Joe Morgan
The greatest second baseman of his generation, and at his peak the best player in baseball, Joe Morgan helped spark the top of the lineup for The Big Red Machine, and won two MVP awards. He helped lead three different franchises to the post-season, and his dramatic home run eliminated the Dodgers from the 1982 playoff race on the season's final day. After his playing career he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990, and became a succesful baseball broadcaster.
Played For
Houston Astros (1963-1971)
Cincinnati Reds (1972-1979)
Houston Astros (1980)
San Francisco Giants (1981-1982)
Philadelphia Phillies (1983)
Oakland Athletics (1984)
All-Time Rankings
Joe Morgan ranks #2 among the Top 50 all-time at 2B. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 1976
One of the finest all-around seasons ever by a second baseman. He led the NL in slugging (.576) and OBP (.453), while batting .320 and stealing 60 bases. He scored 113 runs, walked 114 times, drove in 111, clubbed 27 homers, and won the Gold Glove. He won his second straight MVP award.
Where He Played
Second base
As a Manager
Morgan refused to be considered for several managing jobs after his playing days were over, choosing instead to analyze the game from the broadcast booth.
Born
Joe Leonard Morgan was born on September 19, 1943, in Bonham, TX.
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Primary Position: 2B
Primary Team: HOU
Major League Debut
September 21, 1963
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1963
Pete Rose
Rusty Staub
Joe Morgan
Willie Horton
Jose Cardenal
Jimmy Wynn
Dick Allen
Tommy John
Mickey Lolich
Nicknames
Little Joe, The Little General
Uniform Numbers
#12 (1963), #35 (1964), #18 (1965-1971), #8 (1972-1984)
Similar Players
Lou Whitaker is the closest statistically, but he wasn't nearly as good as Morgan. Whitaker wasn't as good a base stealer, and wasn't nearly as good a hitter, though Sweet Lou was good. They shared good patience at the plate, and power. Whitaker had a better fielding arm by far, and he had a little better range.
Related Players
Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Tony Perez, Davey Concepcion, Tommy Helms, Rogers Hornsby, Lou Whitaker, Ryne Sandberg, Barry Bonds
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1990 |
BBWAA |
363 |
81.8% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1972 National League Championship Series
1972 World Series
1973 National League Championship Series
1975 National League Championship Series
1975 World Series
1976 National League Championship Series
1976 World Series
1979 National League Championship Series
1980 National League Championship Series
1983 National League Championship Series
1983 World Series
Awards and Honors
1972 ML AS MVP
1973 NL Gold Glove
1974 NL Gold Glove
1975 NL Gold Glove
1975 NL MVP
1976 NL Gold Glove
1976 NL MVP
1977 NL Gold Glove
Milestones
- August 27, 1978: 200th HR... First player to hit 200 homers and have 500 stolen bases to his credit.
Batting Feats
Transactions
November 1, 1962: Signed by the Houston Colt .45's as an amateur free agent; November 29, 1971: Traded by the Houston Astros with Ed Armbrister, Jack Billingham, Cesar Geronimo, and Denis Menke to the Cincinnati Reds for Lee May, Tommy Helms, and Jimmy Stewart; November 1, 1979: Granted Free Agency; January 31, 1980: Signed as a Free Agent with the Houston Astros; December 8, 1980: Released by the Houston Astros; February 9, 1981: Signed as a Free Agent with the San Francisco Giants; December 14, 1982: Traded by the San Francisco Giants with Al Holland to the Philadelphia Phillies for Mike Krukow, Mark Davis, and Charles Penigar (minors); October 31, 1983: Released by the Philadelphia Phillies' December 13, 1983: Signed as a Free Agent with the Oakland Athletics.
The trade that sent him to the Reds is one of the best in Cincinnati franchise history, if not the best. It not only netted Morgan, but also starting pitcher Jack Billingham, who proved to be solid for the Reds, and Cesar Geronimo, who was amazing in center field.
All-Star Selections
1966 NL
1970 NL
1972 NL
1973 NL
1974 NL
1975 NL
1976 NL
1977 NL
1978 NL
1979 NL
Replaced
Nellie Fox
Replaced By
Donnie Hill
Best Strength as a Player
Quick reflexes, which helped him at the plate and on the basepaths as a terrific base stealer. Over the course of his career, Morgan showed great success as a basestealer against both RHP and LHP. His rate against RHP was 80.6% and against lefties it was 81.9%.
Largest Weakness as a Player
His arm was never considered that strong, but it wasn't a liability.
Learn More about Joe Morgan
Search Amazon.com for Books about Joe Morgan ⇒
Search for Joe Morgan at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
