At some point, everyone has to say enough is enough. The Pirates' started the year with Matt Morris in their rotation, mostly in hopes that he could shake off last year's awful second half and replicate 2007's hot start, allowing the Pirates to ship some of him and his $10 million salary out of town. Of course, most people didn't expect that and wondered just how long the Pirates would stick with Morris. The answer? Five starts, 22 and 1/3 innings, six home runs, and 24 earned runs. After being shelled by the Phillies last night, the Pirates had had enough: "It's been kind of a whirlwind morning,'' manager John Russell said. "Matt Morris has been a true professional. He's had a great career. He wanted to help us win, and it just wasn't happening."It was obvious to everyone that Morris didn't have anything on the ball. His last two starts were more painful to watch than anything, because it was obvious that he was every bit as frustrated by his struggles as the fed-up Pirate fans. In the end, it was obvious to even the low-budget Pirates that eating the remainder of his salary was best for both Morris and the team. Well, I don't know that putting Phil Dumatrait into the rotation can qualify as "best for the team," but a change definitely had to be made.
