Morse, Prado excited to be able to focus on one role with Marlins
JUPITER, Fla. -- Believe it or not, there was a time when Michael Morse, who stands at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, played shortstop in the majors.
Morse would quickly outgrow the position he started 50 games at upon his call-up with the Seattle Mariners in 2005. He had already begun seeing action elsewhere, with seven starts in left field. By 2006, he no longer played short and moved around the outfield, first and third base. Two years later, Morse took on more of a utility role until a set of circumstances led him to a more stable spot with the Washington Nationals.
"I never really got a solid position until 2011 when Adam LaRoche went down," Morse said. "I played first pretty much every day. But before that in 2008 I was in right field the whole time. 2010 I was in right field also with the Nats. 2011 was a big year (because) I got to play first every day. I liked it. I felt good."
But from 2012-13, Morse appeared at the position just eight times (six starts). In 2014 with the San Francisco Giants, he returned there 43 times.
This offseason, the Marlins signed the free agent, coming off a World Series with the San Francisco Giants, to a two-year deal to be their first baseman. Of his 642 big-league games, 173 have been at first (27 percent) compared to 403 (63 percent) in the outfield.
Morse, who turns 33 on Sunday, has played at least 100 games in a season just three times during a 10-year career, but each has come since 2011. Blame it in part to the utility role he took over. Blame is on the wear and tear of manning the outfield.
"I think it's going to help me drastically," Morse said of playing first. "My best years have come from first base. Even during seasons whenever I needed to go switch up a position, when I got to first base my legs felt better, I played better. I'm hoping that rolls over to this year.
"I feel like first is my strongest position. I take a lot of pride in it. Having (infield coach Perry Hill) here helps me a lot. Being in the outfield really put a lot of stress on my legs. I'm not the fastest guy around, I'm not the greatest outfielder there is. In the infield -- coming up as a shortstop -- I always tell myself I can still play short."
Morse smiles when making that final statement.
Full-time duties at first means taking thousands of grounders with Hill in the "Bone Yard" back field at the Roger Dean Stadium facility. It means getting used to fielding the ball to his left and turning double plays, something that doesn't often happen in games but still requires practice to feel natural in the "ready" position.
Earlier this spring, manager Mike Redmond said he planned on getting Morse as much playing time as possible at first base to help both him and the other infielders develop strong comfort and trust levels.
"He's got an idea," Hill said. "He's played short his whole life until he grew out of it. He's got hands that work and his feet work. Just some nuances. He's a good target to throw to and he's got soft hands. He can pick those balls in the dirt. I'm pleased. He's very coachable, he listens and he's got great work ethic. If you get those type of guys eventually everything's going to stick."
Oddly enough, Morse isn't the only former utility player settling into one position for the 2015 season. When Miami dealt Garrett Jones to the New York Yankees, the organization received Martin Prado in return.
Before being traded to the Yankees at the deadline, Prado started 98 of 102 games at third for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Over the previous eight seasons of his career, however, Prado bounced around the infield, even earning a National League All-Star nod with the Atlanta Braves in 2010 despite his lack of position.
"When you do the same thing for so many years you can tell me I'm playing one position, but in my mind there's a lot going on," Prado said. "There's a lot of focusing on third and trying to think of situations. You can focus more on all the different situations there can be in the game.
The 31-year-old acknowledged it is nice coming to the field knowing he will be playing one position, but credits his versatility to the "reason why I am actually here."
At the same time, his previous experience at other positions doesn't just go away. It can help him predict what his teammates will do on certain plays.
"You can anticipate things," Prado said. "This game -- it seems to me -- it's a journey that you never stop learning. It's not like I know everything. I'm an open mind to learn and keep growing and keep getting better as a player."
Hill said playing just one position rather than several can be beneficial because guys put all their concentration and time into it. The situation also establishes that player as a steady presence at the position, a reliable and familiar face either at the hot corner or at first.
"Being a utility player, you get used to playing all over the place," Morse said. "That's one of the things I did like about playing utility is you didn't know where you would play that day, which made it fun. I definitely like knowing I'm going to be in the lineup playing first base."
You can follow Christina De Nicola on Twitter @CDeNicola13 or email her at cdenicola13@gmail.com.
