History in the Making! Orioles Veteran Hurler on Brink of Rare Feat
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Charlie Morton is set to join a rare list in franchise history when he takes the mound this season.
The following was posted by Sarah Langs of MLB.com on social media:
when he starts in the regular season, 41-year-old Charlie Morton will join this list:
Pitchers to start for Orioles/Browns at age 41+:
1916-17 Eddie Plank: 20 starts
1951-53 Satchel Paige: 13
1938-39 Fred Johnson: 8
he’ll be the first to do so since the franchise moved to BAL
Morton was signed to a one-year deal this offseason and will be a big part of the team’s plans after they lost Corbin Burnes and John Means in free agency. Furthermore, Kyle Bradish is out for much, if not all, of the first half after undergoing elbow surgery last year.
A very dependable arm, Morton has thrown 163.1 innings or more in each of the last four seasons with the Atlanta Braves. He also threw 194.2 innings for the 2019 Rays, meaning that he’s hit that 163.1 or more number in each of the last five full seasons. The COVID-pandemic shortened the 2020 season.
Morton struck out 167 batters in 165.1 innings for Atlanta last year, still flashing his trademark curveball and a solid sinking fastball.
Lifetime, Morton is 138-123 in his 17 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Braves, Rays, Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros. He’s a two-time All-Star and a two-time World Series champion (2017, 2021) who has won double-digit games in six different seasons. He helped the Rays get to a World Series in 2020 as well.
