Cincinnati Reds legend and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan has passed away at the age of 77, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports.
Morgan played 22 MLB seasons, starting with the Houston Astros (then the Colt .45s) in 1963. He spent nine seasons to start his career in Houston and went to two All-Star Games with the club.
The second baseman then made his way to the Cincinnati Reds, which is where he blossomed into a legitimate superstar. Morgan powered the Reds' Big Red Machine throughout the 1970s, winning back-to-back NL MVPs in 1975 and 1976. Cincinnati won the World Series in both of those years.
Seriously? I got nothing. Here’s a painting of the great Joe Morgan with his Big Red Machine brethren. RIP. pic.twitter.com/pAYPl3HiVS
— Graig Kreindler (@GraigKreindler) October 12, 2020
Joe Morgan spent eight seasons with the Reds, going to the All-Star Game in all of those years. He returned to the Astros for one season in 1980 and then finished his career with stints with the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Oakland Athletics.
The Hall of Famer finished his MLB career with a batting average of .271 and on-base percentage of .392. Morgan hit 268 home runs and drove in 1,133 runs. In addition to his two MVPs, he won five Gold Gloves. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1990.
After he finished up his MLB playing career in 1984, Morgan quickly went on to become an announcer, serving stints with the Reds, Giants and Athletics. He also made a name for himself as a national broadcaster, ultimately becoming well-known for his work on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball.
Morgan returned to the Reds to help out their front office in 2010, finishing up his MLB career in the place where he became a star.
Joe Morgan's death comes in the wake of several other MLB legends passing away over the past few months, including Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and Tom Seaver.
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