West Delaware's Morrison picks up 500th career victory

CEDAR RAPIDS - You could almost feel him shrugging his shoulders over the phone.

West Delaware baseball coach Mike Morrison was asked the other day about reaching 500 career victories. A really nice milestone, though you couldn't tell by his answer.

"Just means I've been here a long time," the coach said. "The significance to me is that there have been lots of kids who have come through our program and won lots of baseball games."

This is Morrison's 25th season at WD, his 20th as head coach. The former Central Lee prep has built one of Eastern Iowa's top programs, one that wins and contends for Wamac Conference championships each season.

The Hawks won the 2007 Class 3A state championship with a talented roster that included Minnesota Twins minor leaguer B.J. Hermsen and finished 3A runner-up in 2001. Morrison said a baseball complex built in 1996 in Manchester helped build significant interest in baseball that exists still today in the community.

Victory number 500, by the way, came last week in the second game of a double-header at DeWitt Central. Morrison added wins 501 and 502 Monday night as West Delaware swept a double-header from Solon.

His son, Tyler, presented him with a commemorative plaque between games. Tyler Morrison is a senior hitting .432. WD has a 17-6 record through Tuesday.

"It has never been difficult coaching him," said Mike Morrison, whose record is 502-236. "I've been doing since he was 8 years old, and I coached his travel team. Everybody knows that he's my son. It's a different experience, but a good one."

It's his daughter, Haley, however, that might end his coaching career. That's meant in a good way.

Haley Morrison is a freshman on the West Delaware softball team who played varsity last season as an eighth-grader.

"I don't know," Morrison said, when asked how long he'll continue coaching baseball. "I find it very difficult to be able to watch any of her games because we play on the same nights. I don't know why the Wamac can't play baseball and softball games on different nights. It'd be good for everyone.

"Not being able to see her play might sway my decision."

Vinton-Shellsburg coach Jim Struve is nine victories shy of 500 for his career. Also approaching the milestone are Center Point-Urbana's Randy Chamberlin and Alburnett's Phil Katz.