The Atlanta Braves brought back starting pitcher Charlie Morton earlier this week for what appears to be a farewell tour. Starting his career as a Braves prospect and coming back over a decade later to help the Braves capture their first World Series title since the 1995 season, Morton has established a legacy that Atlanta fans won't forget. Perhaps it helps erase a bit of the sour taste in the mouth of fans for how the Craig Kimbrel debacle was handled as well.
The Braves are planning to make Morton's weekend special, as MLB insider Mark Bowman is confirming that the 41-year-old righty will start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. It seems a ceremonial retirement involving the two teams that have meant the most to Morton's career. Pittsburgh was the first place that cemented Morton as a reliable big league starter and would later leave for a great tenure in Houston.
Bowman added that Chris Sale "will follow" Morton after the game begins, leaving time to tell how many innings the latter will see.
Braves Give World Series Champion Charlie Morton a Fitting Exit
Morton's legacy with both Houston and Atlanta will remain strong as an incredibly important contributor to great postseason runs. It is sad to see things come to an end, but there was little choice after failed tenures with Baltimore and Detroit made it clear it was time to move on. The Braves played a part in this, hitting Morton for six earned runs in 1 1/3 innings in his final start with the Detroit Tigers last Friday.
Morton's Motor City exit opened the door for a Braves reunion in what could be his final weekend as an MLB pitcher. There is no shame in things ending this way for a pitcher on the wrong side of 40, especially when a lot of players' careers don't last this long. Father Time remains undefeated, but took a little longer to get to Morton.
Watching how he has aged and figured out ways to continue to pitch is a testament to the value of consistent reinvention. For Morton, this is the absolute perfect exit if he can find a way to pitch through a scoreless inning or two and set up for Sale to take the mound.
If this truly is the end for Morton in the Majors, there's no better way to go out than by playing in a game between two clubs that shaped a large part of his career.