Cincinnati Reds second baseman and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan passed away this morning. Morgan was 77 years old. Bob Nightengale of USA Today was the first with the news on Twitter.
More awful news. Hall of Famer Joe Morgan has passed away.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 12, 2020
Over the last six weeks, there has now been five Hall of Famers that have passed. Morgan was a vital part of the Cincinnati community and was a well-known member of The Big Red Machine. During his 22-year big league career, Morgan won two MVP awards, was a ten-time All-Star, and won five Gold Gloves. Furthermore, he was named World Series MVP in 1975 when the Reds squared off against the Boston Red Sox and again the following year against the New York Yankees.
It’s hard to list everything that Morgan accomplished during his big league career because he was such a great player. In 1975, when he was named National League Most Valuable Player, he concluded the regular season with a .466 on-base percentage. In addition, he led all of the major leagues with 132 walks over the span of 639 plate appearances. On top of that, he won a Silver Slugger during his age-38 season in 1982 with the San Francisco Giants.
Joe Morgan’s Place in Cincinnati Reds History
Among other Reds players, Morgan has a place enshrined in history forever. When it comes to career on-base percentage, he ranks second behind fellow Big Red Machine member Pete Rose with a .415 percentage. Furthermore, when you add up all of the numbers to get an Offensive WAR value, Morgan ranks fifth among the franchise greats. He accumulated an Offensive WAR of 56.7 during the eight seasons he spent in The Queen City.
Morgan wore number eight, which has since been retired. That puts him among other Hall of Famers who has also had their numbers retired by the Reds, including Johnny Bench, Barry Larkin, and Frank Robinson.
Reds fans will have plenty of fond memories of when he came up clutch. One of those instances occurred in Game Seven of the aforementioned 1975 World Series. Morgan hit a single to bring in the winning run. Thus, giving the Reds a 4-3 victory and a World Series Championship for the first time in 35 years.
Final Thoughts
2020 has not been an easy year for many baseball legends. As mentioned previously, Morgan joins four other Hall of Famers in Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, and Whitey Ford, who have passed away.
Main Image:
