Editing Joe Morgan (section)

==Playing career==
Morgan was African American<ref name="black" /> 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 {{convert|5|ft|7|in|adj=on}} stature. As a youth, he played [[American Legion baseball]] on a team sponsored by Post 471 in Oakland.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Joe Morgan (1943–2020)|journal=The American Legion Magazine|publisher=[[American Legion]]|date=December 2020|volume=189|number=6|page=8}}</ref> 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.<ref name=SABR>{{cite web|url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/joe-morgan/|title=Joe Morgan|first=Charles F.|last=Faber|publisher=Society for American Baseball Research|access-date=October 12, 2020}}</ref>

=== Houston Colt .45s/Astros ===
Morgan made his major league baseball debut on September 21, 1963.<ref name=SABR/> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Joe Morgan, early Astros All-Star, dies|url=https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/former-astros-star-joe-morgan-dies|access-date=2021-01-31|website=MLB.com|language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Morgan Joe Houston.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Morgan with Houston, {{c.|1969}}]]
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.<ref>Jauss, Bill. [https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/08/05/morgan-a-tribute-to-games-little-men/ "Morgan A Tribute To Game's 'Little Men': One Of His Idols Was Nellie Fox,"] ''Chicago Tribune'' (August 5, 1990).</ref> Morgan followed the advice, and his flapping arm became his signature.<ref name=SABR/>

Morgan played his first nine major league seasons for the Houston Astros, compiling 72 [[home run]]s and 219 [[stolen base]]s. He was named an [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|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.<ref>[http://www.astrosdaily.com/history/1966/timeline.html "1966 – Timeline,"] Astros Daily. Accessed June 25, 2012.</ref> The broken kneecap forced Morgan out of the lineup for 40 games, during which the Astros went 11–29 (for a .275 [[winning percentage]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=morgajo02&t=b&year=1966|title=Joe Morgan 1966 Batting Game Log|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=October 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1966-schedule-scores.shtml|title=1966 Houston Astros Schedule |work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=October 12, 2020}}</ref>

Although Morgan played with distinction for Houston, the Astros wanted more power in their lineup. Additionally, manager [[Harry Walker]] considered Morgan a troublemaker.<ref name="TBT">{{Cite book|title=The Team-by-Team Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball |last=Purdy |first=Dennis |year=2006 |publisher=Workman Publishing Company |location=New York City |isbn=0-7611-3943-5 }}</ref> 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.<ref name=SABR/>

===Cincinnati Reds===
To this day the aforementioned trade is considered an epoch-making deal for Cincinnati, although at the time many experts felt that the Astros got the better end of the deal.<ref>Neyer, Rob (2006). ''Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Blunders''. Simon & Schuster. p. 193.</ref> Power-hitting [[Lee May]], All-Star second baseman [[Tommy Helms]], and outfielder/pinch hitter [[Jimmy Stewart (baseball)|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 added home run power, not always displayed with the Astros in the cavernous [[Astrodome]], outstanding speed and excellent defense.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://theathletic.com/1656406/2020/03/06/the-baseball-100-no-21-joe-morgan/|title=The Baseball 100: No. 21, Joe Morgan|first=Joe|last=Posnanski|date=March 6, 2020|website=The Athletic|access-date=October 12, 2020|quote="[H]e hit 13 homers in '71 – and didn't appreciate that he played half his home games in the hitters' dungeon that was the Houston Astrodome."}} {{subscription required}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/morgan-joes|title=Joe Morgan|publisher=Baseball Hall of Fame|access-date=October 12, 2020}}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
[[File:Joe Morgan - Cincinnati Reds.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Morgan with the Cincinnati Reds in 1977]]

As part of the [[Big Red Machine]], Morgan made eight consecutive [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|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, Sr.|Ken Griffey]] for the winning run in Game 7 of the [[1975 World Series]]. Morgan was also the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] [[MLB Most Valuable Player award|MVP]] in 1975 and 1976.<ref name="sfgateorbit"/> He was the first second baseman in the history of the National League to win the MVP back to back.<ref>''Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures'', 2008 Edition, p. 152, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, {{ISBN|978-0-451-22363-0}}</ref> 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.<ref name="wpred">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/04/10/mlb-best-baseball-trades-ever/|title=The Red Sox have made two of the best trades in baseball history|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=October 12, 2020|url-access=limited}}</ref>

