Remembering legendary MLB Hall of Famer, Joe Morgan
Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan, one of the first stars of the Houston Colt .45s and Houston Astros, died on October 11. Joe was 77 years old at the time of his passing. The day after we lost Joe, the Houston Astros released the following statement:
“This is a huge loss for our game. Joe Morgan was a true superstar in every sense of the word. In the early part of his career, he was one of our first stars, a cornerstone for the Houston Colt .45s and Astros, and a significant reason for the success of the franchise. His contributions will never be forgotten. We send our heartfelt condolences to Joe’s family, friends and countless fans and admirers.”
Joe Morgan played with several teams throughout his illustrious career; but he is best known for winning two World Series titles with the Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and 1976. Affectionately called “The Big Red Machine,” the legendary team featured stars Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Ken Griffey, Tony Perez, and Dave Concepcion.
Morgan, who won the NL MVP award both years the Reds won the championship, was known for his unusual habit of pumping his back elbow up and down when hitting. He did this to make sure to not drop his elbow at the plate.
In addition to playing with Houston and Cincinnati, Morgan also played with San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Oakland. He was a 10-time All-Star and first ballot Hall of Fame selection in 1990. After his playing career, he was a popular TV analyst for baseball on ABC, NBC, and ESPN.
Joe played 10 of his 22 Major League seasons with Houston (1963-71, 1980). After playing parts of two seasons (1963-64) for the Colt .45s, Morgan took over as the starting second baseman for the newly-named Houston Astros in 1965, a position he would hold through the 1971 season. In that span, he established himself as one of the top all-around second basemen in the National League.
In 1966, he became the first player in franchise history to be voted as an All-Star starter. After being traded to the Reds prior to the 1972 season, Morgan went on to win two MVP Awards and two World Series Championships (1975-76). In 1980, he would return to the Astros where he helped lead them to the first division championship and playoff berth in franchise history.
In 2019, Morgan was part of the inaugural class of the new Astros Hall of Fame and attended the ceremony at Minute Maid Park in August of that season. He was elected to the Reds Hall of Fame in 1987 and to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.
Rest in Peace Joe Morgan
(Source: MLB)
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
