Jim Morris | Disney’s real-life Rookie, Former MLB Pitcher, Best-Selling Author, Consultant, Educator and Coach

Jim Morris

Disney’s real-life Rookie, Former MLB Pitcher, Best-Selling Author, Consultant, Educator and Coach

Jim Morris
Biography

Jim Morris was a high school science teacher and coach in west Texas who miraculously made it the Major Leagues at the age of 35. His life story made cinematic history with the heartwarming and unforgettable Disney movie, The Rookie, starring Dennis Quaid. Jim pitched two seasons for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays reaching speeds up to 102mph and chose to retire to raise his children.  Since 2000, Jim has been a highly sought-after motivational speaker traveling the world inspiring audiences to follow their dreams and never give up.

In his latest book, Dream Makers: Surround Yourself with the Best to Be Your Best, Jim shares more of his incredible life story including the people who helped make him the success he is today: his Dream Makers.

Jim has been honored to receive a Lifetime Achievement award from the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation, a CAMIE award for Character and Morality in Entertainment for The Rookie, has been involved with BCFS, Arms of Hope, Texas Youth Commission and other philanthropic efforts. He launched his own Foundation in 2015 giving back to underserved communities and children. Jim and his wife, Shawna, have raised five children and live near San Antonio.

Current: Speaking Reel

Time 11:07

More Videos From Jim Morris

Speaking Reel
Time 11:07
The Rookie Trailer
Time 00:56
Virtual Reel
Time 02:19
Virtual Keynote Preview
Time 09:51

Dream Makers
Surround Yourself With The Best To Be Your Best

We all have dream makers and dream killers in our lives. Learn how to differentiate between the two and how to surround yourself with the best people possible to make you the best you can be!  Jim takes you through his life story sharing how dream makers and dream killers shaped him into the man he is today.  

A popular presentation that will keep your audience captivated as they move from laughter to tears and back again. Inspiration and motivation at its best! 

Finding A Mentor And Becoming A Leader

In "finding a mentor and becoming a leader," Jim focuses on being the mentor for others that you would want for yourself.  While being that dream maker for another and by surrounding yourself with the best people to bring out the best in you, you give yourself and others the best chance for success. Jim tells his own story of defeat while believing the wrong kind of people and shares about his successes while surrounded by key people who helped him believe in himself and pushed him to be the man he is today.

Finding a Mentor and Becoming a Leader's speaking point, will bring your audience along for an entertaining ride of self-reflection and inspiration to be your best and help others along the way. 

Remember Who You Are

"Remember who you are" teaches audiences about the importance of integrity in all areas of life. Jim tells personal stories about keeping promises, walking the talk, and what you do when no one is watching you at all...makes you who you are.

A powerful reminder Jim heard daily from his mentor and grandfather, "remember who you are," helped shape who Jim Morris is today. 

Jim Morris
Featured Books

Dream Makersby Jim Morris

Dream Makers

by Jim Morris

Discover the tenacity, ambition, and captivating talent of the pitcher who inspired the hit Disney film The Rookie.

Jim Morris is no stranger to big dreams. Since he was five years old, he passionately yearned to play baseball in the major leagues. However, despite all his hard work and determination, a series of unfortunate events and injuries scuttled his career before he was twenty-five. Doctors told him he would never play again.

Then at age thirty-five--after a string of highly implausible events and at an age when most players are retiring--Morris found himself on the mound as a relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His return to the game was so incredible that Disney made his story into a heartwarming film--The Rookie--with a stellar performance by Dennis Quaid. It was released to popular acclaim and was a huge box office success. It won the ESPY for Best Sports Movie in 2002 and the CAMIE award for Character and Morality in Entertainment.

Dream Makers picks up where The Rookie left off. This compelling memoir explores the untapped territory of Morris's life, including his contentious relationship with his father, his incessant and grueling struggle with pain and addiction, the mentorship with his wise and loving grandfather who kept him grounded, and the resolve and faith that drove him to overcome every tribulation. Dream Makers explores the transformative power of surrounding yourself with the best, most accomplished people possible--inspiring you to overcome life's obstacles and achieve your dreams.

Life can come at you fast, but with God, all things are possible. "It's not about me. It's what God can do through me."

The Rookieby Jim Morris

The Rookie

by Jim Morris

He Played A Boy's Game. He Lived A Man's Life. As a lonely child, Jim Morris took one thing with him wherever his family moved-his ability to hit and throw a baseball. For Jim, the passion of becoming a major-league ballplayer was his anchor and inspiration...until injuries and life got in the way. A decade after Jim walked away from the minors and began a life of fatherhood and mortgage payments, he made a promise to the hardscrabble high-school team he coached: If they could win their local championship, he would try out again for the big leagues. They did-and he did. Now, in this wondrous, heart-tugging book, Jim Morris tells the story of his remarkable life and his amazing journey to the Big Show at the age of thirty-five...and how he finally fulfilled his childhood dream.   

The Rookie Jim Morris on Family, Baseball, and The Importance Of Keeping A Promise (Podcast)

You are either a reaction or a reflection of your parents*.  Young Jim Morris suffered at the hands of his father but decided that his life would be different.  Jim Morris would...
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Topics:   Inspiration ,   Motivation ,   At the Movies
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