Joe Morgan- Hall of Fame Dynamo

The Multi-talented Second Baseman

There has never been a second baseman quite like Joe Morgan, and it is doubtful there ever will be. Joe Morgan was a combination of power and speed, wrapped up in a five-foot-seven inch frame. As a member of the Houston Colt .45s and later the Astros, Joe Morgan was an All-Star, but when he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, Joe Morgan became a Hall of Famer. No second baseman before or since has accomplished what Joe Morgan was able to do- hit home runs, steal bases, win Gold Gloves and MVP Awards, and walk. That's right. Walk. Because of a batting eye second to none, this diminutive sparkplug was issued over 1,800 bases on balls, ranking fifth all-time.

Born in Bonham, Texas in 1943, Joe Morgan was one of six children in his family. Morgan moved with his family to the Oakland, California area when he was ten, and he was a standout athlete in school. Morgan was chosen in the amateur free agent draft of 1962 by the Houston Colt .45s, and was playing with them by 1963, albeit in only a handful of games. By '65 Morgan was the full time second baseman, and he was voted the NL Rookie of the Year based on his one hundred runs scored, .271 average and 20 stolen bases. Even at the young age of 21, Joe Morgan walked 97 times; he would draw over 80 free passes in a season sixteen times and over 100 on eight occasions. On July 8th, 1965, Morgan became the first Houston player to have six hits in one contest, a 9-8 loss to the Braves. In 1966, with Morgan batting .315 in June, he was hit by a line drive in batting practice, with his kneecap being broken. Morgan sat out the next forty tilts and Houston proceeded to lose 28 of the first 31 games he missed!