right about eveything.

[binns37388]

If I had a son, I would love for Coach Morris to be his coach. I've been around Ricky for a long time and there's no doubt he knows the game very well and in my opinion is one of the best coaches I've seen and I've had dealings with many coaches over the years. I know he makes the kids work hard, but hard work and discipline produce winners. He comes from the same mold as Jackie Reavis, Dave Hall, Don Rhoton and other successful coaches in our area. Some umpires have a tough time with Ricky and he's raised heck with me many times, but he keeps me on my toes. I've always respected Ricky Morris as a coach and always will. I've umpired many games that Brian, Stephen and Josh have played over the years and they all were great players and fine young men, so I know that Coach Morris is doing something right. I don't know the circumstances at Franklin Co, but I do know the Rebels are losing a good one.

[lesplay2]

I never said Coach Morris didn't know baseball. The guy does. Every coach has a different philosophy on the way the game should be played. His philosophy make work for him and that's great. If every coach did have the same philosophy and approach to the game, what a boring game it would be. Baseball is the greatest sport to play, watch and analyze. Yes, I did play beyond Little League and that's not the discussion I initiated nor was it Coach Morris' ability to coach. My whole point was that I felt he did some things that were against the T$$AA dead peiod rules. I will stand behind that 100% because I DID see it with my own eyes. Yes, his grandkids were walking into the indoor facility with their equipment bags, BUT so were other players. That's my whole beef with him. Why does he feel he is above the rules? When kids in the community talk about the workouts, even though not mandatory but highly encouraged, are they just making it up? Only they know. I do know what I saw and like I stated earlier... I will stand behind it 100%, because I SAW it. I'm not trying to pick on the guy, but wherever he ends up, if he does, that school better keep a tight leash on him.

[southernpride]

Here are the facts:

 

1) Coach Morris is a very good baseball coach, no doubt about it!

2) Yes, it was reported to the TSSAA that Coach Morris had kept the baseball facility open throughout the dead period in violation of the TSSAA rules and he got by with it because he told the school administration he was just working with his grandchildren. POINT OF FACT: All high school facilities are to be closed during the dead period, family members or not.

3) Yes, Coach Morris also broke the rules by having practice throughout the fall semester with the majority of the baseball team. Again, he told the administration it was just his grandchildren but my cousin took her boy three times a week because he was told he could not be on the team unless he attended all off season workouts.

 

The administration did what they had to do, not because Coach Morris is a bad coach but because there was too much conflict between him and the head coach and the administration knew he was breaking or at least bending the rules without regard to what would happen if he got caught.

 

The point is great coaches do not always do what they are supposed to do. Coach Morris is a good baseball coach and he will find another place to work. He did not respect either the former coach or the current head coach and maybe he felt he was better than both of them? He needs to find a situation where he can be the legitimate head baseball coach and he needs to follow the off season practice rules.

 

I wish him well. Everyone on the lake says very good things about him. My little cousin likes him too.

[redbird9]

I think dead periods are stupid. Maybe you should just confine the dead period to no pitching off of a mound. That way kids can still get instruction on hitting, long toss correctly, and get better. Dead periods are screwing Tennessee high school baseball players.

[Guest]

Once again it amazes me that we discuss all the wrong doings and violations after-the-fact. If your so sure (100%) that all of this was going on and you were there see it with your own eyes, doesn't that make you just as quilty for not taking action and reporting it to the TSSAA, School Board... Better yet doesn't it make us all quilty if we knew?? Why are we here posting all the violations for the world to see now and not when they occurred? To me it's nothing more than bashing a coach after-the-fact. No wonder coaches are quiting left and right across the state. I just think it's time to give it a rest... he's not coming back, period.