Emotions can betray a pitcher on the mound, which is why Charlie Morton always was told to keep them hidden. So for every bleeder that dropped for a hit, every fastball whacked over the outfield wall or every walk that triggered a big inning, Morton reacted with a shrug — even though, deep down inside, he wanted to scream.
"You're taught to not express those emotions," said Morton, whose next start is Saturday againt the Cincinnati Reds. "Sometimes on the mound ... I don't know how I looked, but I can tell you it didn't feel good. After I would come out of a game, it would eat me up."
Outwardly, Morton seemed calm and carefree in front of the media and his teammates, even as his losses piled up. But then Morton would go off by himself, replaying every pitch, dwelling on every mistake, trying to find a solution.
"Guys will tell you, 'Don't take it so hard'," Morton said. "That's easy to say. But I carry things with me. That period was rough."
Morton eventually went on the disabled list with what was termed "shoulder fatigue," but his problem was bigger than that.
"It was a confidence thing," director of player development Kyle Stark said. "He needed to solidify his understanding of who he was as a pitcher, believe in that and then trust it during competition. That process does not happen overnight."
At the end of May, Morton had a 1-9 record and a 9.35 ERA. He packed up his gear and a bundle of insecurities and went back to the minors.
Morton spent a few days in Bradenton, Fla., to rehab his shoulder, then went to Triple-A Indianapolis. He met with a sports psychologist, a common practice for many of the Pirates' top prospects, and worked closely with Indianapolis pitching coach Dean Treanor.
"We had a lot of work to do," said Treanor, who will join the Pirates today in Cincinnati and stay with the team the rest of the season. "It was more mental than anything. But the mental becomes physical. It affected things he was doing physically on the mound."
Treanor noticed Morton was showing the ball early in his delivery, so he closed the right-hander's shoulder to add deception. Treanor also realized Morton has a habit of reading swings — he reacts to what he thinks the hitter will do, instead of using his strengths.
"He got away from his fastball, the more he started reading swings," Treanor said. "He's got one of the best fastballs in the game. When he gets timid with it, that life (on the pitch) goes away."
Morton's first few outings with Indy were as lousy as his starts in Pittsburgh.
"I'd come out after four or five innings, having given up five or six runs, and I'd be sitting on the bench, same thing as here (in Pittsburgh)," Morton said. "Those feelings of frustration were there."
Treanor talked to Morton after every start and before every bullpen session. They would chat on the field before early workouts, and sometimes Morton would start singing along with the tunes on the stadium public address system.
"He's a free spirit," Treanor said. "But there's a competitive spirit in there that's just as strong, if not stronger. We just have to let Charlie know that it's OK to let that come out. "
Treanor told Morton to channel his emotions instead of trying to hide them.
"It's OK to be (ticked) off when someone flares a (hit) into the outfield," Treanor said. "If you're not (ticked) off, then something's wrong. I want Charlie to get (ticked) off. I need to see that chip on his shoulder."
More than that, Morton needed to trust his fastball — and himself. That meant sometimes throwing his best fastball, the 95 mph buzzer that dips and dances, on the first pitch and knowing the rest of his stuff is good enough to get the next two strikes.
"I've heard from other guys in the big leagues, 'Your stuff is more than good enough,' " Morton said. "But until I believe it, it's not going to work."
Over his final seven starts for Indy, Morton went 3-1 and lowered his ERA from 6.75 to 3.99. He tossed six shutout innings against Louisville on Aug. 23 and six days later was recalled to the majors.
"He seemed to develop a different confidence as a man," Stark said. "He seems to be in a good spot and is ready for this challenge."
Additional Information:
Morton's 2010 stats
Pirates : 12 games, 1-11, 9.66 ERA; 50.1 IP, 83 H, 83 R, 19 BB, 38 SO; 2.026 WHIP
Indianapolis : 14 games, 4-4, 3.82 ERA; 80.0 IP, 83 H, 34 R, 30BB, 53 SO; 1.412 WHIP
Additional Information:Pirates game day
at Reds
7:10 p.m., Great American Ball Park
TV/radio : FSN Pittsburgh/WPGB-FM (104.7), XM Channel 185
Pitchers : LHP Paul Maholm (7-14, 5.43) will start for the Pirates. RHP Homer Bailey (3-3, 5.00) will start for Cincinnati.
Notable: Maholm has held opposing teams to three or fewer runs just once in his past nine starts. Bailey missed more than two months due to a shoulder injury but has pitched well since returning to action.
