| Joe Morgan | |
|---|---|
 Morgan with the Cincinnati Reds in 1972 | |
| Second baseman | |
| Born:(1943-09-19)September 19, 1943 Bonham, Texas, U.S. | |
| Died: October 11, 2020(2020-10-11) (aged 77) Danville, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 21, 1963, for the Houston Colt .45s | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 1984, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .271 |
| Hits | 2,517 |
| Home runs | 268 |
| Runs batted in | 1,133 |
| Stolen bases | 689 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1990 |
| Vote | 81.8% (first ballot) |
Joe Leonard Morgan (September 19, 1943 – October 11, 2020) was an American professionalbaseballsecond baseman who played 22 seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theHouston Colt .45s / Astros,Cincinnati Reds,San Francisco Giants,Philadelphia Phillies, andOakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won twoWorld Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named theNational LeagueMost Valuable Player in each of those years. Considered one of the greatest second basemen of all time, Morgan was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame in1990 in his first year of eligibility.
After retiring as an active player, Morgan became a baseballbroadcaster for the Reds, Giants,ABC, andESPN, as well as a stint in the mid-to-late 1990s onNBC's postseason telecasts, teamed withBob Costas andBob Uecker. He hosted a weekly nationallysyndicated radio show onSports USA, while serving as a special advisor to the Reds.
Morgan was African American[1] and the oldest of six children. Born inBonham, Texas, he lived there until he was five years old. His family then moved toOakland, California. Morgan was nicknamed "Little Joe" for his diminutive 5-foot-7-inch (1.70 m) stature. As a youth, he playedAmerican Legion baseball on a team sponsored by Post 471 in Oakland.[2] Morgan was a standout baseball player atCastlemont High School, but did not receive any offers from major league teams due to his size. He playedcollege baseball atOakland City College before being signed by theHouston Colt .45s as an amateur free agent in 1962, receiving a $3,000signing bonus and a $500 per month salary.[3]
Morgan made his major league baseball debut on September 21, 1963.[3] Despite going on to win multiple World Series and MVPs for the Reds, he said his debut for the Colt .45s was the highlight of his career.[4]
Early in his career, Morgan struggled with his swing because he kept his back elbow down too low. TeammateNellie Fox (also a stocky second baseman) suggested to Morgan that while at the plate he should flap his back arm like achicken to keep his elbow up.[5] Morgan followed the advice, and his flapping arm became his signature.[3]
Morgan played his first nine major league seasons for the Houston Astros, compiling 72home runs and 219stolen bases. He was named anAll-Star twice during this period, in 1966 and 1970. On June 25, 1966, Morgan was struck on the kneecap by a line drive (hit byLee Maye) during batting practice.[6] The broken kneecap forced Morgan out of the lineup for 40 games, during which the Astros went 11–29 (for a .275winning percentage).[7][8]
Although Morgan played with distinction for Houston, the Astros wanted more power in their lineup. Additionally, managerHarry Walker considered Morgan a troublemaker.[9] As a result, they traded Morgan to theCincinnati Reds as part of a blockbuster multi-player deal on November 29, 1971, announced at baseball's winter meetings.[3]
To this day the aforementioned trade is considered an epoch-making deal for Cincinnati, although at the time many experts felt that the Astros got the better end of the deal.[10] Power-hittingLee May, All-Star second basemanTommy Helms, and outfielder/pinch hitterJimmy Stewart went to the Astros. In addition to Morgan, included in the deal to the Reds wereCésar Gerónimo (who became their regular right fielder and then center fielder), starting pitcherJack Billingham, veteran infielderDenis Menke, and minor league outfielderEd Armbrister. Morgan joined leadoff hitterPete Rose as prolific catalysts at the top of the Reds' lineup. Morgan added home run power, not always displayed with the Astros in the cavernousAstrodome, outstanding speed and excellent defense.[11][12]
As part of theBig Red Machine, Morgan made eight consecutiveAll-Star Game appearances (1972–79) to go along with his 1966 and 1970 appearances with Houston. Morgan, along with teammatesPete Rose,Johnny Bench,Tony Pérez, andDave Concepción, led the Reds to consecutive championships in theWorld Series. He drove inKen Griffey for the winning run in Game 7 of the1975 World Series. Morgan was also theNational LeagueMVP in 1975 and 1976.[13] He was the first second baseman in the history of the National League to win the MVP back to back.[14] In Morgan's NL MVP years he combined for a .324 batting average, 44 home runs, 205 runs batted in, 246 bases on balls, and 127 stolen bases.[15]
Morgan was an extremely capable hitter—especially in clutch situations. While his lifetime average was only .271, he hit between .288 and .327 during his peak years with the Reds. Additionally, he drew many walks, resulting in an excellent .392on-base percentage. He also hit 268 home runs to go with his 449 doubles and 96 triples, excellent power for a middle infielder of his era, and was considered by some the finest base stealer of his generation (689 steals at greater than 80% success rate). Besides his prowess at the plate and on the bases, Morgan was an exceptional infielder, winning theGold Glove Award in consecutive years from 1973 to 1977.[13] His short height proved an asset to him, as he had one of baseball's smalleststrike zones. "The umpires gave him everything. If he didn't swing at the pitch, it was a ball," recalledTommy John.[16]