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.<ref name="sfgateorbit">{{cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Hall-of-Famer-Joe-Morgan-one-of-Oakland-s-15639236.php |title=Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, one of Oakland's greatest players, dies at 77 |website=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=October 12, 2020}}</ref> His short height proved an asset to him, as he had one of baseball's smallest [[strike zone]]s. "The umpires gave him everything. If he didn't swing at the pitch, it was a ball," recalled [[Tommy John]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=John|first1=Tommy|last2=Valenti|first2=Dan|title=TJ: My Twenty-Six Years in Baseball|publisher=Bantam|location=New York|year=1991|isbn=0-553-07184-X|page=275}}</ref>

===Later career===
Morgan returned to [[1980 Houston Astros season|Houston]] in 1980 as a free agent on a reported contract of $255,000 for one season.<ref name=SABR/> He helped the young Astros win the [[National League West|NL West]],  batting .243 in 141 games while leading the league in walks with 93. The Astros then lost the [[1980 National League Championship Series|National League Championship Series]] to the [[1980 Philadelphia Phillies season|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.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.upi.com/amp/Archives/1980/10/15/Second-baseman-Joe-Morgan-who-told-a-reporter-he/8800340430400/ | title=Second baseman Joe Morgan, who told a reporter he }}</ref>

Morgan signed onto the [[San Francisco Giants]] for the next two seasons.<ref name=SABR/> The [[1982 San Francisco Giants season|1982 season]] had a bumpy start for the team, but they were neck and neck for second place with the [[1982 Los Angeles Dodgers season|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 batted .240 and played in just 90 games, his lowest number of games played since 1968. Morgan won the 1982 [[Willie Mac Award]] for his spirit and leadership.<ref>{{cite news|last=Schulman |first=Henry  |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/giants/article/Why-Giants-players-fans-care-so-much-about-6546472.php |title=Why Giants players, fans care so much about Willie Mac Award |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |date=October 2, 2015 |access-date=October 12, 2020}}</ref> He batted .289 in 134 games the following season for the Giants.

[[File:Joe Morgan 1981 Giants.JPG|thumb|right|225px|Morgan at bat for the Giants in [[1981 San Francisco Giants season|1981]].]]
Morgan was acquired along with [[Al Holland]] by the [[1983 Philadelphia Phillies season|Phillies]] from the [[1982 San Francisco Giants season|Giants]] for [[Mike Krukow]], [[Mark Davis (pitcher)|Mark Davis]] and minor-league outfielder C.L. Penigar on December 14, 1982.<ref>[https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/12/14/Phillies-trade-Krukow-2-others-for-Morgan-Holland/5451408690000/ "Phillies trade Krukow, 2 others for Morgan, Holland," ''United Press International'' (UPI), Tuesday, December 14, 1982.] Retrieved January 29, 2023.</ref> He was reunited with former Reds teammates [[Pete Rose]] and [[Tony Pérez]]. The lineup was soon dubbed the [[1983 Philadelphia Phillies season|"Wheeze Kids"]], referring to the considerable age in their starting lineup, where just one starting player was under 30 years old.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/remembering-1983-phillies | title=Pennant-winning "Wheeze Kids" | website=[[MLB.com]] }}</ref> On his 40th birthday in 1983, Morgan had four hits, including two home runs and a double, at [[Veterans Stadium]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies Box Score, September 19, 1983 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI198309190.shtml |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |publisher=[[Sports Reference]] |access-date=24 April 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

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 [[1983 World Series|World Series]] for the final time, facing off against the [[1983 Baltimore Orioles season|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.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1983_WS.shtml | title=1983 World Series - Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies (4-1) }}</ref> Morgan finished his career with the [[1984 Oakland Athletics season|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.<ref name=SABR/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK198409300.shtml | title=Kansas City Royals vs Oakland Athletics Box Score: September 30, 1984 }}</ref>