Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Morgan dies at 77

Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Morgan, one of the greatest second basemen in MLB history, has died at the age of 77 after battling several health issues in recent years.

Morgan is best known for his contributions to the great Cincinnati Reds teams of the 1970s, nicknamed the “Big Red Machine,” winning two National League MVP awards and two World Series titles in 1975 and 1976.

It was in Cincinnati that he cemented his place as one of the greatest ballplayers to ever play second base, creating one of the most recognizable and revered teams the game has ever seen alongside Pete Rose, Tony Perez, and Johnny Bench.

The Texas native spent 22 years in Major League Baseball, mostly with the Houston Astros franchise (10 years) and the Reds (eight years).

He slashed .271./392/.427 with 268 home runs, 1,133 RBI, and 2,517 hits in his career, which also included stops with the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics. His 689 career stolen bases rank 11th in MLB history.

He was drafted in 1963 by the Houston Colt .45’s (now the Astros) before he was sent to the Reds in 1971.

Amongst other notable accolades in his stellar career, Morgan was a five-time Gold Glove Award winner and a 10-time All-Star — eight of them coming in succession from 1972-1979 with the Reds between his Age 28 and 35 seasons.

After making the transition to the broadcasting booth in 1985 — where he famously worked at ESPN from 1999-2010 with Jon Miller — Morgan was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990.

He stepped away from the microphone in 2010 where he joined the Reds as a special adviser to baseball operations.

This story first appeared on AMNY.com