MLB Legend Joe Morgan Dies
Major League Baseball is mourning the loss of another legend on Monday.
Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan, who was the catalyst of the Cincinnati Reds "Big Red Machine" era in the 1970s, passed away on Sunday at the age of 77.
Morgan, who died at his California home, had struggled with various health issues in recent years including a nerve condition, a form of polyneuropathy.
He becomes another legend that baseball has lost in 2020, in addition to Whitey Ford, Tom Seaver, Al Kaline, Bob Gibson, and Lou Brock.
A native of Bonham, Texas, Morgan was a two-time National League Most Valuable Player, a 10-time All-Star, and a five-time Gold Glove Award winner.
Morgan spent the first nine years of his career (1963-1971) with the Houston Colt 45s/Astros, before being traded to the Reds prior to the 1972 season, helping them win back-to-back World Series championships in 1975 and 1976.
Although he is best known for his tenure with the Reds, Morgan actually spent ten seasons as a member of the Astros, while spending eight (1972-1979) with the Reds.
Morgan also spent time with the San Francisco Giants (1981-1982), Philadelphia Phillies (1983), and Oakland A's (1984).
A career .271 hitter, Morgan finished his illustrious career with 2,517 hits, 268 home runs, 1,133 runs batted in, and 689 stolen bases.
A member fo both the Astros and Reds Hall of Fames, Morgan was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990 on his first-year on the ballot, garnering 81.8% of the vote.
Following his playing days, Morgan served as a broadcaster for 25 years, known primarily as the color analyst for ESPN's Sunday Baseball while working alongside Jon Miller.