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Joe Morgan, Hall of Fame second baseman, dies at 77
Mon, October 12, 2020, 11:18 AM EDT
Joe Morgan, the Hall of Famer who is considered one of the best second baseman of all-time, has died at age 77. A Morgan family spokesman told the Associated Press that and was suffering from a nerve condition.
Morgan had a 22-year career and played for five different teams, but he’s primarily known as one of the major drivers of the Cincinnati Reds’ Big Red Machine in the 1970s. He spent eight seasons with the Reds, going to the playoffs five times and winning the World Series twice.
“Little Joe”
Morgan, whose 5-foot-7 stature earned him the nickname “Little Joe,” didn’t find immediate success. Signed by the Houston Astros (then the Colt .45s) in 1962, he finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1965 (two seasons after his 1963 debut), but struggled with consistency and power while playing in the enormous Astrodome.
Once the Astros traded him to the Reds after the 1971 season, and he was finally free of the Astrodome, he and his trademark elbow flap began to blossom at the plate. He hit .288/.415/.470 over eight seasons for the Reds, earning an All-Star nod for every season. He finished in the top 10 of MVP voting in five seasons, winning in 1975 and 1976 — the same years the Reds won the World Series.
