Jack Morris to keynote annual First Pitch Fundraiser

Former World Series MVP Jack Morris will be the keynote speaker at BYU baseball’s third annual “First Pitch” Fundraising Dinner/Auction on January 8 at the NuSkin Ballroom in Provo.

The event starts at 7 p.m., with a dinner followed by a presentation of the Cameron Tuckett Award by former BYU Coach Glen Tuckett, and an address by Morris. The Cameron Tuckett Award is given annually to the player who demonstrates consistent effort in academics, citizenship and baseball from the past season.

The First Pitch Dinner will also feature a silent auction and a few live auction items like memorabilia from MLB, NFL, NBA and former Cougar greats.

Morris played 18 years of professional baseball (1997-1994), including 14 with the Detroit Tigers from 1977-1990. Morris was voted the MVP of the 1991 World Series and was selected the Pitcher of the Year that season by The Sporting News. He was a five-time All-Star and also played for the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians. 

Morris pitched for four World Series champions, led the Major League twice in victories, was the American League strikeout leader in 1983 and pitched a no-hitter in 1984.  He had a 254-186 win-loss record with a 3.90 earned run average and 2,478 strikeouts. In 2014, the final year he was eligible for induction, Morris was 78 votes shy of the 75% needed for the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Morris is from St. Paul, Minnesota, and played for BYU from 1975-76 when he was coached by Tuckett and was drafted in the fifth round by the Tigers.  Keynote speakers the past two seasons, respectively, were Jeff Kent, an infielder primarily with the San Francisco Giants, and Jeremy Guthrie, a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals. The emcee for the event is the voice of Cougar football, basketball and women’s soccer, Greg Wrubell.

Those interested in attending the ticketed event should RSVP with Janalee Davis, 801-422-5263 (janalee_davis@byu.edu) or Mike Littlewood, 801-422-5049 (mike_littlewood@byu.edu).

• $150/person
• $250/couple
• Table of 10 - $2,000 (gets photos with Jack, signed jersey and preferred seating)

NuSkin Building
75 W. Center Street
Provo, UT