Morgan returned toHouston in 1980 as a free agent on a reported contract of $255,000 for one season.[3] He helped the young Astros win theNL West, batting .243 in 141 games while leading the league in walks with 93. The Astros then lost theNational League Championship Series to thePhiladelphia Phillies. Morgan bristled with team managerBill Virdon at being taken out in late innings forRafael Landestoy. Late in the year, Morgan expressed to one reporter his doubt in playing for Virdon again.[17]
Morgan signed onto theSan Francisco Giants for the next two seasons.[3] The1982 season had a bumpy start for the team, but they were neck and neck for second place with theLos Angeles Dodgers (each behind Atlanta) with a three-game set to possibly determine the division race. The Dodgers eliminated San Francisco on the second-to-last day, but Morgan hit a go-ahead three run home run to give the Giants a lead they would not relinquish that saw Los Angeles eliminated in favor of the Braves winning the NL West; Morgan batted .240 and played in just 90 games, his lowest number of games played since 1968. Morgan won the 1982Willie Mac Award for his spirit and leadership.[18] He batted .289 in 134 games the following season for the Giants.
Morgan was acquired along withAl Holland by thePhillies from theGiants forMike Krukow,Mark Davis and minor-league outfielder C.L. Penigar on December 14, 1982.[19] He was reunited with former Reds teammatesPete Rose andTony Pérez. The lineup was soon dubbed the"Wheeze Kids", referring to the considerable age in their starting lineup, where just one starting player was under 30 years old.[20] On his 40th birthday in 1983, Morgan had four hits, including two home runs and a double, atVeterans Stadium.[21]
The Phillies beat the Dodgers in the NLCS to reach the World Series for the second time in four seasons. Morgan got to play in theWorld Series for the final time, facing off against theBaltimore Orioles. In Game 1, he hit a home run in the sixth inning to tie the game; he became the second oldest player to hit a home run in the World Series (Enos Slaughter was a few months older at the age of 40). He went 5-for-19 in the Series, which included a second home run in Game 5, but the Phillies lost in five games.[22] Morgan finished his career with theOakland Athletics in 1984, playing 116 games and batting .244. He collected a hit in his final game on September 30, collecting a double in his one at-bat before being taken out of the game.[3][23]
In 1990, Morgan was elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame with more than 81% of the vote. He entered together withJim Palmer, both in their first year of eligibility. Morgan and Palmer were the 25th/26th players in MLB history to be elected in their first year of eligibility.[24]
In 2017, Morgan wrote a letter to the Hall of Fame in which he asked that players who had cheated by using performance-enhancing steroids not be elected into the Hall.[25]
After his career ended, Morgan was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1987, and his jersey number 8 was retired. The Reds dedicated a statue for Morgan atGreat American Ball Park in 2013.[26]
In theNew Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract,Bill James named Morgan the best second baseman in baseball history, ahead of #2Eddie Collins and #3Rogers Hornsby. He also named Morgan as the "greatest percentages player in baseball history", due to his strong fielding percentage, stolen base percentage,walk-to-strikeout ratio, and walks per plate appearance.[27] The statement was included with the caveat that many players in baseball history could not be included in the formula due to lack of data. In the four decades since Morgan's retirement, only one player (Rickey Henderson) has had as many home runs and stolen bases as Morgan did for a career.[28] Morgan had at least20 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season three times during his career,[29] including twice with at least 60 steals.[30]
In 1999, Morgan ranked Number 60 onThe Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players,[31] and was nominated as a finalist for theMajor League Baseball All-Century Team.[32]
Morgan served as a member of the board of theBaseball Assistance Team, a501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping former Major League, Minor League, andNegro league players through financial and medical hardships. In addition, since 1994, he served on the board of directors for the Baseball Hall of Fame, and was vice-chairman from 2000 until his death in 2020.[33]
Morgan started his broadcasting career in 1985 for theCincinnati Reds.[34] On September 11, 1985, Morgan, along with his televisionbroadcasting partnerKen Wilson, was on hand to callPete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd career hit.A year later, Morgan started a nine-year stint as anannouncer for theSan Francisco Giants. Morgan added one more local gig when he joined theOakland Athletics'broadcasting team for the1995 season.[35]
