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Hope in the Journey

Courtesy Photo | In this undated photo, Logan Morrison, son of Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Tom...... read more read more

NEW ORLEANS, LA, UNITED STATES

08.24.2010

Courtesy Story

U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area

As the train comes closer to the station in Slidell, La., it is obvious how large it is, strong and powerful. It has a take-charge, noticeable presence, much like a Coast Guardsman, but even more so, like a father.

When the train hisses to a stop, Tom Morrison, a Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer stationed at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans, gathers his luggage and prepares himself for a journey 23 years in the making. It is a journey that will span 29 hours and will cover 13 states. This odyssey is a reflection of his life and of his accomplishments, especially when it concerns his single source of pride, his son.

Most people would ask, why are you taking a train all the way to New York? And Morrison would say, “I’m going to enjoy the hand that was dealt to me and go see my son play baseball.”

Morrison was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma lung cancer in April, and was recently cleared by his physician to travel to see his only son play baseball for the Florida Marlins. This is the first chance that Morrison had to see his son play in the major leagues since he was drafted in July, and he took it.

When Morrison’s son, Justis Logan Morrison, was born in Kansas City, Mo., he decided to dedicate himself, much like he did with the Coast Guard, to being the best father he could possibly be.

As the train plowed its way through the small towns of the south, Morrison reflected on that decision as he thought back to when Logan was a child.

“One was all I wanted,” he said. “Diane wanted more children but I wanted him to have my full attention.”

It wasn’t long after Logan was born that Morrison showed his son what would be the single most defining moment of his life; how to throw a baseball.

“He could throw the ball across the room, he was three!” said Morrison. “I saw this as a good opportunity to teach him a great sport, and the opportunity to be a good dad.”

Throughout Logan’s younger years, Morrison was on and off Coast Guard cutters, five to be exact.

“I wanted to get my underway time over with so I could spend more time with Logan,” he said.

Morrison taught him how to hold the ball, how to stand, and tried to convince him to switch-hit, a task which proved to be more of a challenge considering Logan was left-handed and insisted on batting that way.

“He was stubborn and had already decided that he was not going to hit any other way but left-handed,” said Morrison. “I’ll never forget, he hit his chest with his fist and said, ‘me George Brett!’ Logan won that battle with me.”

(George Brett played first and third base for the Kansas City Royals from 1973-1993. He is also a left-handed batter.)

“To this day, he still talks about Brett,” said Morrison.

Anyone who knows baseball, knows that if you hit inside the ball, you get a higher average. Morrison would mark the balls with different colors and different shapes to teach Logan how to hit inside the ball. This also helped him identify what kind of ball was being pitched. In addition, he used Ted Williams’ charting method.

“The charting method would help Logan identify what he was hitting, what his zones were and what he needed to work on,” Morrison said.

He would tell Logan, “Make every bat count!” Today, Logan’s batting average is .299, which, considering another famous lefty named Mickey Mantle, whose batting average was .353, makes it apparent that his dad’s commitment to Logan’s growth as a player made a positive impact.

Morrison admits that he was hard on his son but he also stresses that he was a tough kid.

“He is smart and picks up fast!” Morrison exclaimed.

Morrison claims he read every book about baseball known to man. He also took what he knew from working with weapons, as a gunner's mate in the Coast Guard, and transferred it to baseball.

“Weapons and baseball, it’s all eye-hand coordination,” Morrison said.

Gunner’s mate is one of the oldest rates in the Coast Guard. The job entails working with everything from pistols, rifles and machine guns, to sophisticated weaponry such as 76 mm weapon systems. Other responsibilities include personnel training in weapon handling, ammunition and pyrotechnics. Gunner’s mates are also trained in electronics, mechanical systems and hydraulics. He has been a gunner’s mate for close to 28 years.

“I wanted to do 30, but my plans changed suddenly,” he said.

During those 28 years, Morrison spent time in Kansas City as a recruiter. When it was time to extend or move to a different unit, he put in his request for any unit in the southeast because it would be closer to baseball scouts. His request became a reality when Morrison was transferred to Louisiana and Logan began playing baseball for Northshore High School in Slidell, where he was an All-State player in 2005.

That same year, the Florida Marlins, in the 22nd round of the 2005 amateur draft, drafted him. Between 2006 and 2010, Logan played for the Gulf Coast League, the New York-Pennsylvania League, the Florida State League and the South Atlantic League.

Through all these teams and leagues, Morrison can still remember Logan asking if he could smell the baseball field. He would load up the back of his truck with nearly 200 baseballs and they would stop and hit balls anywhere. After hitting, they would count the number of balls that were out in left field. If Logan didn’t have 70 percent of the balls in left field, Morrison would make him hit off the tee.

Through hitting off the tee, throwing pitches in high school, and now playing in the major leagues, Morrison has watched his son grow into an accomplished baseball player and a respectable young man. Now he gets to witness, first hand, the culmination of their effort, dedication and hard work.

Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010, Morrison and his family sat in section 129 at Citi Field, just feet away from Logan’s left field position. That night Logan had five at bat, one run, and one hit. Though the Marlins ultimately lost to the Mets, 6 -5, it was a win for Morrison. He watched with pride as his son’s dreams to be a major league player were realized.

Logan played in two other games that week against the Mets, and also celebrated his 23rd birthday with his father and his family.

Statistics show that close to one percent of baseball players make it to the major leagues. Morrison contemplates that fact and how it applies to his life. He sees hope in the journey.

With a smile on his face, Morrison exclaims, “There’s no cure for what I have. The chances of me going into remission is two percent. Logan had a one percent chance and he made it.”