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Joe Morgan
From BR Bullpen
Note: This page links to Joe Morgan, the Hall of Fame player. For the former major league infielder and manager, click here.
Joe Leonard Morgan
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 5' 7", Weight 160 lb.
- School Oakland City College
- Debut September 21, 1963
- Final Game September 30, 1984
- Born September 19, 1943 in Bonham, TX USA
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1990
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[edit] Biographical Information
A fierce competitor renowned for his baseball smarts, Joe Morgan could single-handedly beat opposing teams with his multi-faceted skills. An MVP Award Winner in 1975 and 1976, he was a terror on the basepaths, topping the 40-steal plateau nine times during his career. His skilled batting eye enabled him to lead the National League in on-base percentage and walks four times each. Morgan also packed considerable power into his compact frame, leading all Hall of Fame second basemen with 266 home runs, hitting 268 overall.
He was named to the Rawlings All-Time Gold Glove Team.
Morgan was rated the #1 second baseman of all time by Bill James in his New Historical Baseball Abstract. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 9, 1990 by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
As a broadcaster on ESPN, he was paired with Jon Miller for many years.
Morgan's 27 homers in 1976 were the record for a Reds second baseman until Brandon Phillips broke it in 2007.
Joe Morgan is the only player to homer twice on his 40th birthday. He was only the second player to even hit one home run on his 40th birthday, following Bob Thurman by 26 years. It was 15 years until Wade Boggs became the third to do it.
"When he's healthy, he's the finest ballplayer I ever played with. He could win ballgames in more ways than anybody." Johnny Bench.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 1964 MVP Texas League San Antonio Bullets
- 1965 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
- 10-time NL All-Star (1966, 1970, 1972-1979)
- 2-time NL MVP (1975 & 1976)
- 1972 All-Star Game MVP
- 5-time NL Gold Glove Winner (1973-1977)
- NL Silver Slugger Award Winner (1982)
- 1982 NL Comeback Player of the Year Award
- 4-time NL On-Base Percentage Leader (1972, 1974, 1975 & 1976)
- NL Slugging Percentage Leader (1976)
- 2-time NL OPS Leader (1975 & 1976)
- NL Runs Scored Leader (1972)
- NL Triples Leader (1971)
- 4-time NL Bases on Balls Leader (1965, 1972, 1975 & 1980)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 4 (1973, 1974, 1976 & 1977)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 1 (1976)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 8 (1965, 1970 & 1972-1977)
- 50 Stolen Bases Seasons: 5 (1972-1976)
- Won two World Series with the Cincinnati Reds (1975 & 1976)
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1990
| NL MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 1975 | 1976 |
| Steve Garvey | Joe Morgan | Joe Morgan |
| 1975 | 1976 | 1977 |
| Joe Morgan | Joe Morgan | George Foster |
[edit] Further Reading
- Joe Morgan (as told to George Vass): "The Game I'll Never Forget," Baseball Digest (October 1979), pp. 29-32