In 1986, ESPN hired Morgan to callMonday Night Baseball andCollege World Series games.[36]
From 1988 to 1989, Morgan served as an announcer forABC, where he helped announceMonday Night andThursday Night Baseball games (providing backup for the led announcing crew composed ofAl Michaels,Tim McCarver, andJim Palmer), the1988 American League Championship Series[37] withGary Bender andReggie Jackson, and served as a field reporter for the1989 World Series along withGary Thorne (Morgan's regular season partner in 1989). Morgan was on the field at San Francisco'sCandlestick Park alongsideHall of FamerWillie Mays (whom Morgan was getting set to interview) the moment theLoma Prieta earthquake hit.[38]
From 1994 to 2000, Morgan teamed withBob Costas andBob Uecker (until 1997) to call baseball games onNBC (and in association withThe Baseball Network from 1994 to 1995).[39][40] During this period, Morgan helped call three World Series (1995,1997, and1999) and four All-Star Games (1994,1996,1998, and2000). Morgan also called threeAmerican League Championship Series (1996,1998, and2000) and threeNational League Championship Series (1995 alongsideGreg Gumbel,1997, and1999).[35]
Morgan spent a previous stint (1986–1987) with NBC calling regionalGame of the Week telecasts alongsideBob Carpenter.[41] During NBC's coverage of the1985[42] and1987 National League Championship Series, Morgan served as apregame analyst alongside hostsDick Enberg (in 1985)[43] andMarv Albert (in 1987).[44]
Morgan was a member ofESPN's lead baseball broadcast team alongsideJon Miller andOrel Hershiser. Besides teaming with Miller forSunday Night Baseball (since its inception in 1990) telecasts, Morgan also teamed with Miller forLeague Championship Series andWorld Series broadcasts onESPN Radio.[45][46]
In 1999, Morgan teamed with his then-NBC colleagueBob Costas to call two weekday night telecasts forESPN. The first was onWednesday, August 25 withDetroit Tigers playing against theSeattle Mariners. The second was on Tuesday, September 21 with theAtlanta Braves playing against theNew York Mets.[47] He won twoSports Emmy Awards forOutstanding Sports Event Analyst in 1998 and 2005.[48]
In 2006, he called theLittle League World Series Championship withBrent Musburger andOrel Hershiser onABC, replacing the recently firedHarold Reynolds.[49] During the 2006 MLB playoffs, the network had Morgan pull double duty by calling the first half of theMets–Dodgersplayoff game atShea Stadium before traveling across town to call theYankees–Tigers nightgame atYankee Stadium.[50]
In 2009,Sports Illustrated'sJoe Posnanski spoke about the perceived disparity between Morgan's celebrated playing style and his on-air persona:
In the wake of Morgan taking an official role with the Cincinnati Reds as a "special adviser to baseball operations", it was announced on November 8, 2010, that Morgan would not be returning for the 2011 season as an announcer onESPN Sunday Night Baseball. His former broadcast partner Jon Miller's contract expired in 2010 and ESPN chose not to renew his contract. Morgan and Miller were replaced byBobby Valentine andDan Shulman, respectively (while ESPN retained Orel Hershiser, who joined theSunday Night Baseball telecasts in 2010).[52]
Morgan was also a broadcaster in theMLB 2K video game series from2K Sports.[53]
It was announced on June 17, 2011, that Morgan would begin a daily, one-hour general-sports-talk radio program onSports USA Radio Network, beginning on August 22 of that year.[54]
In April 2010, Morgan returned to the Reds as an advisor to baseball operations, including community outreach for the Reds.[55]
Morgan married Gloria Stewart, his high school girlfriend, on April 3, 1967. They had two children, and divorced in the 1980s. He then married Theresa Behymer in 1990. They had twins in 1991.[3]
In March 1988, while transiting throughLos Angeles International Airport, Morgan was violently thrown to the floor, handcuffed, and arrested byLos Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detectives who profiled him as adrug courier.[1] He filed and won a civil rights case against the LAPD in 1991,[56] and was awarded $540,000.[57] In 1993, a federal court upheld his claim that hiscivil rights had been violated.[58]
In 2015, Morgan was diagnosed withMyelodysplastic syndrome, which developed intoleukemia. He received abone marrow transplant from one of his daughters.[59] Morgan died on October 11, 2020, at the age of 77, at his home inDanville, California. He suffered from a non-specifiedpolyneuropathy in the time leading up to his death.[60][61] Behymer-Morgan survives him.
[H]e hit 13 homers in '71 – and didn't appreciate that he played half his home games in the hitters' dungeon that was the Houston Astrodome.(subscription required)
Marv Albert tackles the pre-game show assignment with Joe Morgan.
| Preceded by | National League Player of the Month April 1975 June 1975 August 1976 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lead color commentator,Major League Baseball on NBC 1994–2000 (withBob Uecker from 1994–1997) | Succeeded by Last |
| Preceded by First | Lead color commentator,Sunday Night Baseball 1990–2010 (withSteve Phillips in 2009 andOrel Hershiser in 2010) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | World Series network radio color commentator 1998; 2001-2010 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
