Joe Leonard Morgan (September 19, 1943 – October 11, 2020) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Colt .45s / Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the National League Most Valuable Player in each of those years. Considered one of the greatest second basemen of all time, Morgan was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990 in his first year of eligibility.
After retiring as an active player, Morgan became a baseball broadcaster for the Reds, Giants, ABC, and ESPN, as well as a stint in the mid-to-late 1990s on NBC's postseason telecasts, teamed with Bob Costas and Bob Uecker. He hosted a weekly nationally syndicated radio show on Sports USA, while serving as a special advisor to the Reds.
Morgan was African American and the oldest of six children. Born in Bonham, Texas, he lived there until he was five years old. His family then moved to Oakland, California. Morgan was nicknamed "Little Joe" for his diminutive 5-foot-7-inch (1.70 m) stature. As a youth, he played American Legion baseball on a team sponsored by Post 471 in Oakland. Morgan was a standout baseball player at Castlemont High School, but did not receive any offers from major league teams due to his size. He played college baseball at Oakland City College before being signed by the Houston Colt .45s as an amateur free agent in 1962, receiving a $3,000 signing bonus and a $500 per month salary.
Morgan made his major league baseball debut on September 21, 1963. Despite going on to win multiple World Series and MVPs for the Reds, he said his debut for the Colt .45s was the highlight of his career.
Early in his career, Morgan struggled with his swing because he kept his back elbow down too low. Teammate Nellie Fox (also a stocky second baseman) suggested to Morgan that while at the plate he should flap his back arm like a chicken to keep his elbow up. Morgan followed the advice, and his flapping arm became his signature.
Morgan played his first nine major league seasons for the Houston Astros, compiling 72 home runs and 219 stolen bases. He was named an All-Star twice during this period, in 1966 and 1970. On June 25, 1966, Morgan was struck on the kneecap by a line drive (hit by Lee Maye) during batting practice. The broken kneecap forced Morgan out of the lineup for 40 games, during which the Astros went 11–29 (for a .275 winning percentage).
Although Morgan played with distinction for Houston, the Astros wanted more power in their lineup. Additionally, manager Harry Walker considered Morgan a troublemaker. As a result, they traded Morgan to the Cincinnati Reds as part of a blockbuster multi-player deal on November 29, 1971, announced at baseball's winter meetings.
To this day the aforementioned trade is considered a consequential deal for Cincinnati, although at the time many experts felt that the Astros got the better end of the deal. Power-hitting Lee May, All-Star second baseman Tommy Helms, and outfielder/pinch hitter Jimmy Stewart went to the Astros. In addition to Morgan, included in the deal to the Reds were César Gerónimo (who became their regular right fielder and then center fielder), starting pitcher Jack Billingham, veteran infielder Denis Menke, and minor league outfielder Ed Armbrister. Morgan joined leadoff hitter Pete Rose as prolific catalysts at the top of the Reds' lineup. Morgan's batting for the Reds resulted in more home runs than his batting for the Astros, which was partially attributed to the massive size of the Astros’ Astrodome. Morgan's speed and defense were also significant factors in his contribution to the teams performance.
As part of the Big Red Machine, Morgan made eight consecutive All-Star Game appearances (1972–79) to go along with his 1966 and 1970 appearances with Houston. Morgan, along with teammates Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Pérez, and Dave Concepción, led the Reds to consecutive championships in the World Series. He drove in Ken Griffey for the winning run in Game 7 of the 1975 World Series. Morgan was also the National League MVP in 1975 and 1976. He was the first second baseman in the history of the National League to win the MVP back to back. In Morgan's NL MVP years he combined for a .324 batting average, 44 home runs, 205 runs batted in, 246 bases on balls, and 127 stolen bases.
Morgan was an extremely capable hitter—especially in clutch situations. While his lifetime average was only .271, he hit between .288 and .327 during his peak years with the Reds. Additionally, he drew many walks, resulting in an excellent .392 on-base percentage. He also hit 268 home runs to go with his 449 doubles and 96 triples, excellent power for a middle infielder of his era, and was considered by some the finest base stealer of his generation (689 steals at greater than 80% success rate). Besides his prowess at the plate and on the bases, Morgan was an exceptional infielder, winning the Gold Glove Award in consecutive years from 1973 to 1977. His short height proved an asset to him, as he had one of baseball's smallest strike zones. "The umpires gave him everything. If he didn't swing at the pitch, it was a ball," recalled Tommy John.
Morgan returned to Houston in 1980 as a free agent on a reported contract of $255,000 for one season. He helped the young Astros win the NL West, batting .243 in 141 games while leading the league in walks with 93. The Astros then lost the National League Championship Series to the Philadelphia Phillies. Morgan bristled with team manager Bill Virdon at being taken out in late innings for Rafael Landestoy. Late in the year, Morgan expressed to one reporter his doubt in playing for Virdon again.
Morgan signed onto the San Francisco Giants for the next two seasons. In 1981, Morgan batted .240 and played in just 90 games, his lowest number of games played since 1968. The 1982 season had a bumpy start for the team, but they were neck and neck for second place with the Los Angeles Dodgers (each behind Atlanta) with a three-game set to possibly determine the division race. The Dodgers eliminated San Francisco on the second-to-last day, but Morgan hit a go-ahead three run home run to give the Giants a lead they would not relinquish that saw Los Angeles eliminated in favor of the Braves winning the NL West. Morgan won the 1982 Willie Mac Award for his spirit and leadership. He batted .289 in 134 games the following season for the Giants.
Morgan was acquired along with Al Holland by the Phillies from the Giants for Mike Krukow, Mark Davis and minor-league outfielder C.L. Penigar on December 14, 1982. He was reunited with former Reds teammates Pete Rose and Tony Pérez. The lineup was soon dubbed the "Wheeze Kids", referring to the considerable age in their starting lineup, where just one starting player was under 30 years old. On his 40th birthday in 1983, Morgan had four hits, including two home runs and a double, at Veterans Stadium.
The Phillies beat the Dodgers in the NLCS to reach the World Series for the second time in four seasons. Morgan got to play in the World Series for the final time, facing off against the Baltimore Orioles. In Game 1, he hit a home run in the sixth inning to tie the game; he became the second oldest player to hit a home run in the World Series (Enos Slaughter was a few months older at the age of 40). He went 5-for-19 in the Series, which included a second home run in Game 5, but the Phillies lost in five games. Morgan finished his career with the Oakland Athletics in 1984, playing 116 games and batting .244. He collected a hit in his final game on September 30, collecting a double in his one at-bat before being taken out of the game.
In 1990, Morgan was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with more than 81% of the vote. He entered together with Jim Palmer, both in their first year of eligibility. Morgan and Palmer were the 25th/26th players in MLB history to be elected in their first year of eligibility.