Michael Morse, Retired

Date of Birth: 3/22/1982
Birthplace: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Nickname: The Beast

Michael Morse, retired infielder, was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2000 but he only played in the minor leagues while with them. In June, 2004, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners. After about a year in the Mariners' minor league system, Morse was called up to the majors to play in 72 games with the Mariners in 2005.

Morse underwent knee surgery in 2006. He played in just 21 games with the Mariners that year and in 9 games the following year. He again had surgery in 2008, playing in just 5 games with the Mariners. He was sent back to the minor leagues in 2009.

In June, 2009, the Mariners traded Morse to the Washington Nationals. He played in 32 games with the Nationals and spent the rest of the 2009 season in the minor leagues. The next year, he played in 98 games and batted .289. Morse played in 146 games in 2011 and he batted .303 with 158 hits, 36 doubles, 31 home runs, and 95 RBIs. That year, he split his defensive time between first base and left field.

Morse was on the DL with a back problem at the start of the 2012 season. He batted .291 in 102 games that year. In January, 2013, he was traded back to the Mariners and he was again plagued with injuries in 2013. At the end of August, 2013, after 76 games with the Mariners, they traded him to the Baltimore Orioles. He played in just 12 games with the Orioles. After the season ended, he signed a one-year, $6 million contract to be the starting left fielder for the San Francisco Giants.

Morse finished the 2014 season with 122 hits, 32 doubles, 16 home runs, 61 RBIs, and a .279 batting average in 131 games. In the postseason, he batted .300 with 6 hits, 1 double, 1 home run, and 5 RBIs in 20 at-bats in 10 games.

Morse signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Miami Marlins on December 17, 2014. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 30, 2015. The Dodgers traded him the following day to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He finished the 2015 season with 53 hits and a .231 batting average in 53 games with the Marlins and 45 games with the Pirates. As a first baseman in 58 games, he made 18 assists, 41 double plays, 429 putouts, and no errors. He had one hit in one at-bat in the postseason Wild Card game.

The Pirates released Morse on April 21, 2016, after just six games with them.

Morse signed a minor league contract to return to the Giants on December 13, 2016. He spent most of the 2017 season on the DL, playing in just 24 games with the Giants.

Morse elected free agency on November 2, 2017. He retired in May, 2018.

Career batting statistics for Morse through 2017 include:

• 832 games played
• 705 hits
• 139 doubles
• 105 home runs
• 355 RBIs
• 668 strikeouts to 178 walks
• .274 batting average

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Michael Morse
ESPN - Michael Morse