Arrival and departure.

• Author: Ranel, Casey J.
• Position: SPORTS SCENE - Baseball player Justis Logan Morrison's relationship with his father Tom Morrison

AS THE TRAIN COMES closer to the station in Slidell, La., it is obvious how large, strong, and powerful it is. It has a take-charge, noticeable presence, much like a Coast Guardsman, but even more so, like a father. When the train hisses to a stop, Tom Morrison, a Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer stationed in New Orleans, gathers his luggage, and prepares himself for a journey 23 years in the making. It is a journey that will span 29 hours and cover 13 states. This odyssey is a reflection of his life and accomplishments, especially when it concerns his single source of pride, his son.

Most people would ask why take a train all the way to New York?--and Morrison would answer, "I'm going to enjoy the hand that was dealt to me and go see my son play baseball."

Morrison was diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma lung cancer in April, but was cleared by his physician to travel to see his only son play baseball for the Florida Marlins. This is the first chance that Morrison had to see his son in the major leagues since he was called up in July, and he took it.

When Justis Logan Morrison was born in Kansas City, Mo., Tom decided to dedicate himself, much like he did with the Coast Guard, to being the best father possible. As the train plowed its way through the small towns of the South, Morrison reflected on that decision as he thought back to when Logan was a child. "One was all I wanted," he recounts. "Diane wanted more children, but I wanted him to have my full attention."

It was not long after Logan was born that Morrison showed his son what would be the single most defining moment of his life: how to throw a baseball. "He could throw the ball across the room; he was three!" recalls the proud father. "I saw this as a good opportunity to teach him a great sport--and to be a good dad."

Throughout Logan's younger years, Morrison was on and off Coast Guard cutters--five to be exact. "I wanted to get my underway time over with so I could spend more time with Logan." Morrison taught his son how to hold the ball and stand, and tried to convince him to switch-hit, a task that proved to he a challenge considering Logan was left-handed and insisted on batting that way.

"He was stubborn and had already decided that he was not going to hit any other way but lefthanded," says Morrison. "I'll never forget: he hit his chest with his fist and said, 'Me George Bretl!' Logan won that battle with me. To this day, he still talks about Brett [the Kansas City Royals...