Editing Joe Morgan (section)

===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>