Morgan brings good bat, rare personality to Brewers
MILWAUKEE – Nyjer Morgan understands that his exuberance can be misunderstood.
The Brewers’ center fielder is engaging – or enraging – to fans, likes playing hide-and-seek in the clubhouse with broadcaster Bob Uecker and holds increasingly bizarre postgame interviews as his alter ego “Tony Plush.”
He’s a character and a better-than-expected player for the N.L. Central leaders.
“I’m just playing my game, man. I’ve been like this everywhere I’ve been, but it finally feels good to be embraced and get the love,” Morgan said. “The fans are what make it happen.”
The center fielder is batting .323 and getting plenty of chances in front of stars Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder.
Morgan is adamant that when he’s on the field, he’s Tony Plush and has the confidence of someone who is 5 inches taller, 50 pounds heavier and a power hitter who’s nothing like his 5-foot-11, 175-pound self.
Off the field, he’s Morgan again.
“I’m not crazy,” he said. “I just really don’t like the word crazy. It’s more like having fun. I guess maybe people in the game of baseball haven’t seen it.”
Morgan, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, picked up the moniker when he was 19 or 20 and his group of friends decided they were a “Rat Pack.”
Morgan turned into “Tony Plush.” His best friend became “Frankie Sleaze.”
And what started as a bond between buddies grew when Morgan became a professional athlete and began to mention it in the majors.
The 31-year-old Morgan was late into pro baseball, partly because of his love of hockey. He played 13 years growing up, including seven games with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. He believes if he’d stuck with that game, he could’ve reached the NHL and still gets excited when he thinks about pregame introductions.
Milwaukee traded a minor leaguer to the Washington Nationals for Morgan at the end of spring training because of an injury to right fielder Corey Hart left them needing temporary depth.
Morgan had worn out his welcome with the Nationals. Starting his big league career with the Pirates in 2007, every team he’d played for lost at least 93 games and Morgan didn’t mind taking little digs at each club on his way out.