Charlie Morton

Charles Alfred Morton IV (born November 12, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB).

The Braves selected Morton in the third round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft.

He has also previously played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Rays.

He attended Joel Barlow High School in Redding, Connecticut, graduating in 2002.

The Atlanta Braves selected Morton in the third round with the 95th overall selection of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft.

He started his professional career in 2002 with the GCL Braves, and was 1–7.

In 2003, he played for the Danville Braves, and was 2–5.

He spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons with the Rome Braves.

In 2006, he pitched for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and was 6–7.

In 2007, he pitched for the Mississippi Braves, and was 4–6.

The Braves added Morton to their 40-man roster on November 20, 2007.

Morton made his major league debut on June 14, 2008, against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, allowing three runs in six innings and earning his first major league win.

In 2008 he was 4–8 with a 6.15 ERA.

On June 3, 2009, the Braves traded Morton with Gorkys Hernández and Jeff Locke to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Nate McLouth.

He made his first start with the Pirates on June 10 pitching an inning against the Atlanta Braves, while Jeff Karstens got the win.

On June 28, he received his first decision, a loss to the Kansas City Royals.

On July 3, 2009, he won his first game pitching 6 innings of 1 hit baseball against the Florida Marlins.

On September 30, 2009, he pitched a complete game 4 hitter with 8 strikeouts against the Chicago Cubs.

His 2009 record in 18 starts was 5 wins and 9 losses, a 4.55 ERA, 97 innings pitched and 62 strikeouts, 40 walks, 7 home runs, 5 hit batsmen, .276 average against, and a 1.46 WHIP.

Morton began 2010 spring training as a member of the Pirates' starting rotation.

He struggled losing all five starts in April and finishing the month with a 12.57 earned run average (ERA).

However Morton delivered a promising performance on April 30, 2010, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, striking out 8 in six innings of work while allowing six runs (only three earned).

That game he was dealt a loss as the Pirates only provided him with two runs of support.

He earned his first win of the season on May 5 against the Chicago Cubs striking out three in a 4–2 decision.

However he lost each of his next four starts, dropping his record on the season to 1–9 with a 9.35 ERA.

On his final start of the 2010 season, Morton compiled his finest pitching performance of the year striking out a career-high nine batters in a 2–0 loss to the Florida Marlins on October 2.

He finished the season with a 2–12 record and a 7.57 ERA, but in his final six starts of the season after being recalled in late August he sported a 4.26 ERA.

2011 was Morton's best season yet, where he held a 10–10 record in 29 starts with a 3.83 ERA, earning the club's Breakout Player of the Year.

On April 15, Morton threw a complete game against the Cincinnati Reds.

On May 18, again at Great American Ball Park, Morton threw a complete game-shutout, striking out 5 and giving up 5 hits.

Following the season, Morton underwent successful hip surgery to repair a torn labrum in October 2011 with a full recovery expected in 4–6 months.

A day after suffering his 9th loss against the Cincinnati Reds, the Pirates placed him on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder fatigue.

After recovering, he was assigned to the Pirates Triple-A affiliate Indianapolis Indians.

Speaking before his first start with the Indians, Morton said "I was pressing. I wasn't being myself on the mound those last couple times I went out there in Pittsburgh. There was so much going on in my mind. At the end of last year, I finished strong, I got a glimpse of what I could do, truly, in the big leagues, going out there and going deep into games, being competitive, being someone who was pretty good. I wanted to be out there for myself and because I care about this team and organization. At the same time, though, after that last one, that last start, because I care about these guys is why, exactly, I knew I couldn't go back out there again."

Morton was recalled when starter Ross Ohlendorf was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a shoulder injury.

Morton was a World Series champion in 2017 and 2021 and an All-Star in 2018 and 2019.

Morton was born in Flemington, New Jersey, to Jeanne and Chip Morton, an accountant and former Penn State basketball player.

His grandfather played in the Philadelphia Athletics farm system.

He was raised in Trumbull, Connecticut, playing little league baseball with future major leaguers pitcher Craig Breslow and infielder Jamie D'Antona.

Morton grew up attending ballgames at Yankee Stadium and idolizing Derek Jeter and Roger Clemens.